Sunday, December 29, 2013
Monday, June 18, 2012
Make your own colored sanding sugar!! So easy!
The other day I wanted to make some homemade peeps. I ran out of sanding sugar and didn’t want to run to the store. Pinterest to the rescue!!! I found out that I could make my own. I could make any color I wanted and the cost was just pennies! Here is how I did it:
What you will need:
· 2 cups of white sugar ( you can use any size granules you like)
· 15 – 20 drops of food coloring
· A mixer (you could use a fork, but I am too lazy for that!)
Steps:
1) Put the sugar and the 15 – 20 drops of coloring in a bowl. The darker you want it, the more drops you need to add.
2) Using a mixer on medium-low speed, mix until the color is evenly distributed.
3) Put the sugar in a dish to dry out for a few hours before you put it away in a container.
That’s it! Why did I even buy colored sugar before???? Try it, you will love it!
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Homemade MINT 3 Musketeer Candy Bars!!! Soft, fluffy mint nougat covered in chocolate!
Mr. Wonderful loves all things mint and chocolate. So, here is a fluffy, minty treat. I used a combination of dark and milk chocolate to coat the centers. I’m not a fan of just dark chocolate and just milk chocolate was too sweet. But a mixture was just right (Why do I feel like Goldilocks?). Here it is:
What you will need:
· 3 cups White Granulated Sugar
· ¾ cup light Corn Syrup
· ¾ cup water
· 1/8 teaspoon of Salt
· 3 egg whites (Don’t worry. They will get cooked)
· ½ cup of White Chocolate chips
· 8 oz bag of Milk Chocolate Candy Wafers ( I used Wilton Light Chocolate Wafers)
· 8 oz bag of Dark Chocolate Candy Wafers ( I used Wilton Dark Chocolate Wafers)
· Green food coloring
· Mint Flavored Extract
Tools you need:
· Heavy bottomed 3 quart pot with lid
· Candy Thermometer
· Mixer and mixing bowl. I also used a Wisk attachment.
· 13 x 9 pan sprayed with cooking spray (not the butter flavored one!)
· Bowl and fork for dipping
· Wax Paper or Silpat Non-Stick Baking Mat
(my favorite!!) Steps:
1) In a 3 quart pot, add your sugar, water, syrup and salt. (I don’t even stir it together. I just add them and turn on the heat.)
2) Place the lid on the pot and turn your stove to medium heat. Allow to cook for ten minutes. Do Not Lift The Lid!
3) Once the ten minutes are up, remove the lid and attach your candy thermometer.
4) While the sugar cooks, beat three egg whites to stiff peaks and set to the side.
5) Cook the sugar to 270 degrees. Now, if you don’t live at sea level, you will have to change the temperature. For every 1000 feet above sea level, subtract two degrees. I live at about 5000 feet above sea level, so I cooked it until 260 degrees.
6) Right before your sugar gets to the goal temperature, whip the eggs again to make sure they haven’t separated.
7) Using your mixer set on low; gradually add the sugar to the whipped egg. It took me almost five minutes to add the sugar slowly to the eggs.
8) Once all the sugar syrup is added, turn the mixer up to high and whip until the mixture looks like dough. It should be a little thicker than marshmallow cream and be pulling away from the bowl a bit. It took my Kitchen Aid mixer 13 minutes to get to the ‘dough’ state.
9) Add your white chocolate chips, at least 8 drops of green food coloring and a teaspoon of mint flavored extract to the ‘dough’. Once you add the chocolate, the mixture will not thicken anymore. So, make sure the ‘dough’ is thick before you do this step. Mix until the chocolate has melted and mixed into the ‘dough’.
10) Pour the mixture into a 13 x 9 pan that has been sprayed with non stick spray (not butter flavor!).
11) Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour.
I got to play with these cuties while I waited for the dough to cool. Meet the Chipmunk. Yep, I nicknamed my kids monkey and Chipmunk.
12) Remove the candy from the pan. The whole thing should come out as a whole. 13) Cut your candy into mini candy bar shapes. I got at least 2 dozen fun-size candy bars.
14) Melt your light and dark chocolates following the package instructions or follow my steps for tempering.
15) Using a fork or dipping tool, dip your candy into the chocolate and place on a Silpat or wax paper.
16) I used a little chocolate in a bag to make a design on my chocolates.
If you like this one, here is a link to the original 3 musketeer bar!
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Homemade 3 Musketeer Candy Bars!!! Soft, fluffy chocolate nougat covered in chocolate!
