Thursday Recipe - Simple Fruity Frosting

I've found I have issues with food colorings. The all-natural ones in the stores are expensive and hard to work with. But sometimes you want more than just chocolate or plain white frosting.

The key to this recipe is finding a nice soft seedless fruit jelly with lots of color. I used a home-made black currant jelly and it made a lovely pinkish purple frosting. You could also use Hibiscus syrup to flavor and color your frosting. (hibiscus and mint or hibiscus ginger and lemon)  I haven't tried it with jams yet, but just be aware that if your jam or jelly has bits of fruit in it, they will be in the frosting, too.

Now I want to experiment with orange marmalade...

Simple Fruity Frosting

1/2 c. butter, softened
1/4 c. seedless jelly
3 c. powdered sugar
1-3 T. milk

Cream butter and jelly with powdered sugar. Beat for one minute.

If frosting is too stiff, add milk one tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition, until you reach the desired consistency.
If frosting is too soft or runny, add powdered sugar 1/2 c. at a time until you reach the desired consistency.

Whip for 2-4 minutes until very light and fluffy. Use on your favorite cake or spread on graham crackers or use on cookies or whatever you like to do with frosting.

Thursday Recipe - Luscious Chocolate Marshmallow Frosting

Necessity is the mother of invention. So is running out of an ingredient halfway through making a dish. The end result was worth keeping. This is one of the best chocolate frostings I've ever made. Try it out for yourself.

Luscious Chocolate Marshmallow Frosting

1/2 c. butter, softened
2 c. powdered sugar
1/3 c. cocoa powder
1 7 oz jar marshmallow creme
1/2 t. vanilla
2-4 T. milk
pinch of salt

Cream butter until fluffy. Add powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Stir on low speed until mixed. Add the marshmallow creme, vanilla, salt, and 2 T. of milk. Beat on low until blended, then turn speed to high. If the frosting is too dry, add more milk a teaspoon or two at a time. You want a soft, fluffy frosting that doesn't drip. If you get it too runny, add a little more powdered sugar.

Whip on high speed for at least 3 minutes.

Thursday Recipe - Gluten-Free S'Mores Bars

Gluten is a protein, mostly found in wheat, that makes food chewy. More and more people are finding out that they are either Celiac's or sensitive to gluten. The gluten-free food section at our local store has exploded. Unfortunately, most of the foods are both expensive (over $1 per doughnut?) and nasty-tasting, according to my 7yo daughter. She gets GF foods because she is allergic to wheat. Most of the time, GF is a safe bet for her. BUT, she's also allergic to dairy products and soy, both are used to compensate for the texture loss when you cut out gluten. So we still read labels a lot and pick our groceries carefully. Most of the rest of us can't do soy or dairy, either.

This recipe is a great one. First off, it tastes really good. Second, it's fairly inexpensive, unlike most GF dishes. Third, it's so easy a monkey could do it. Fourth, it's really easy to change up and add whatever you want. Fifth, you can justify eating this because it's healthy. Well, except for the loads of butter and chocolate and marshmallows, but that's what makes s'mores so good.

Gluten-Free S'Mores Bars

1 13.8 oz box Honey Nut Chex (certified GF according to the label)
1 16 oz bag marshmallows (double check that your brand is GF)
1/2 c. butter or margarine
1 12 oz bag chocolate chips or other suitable substitute

Melt butter in large saucepan. Add about 2/3 of the marshmallows. Stir and cook over med-low heat until marshmallows melt and mixture is smooth. Add cereal. Stir gently to coat. Add remaining marshmallows and chocolate chips. Stir gently to distribute. Dump onto a sheet of waxed paper. Spread out a bit and let cool for at least 30 minutes, if you can. Break or cut into bars and enjoy.