What you will need:
· 3 cups White Granulated Sugar
· ¾ light Corn Syrup
· ¾ water
· 1/8 teaspoon of Salt
· 3 egg whites (Don’t worry. They will get cooked)
· ½ cup of Semi sweet Chocolate chips
· 16 oz bag of Milk Chocolate Candy Wafers ( I used Wilton Light Chocolate Wafers)
Tools you need:
· Heavy bottomed 3 quart pot with lid
· Candy Thermometer
· Mixer and mixing bowl. I also used a Wisk attachment.
· 13 x 9 pan sprayed with cooking spray (not the butter flavored one!)
· Bowl and fork for dipping
· Wax Paper or Silpat Non-Stick Baking Mat
(my favorite!!) Steps:
1) In a 3 quart pot, add your sugar, water, syrup and salt. (I don’t even stir it together. I just add them and turn on the heat.)
2) Place the lid on the pot and turn your stove to medium heat. Allow to cook for ten minutes. Do Not Lift The Lid!
3) Once the ten minutes are up, remove the lid and attach your candy thermometer.
4) While the sugar cooks, beat three egg whites to stiff peaks and set to the side.
5) Cook the sugar to 270 degrees. Now, if you don’t live at sea level, you will have to change the temperature. For every 1000 feet above sea level, subtract two degrees. I live at about 5000 feet above sea level, so I cooked it until 260 degrees.
6) Right before your sugar gets to the goal temperature, whip the eggs again to make sure they haven’t separated.
7) Using your mixer set on low; gradually add the sugar to the whipped egg. It took me almost five minutes to add the sugar slowly to the eggs.
8) Once all the sugar syrup is added, turn the mixer up to high and whip until the mixture looks like dough. It should be a little thicker than marshmallow cream and be pulling away from the bowl a bit. It took my Kitchen Aid mixer 13 minutes to get to the ‘dough’ state.
9) Add your semisweet chips to the ‘dough’. Once you add the chocolate, the mixture will not thicken anymore. So, make sure the ‘dough’ is thick before you do this step. Mix until the chocolate has melted and mixed into the ‘dough’.
10) Pour the mixture into a 13 x 9 pan that has been sprayed with non stick spray (not butter flavor!).
11) Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour.
12) Remove the candy from the pan. The whole thing should come out as a whole.
13) Cut your candy into mini candy bar shapes. I got at least 2 dozen fun-size candy bars.
15) Using a fork or dipping tool, dip your candy into the chocolate and place on a Silpat or wax paper.
16) I used a little chocolate in a bag to make a design on my chocolates.
Enjoy!! They are creamy, marshmallow-ie (not a word, but they are!) and fluffy all at the same time. Good luck and check back for my recipe for MINT Three Musketeers!!!
The Original Three Musketeer
Coming Soon: Mint Three Musketeers!!!
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Chocolate Covered Marshmallow!! Super easy and great for Valentine’s day!
I found Chocolate Covered Peeps during my first pregnancy and I loved them! But, they are kind of expensive (for this cheap girl anyway). So, I decided to make my own. I used cookie cutters to make the shapes, big and small. They are really fun and everyone loves them.
What you will need:
· Homemade Marshmallow. I used my recipe found here.
· ¼ cup of Corn Starch and ¼ cup Powdered Sugar mixed together. This keeps the marshmallows from sticking.
· Cookie cutters. Any shape and size will work
· A dipping tool or just a fork
· A microwave safe bowl and a brush
· 16 oz of Milk or Dark Chocolate Candy Melts
· A Silpat or Wax paper
· For decoration, I used a little white chocolate and heart sprinkles.
Steps:
1) Make your marshmallow. I made the marshmallow and poured it into a sheet pan with a Silpat on the bottom. The pan was covered in a mixture of equal parts corn starch and powdered sugar (like my recipe says to use). Allow the marshmallow at least 4 hours to set up. I waited overnight.
2) Sprinkle a cutting board with the corn starch and powdered sugar mixture. Peel the marshmallow off the pan and place on the cutting board. If you used a Silpat, remove that too.
3) Now, the fun begins!! Dip your cookie cutter in the corn starch and powdered sugar mixture. Press them into the marshmallow (just like making sugar cookies). Make sure you press straight down. Place the cut marshmallows on a Silpat or wax paper that is dusted with the corn starch and powdered sugar mixture.
Aren’t they cute?
The leftovers. Don’t throw it away. Cut them up and use in hot cocoa or just give the whole thing to your kids and give them a huge sugar high ;)
4) Once they are all cut out, brush off the extra corn starch and powdered sugar mixture with the pastry brush. Do this over the sink. It can get messy.
5) Now, they are ready for chocolate! I used Milk Chocolate Candy Melts. Follow the instructions on the back of the package or follow mine.
6) Place a marshmallow in the chocolate one at a time and pull them out with your fork. Be sure to tap off the excess chocolate. Place on your Silpat or Wax paper.
7) Now, decorate all you want! I used a little white chocolate and sprinkles to decorate mine for Valentine’s Day.
I made large hearts for Mr. Wonderful. I used a small zip-lock bag to pipe with white chocolate, but the piping isn’t very good. Learning to pipe with chocolate and icing is one of my New Year’s resolutions. They still taste great!
Monday, January 9, 2012
Homemade Peeps! Have a fun treat all year round and in any shape you want!!
I love peeps! They always make you feel like a kid. It’s marshmallow and sugar. Who doesn’t love those two things?!? Well, I found a way to make peeps in any shape, size and color. They are really easy and here is how to do it:
What you will need:
· Marshmallows (I used my recipe found here). Homemade marshmallows are the best! So much better than the store bought.
· Cookie Cutters. Any size and shape will work. I used a small heart and flower. But, think of the endless options you could do!!
· A pastry brush
· ¼ cup of Corn Syrup
· Fine to regular colored sugars. The finer the sugar, the better. I wouldn’t use sanding sugar. That would be super course and would not cover very well.
Steps:
1) Make your marshmallow. I made the marshmallow and poured it into a sheet pan with a Silpat on the bottom. The pan was covered in a mixture of equal parts corn starch and powdered sugar (like my recipe says to use). Allow the marshmallow at least 4 hours to set up. I waited overnight.
2) Sprinkle a cutting board with the corn starch and powdered sugar mixture. Peel the marshmallow off the pan and place on the cutting board. If you used a Silpat, remove that too.
3) Now, the fun begins!! Dip your cookie cutter in the corn starch and powdered sugar mixture. Press them into the marshmallow (just like making sugar cookies). Make sure you press straight down. Place the cut marshmallows on a Silpat or wax paper that is dusted with the corn starch and powdered sugar mixture.
Aren’t they cute?
The leftovers. Don’t throw it away. Cut them up and use in hot cocoa or just give the whole thing to your kids and give them a huge sugar high ;)
4) Once they are all cut out, brush off the extra corn starch and powdered sugar mixture with the pastry brush. Do this over the sink. It can get messy.
5) Pour your sugars into small bowls. And pour your corn syrup into a small bowl too.
6) Cover a marshmallow in corn syrup (you can use a brush, but I found that using your fingers was easier). I covered 5 at a time.
7) Place the marshmallow in the sugars and cover completely.
8) Put on a Silpat or Plate to ‘dry out’ a bit.
There you go! Homemade peeps!! They are very fun to make! Next time I think I will make a giant peep. Hope you try them soon!!!
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Crispy Bacon Chocolates!! New spin on a treat!
So, I love bacon. I really, really love bacon. And I love sweet and salty things. I was watching a cooking show called ‘Bitchin Kitchen’ (Love the show, hate the name) and she did a treat similar to this. So, I decided to make some and try them out. They are creamy, crispy, porky, salty and sweet all at the same time. I took a batch of these to share with a bunch of teenage girls. And guess what! They loved them!!! Give them a try!
What you will need:
· 5 strips of Bacon
· 1 cup of Rice Krispie Cereal
· 16 oz of Milk Chocolate
· A silicone ice cube tray (I used a heart shaped tray that I got at the dollar store)
· A little chocolate and a sandwich bag for decoration (I used pink chocolate for Valentine’s Day)
Steps:
1) Cook your bacon. I used frozen bacon (I always store my bacon in the freezer) and cut them into ½ inch strips. I then sprinkled them with a tablespoon of brown sugar and placed them in a 375 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, stirring them around every 5 minutes.
2) Place the bacon bits on a paper towel and allow to cool completely. Once cool, chop the bacon into fine bacon bits. I had about 1/3 cup of bacon bits when I was done chopping.
3) Melt your chocolate according to the instructions on the package or follow mine.
4) Mix the bacon and cereal into the chocolate.
It’s not the prettiest mixture, but they are really cute at the end!
5) Fill your ice cube tray with the mixture and tap the tray on the counter to make sure there are no air bubbles.
6) Place the tray in the fridge for 30 minutes (or in the freezer for 5 minutes) to allow the chocolate to harden.
7) Just pop the chocolates out of the mold and decorate with a little melted chocolate. I also used tiny heart sprinkles.
The biggest challenge is whether or not to tell people there is bacon in them. It’s kinda fun to surprise people with a porky treat. But, this is coming from a girl that put peas in a chocolate to surprise a friend that hates peas. Yeah, I’m evil.
Enjoy!!!!
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