Variations (check labels to make sure they are GF):
Add 1 c. mini gummi bears with second group of marshmallows. Omit chocolate.
Add 2 c. M&M candies with chocolate chips.
Add 1 c. small spice gumdrops with chocolate chips. Omit extra marshmallows.
Sprinkle 1 c. red hot candies over the top while the bars are still warm. Press gently into surface.
Substitute Rice Chex for Honey Nut Chex, add 1/2 c. peanut butter to the butter and marshmallows. Stir until smooth, then add chocolate chips and remaining marshmallows.
Sprinkle 1/2 c. smashed candy canes over the top while the bars are still warm.
Add 1 c. dried fruit, cut into raisin-size bits (cranberry, blueberry, raisins, cherries, etc) with chocolate chips.
Add 1 c. mixed nuts or peanuts with the dried fruit above.

Let your imagination run wild. It's fun and entertaining to see what you can come up with.

Thursday Recipe - Candy Cane Cookies

Here's my December cheer moment. These cookies are not those time-consuming, delectable butter cookie creations shaped like candy canes. These are my answer to all those candy canes lying around your house that no one will eat. It is also a great recipe for relieving stress and anger. And it tastes really good when you're done. Because they are chocolate chip cookies, nobody cares if they are lumpy and misshapen. So, don't stress. Not everything has to look perfect and tidy this month. You should see the way I'm wrapping presents this year. I'm letting the 7yo do it for me. I just need a lot more tape than normal...

Candy Cane Cookies

12-20 candy canes, any size but please don't mix the peppermint with the fruit. That's just plain nasty. Use one or the other.
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. shortening
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
3 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
3 c. flour
1 c. chocolate chips, milk preferred this time

Unwrap all the candy canes and stuff them into a plastic bag. Don't use a ziploc or anything that seals tightly. Clean bread bags are great. Triple bag the bag with candy canes in it. Twist the top loosely to keep them from exploding out the top. Take a rolling pin and beat them into smithereens. Work out all that built-up aggression. You want nothing bigger than a chocolate chip when you're through. Set the candy cane remnants aside.

Heat oven to 375° F. Cream butter, shortening, and sugars together. Add eggs, soda, salt, and vanilla. Beat until smooth and creamy. Stir in flour, chocolate chips, and candy cane bits. Scoop dough by tablespoonfuls onto well greased cookie sheet. Bake 8 - 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Let cool 1 - 2 minutes, then move to a cooling rack. Don't let them cool on the pan or you'll be sorry. Melted candy canes are not only VERY HOT but sticky and messy. They stick to cookie sheets when they set back up. Let the cookies cool at least 10 minutes before you eat them. Did I mention the candy cane bits will melt and get VERY HOT?

Have a great holiday. I'll have to post other traditional Christmas recipes as I remember them or my kids ask for them.

Thursday Recipe - Fruit Cream

Thursday Recipe - Fruit Cream

This is a loose interpretation of Ambrosia Salad. Easy to make and dairy free, if you choose the right ingredients. It’s a great salad or dessert for summer.

Fruit Cream

3 16 - 20 oz. cans of fruit (fruit cocktail, peach slices, pears, pineapple tidbits)
1 large box vanilla or lemon instant pudding (6 serving size)
1 8 oz. tub whipped topping
1 c. miniature marshmallows (the multi-colored fruit ones are always fun)
Optional: 1/2 c. shredded coconut

Open cans of fruit and drain juice into large mixing bowl. You need about 2 to 2.5 c. of liquid. Add the pudding mix and whisk until smooth and very thick. Fold in whipped topping. Add fruit, marshmallows, and coconut. Fold in just until everything is covered. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Variations (because life just isn’t fun without them)

Use pistachio flavored pudding (2 small boxes if you can’t find one large), 2 cans of pears, and 1 of crushed pineapple. Mash pears into chunks before mixing in.

Use vanilla pudding and 2 cans of pineapple tidbits. Add 2 - 3 c. fresh berries and 1 c. white chocolate chips.

Use 2 cans of fruit cocktail. Add 2 c. broken pieces of vanilla wafers.

Butter Rum Popcorn

Here's another recipe to brighten your day. I'd write about writing or marketing or something else, but life is so crazy right now, recipes are about my speed.

1 c. real butter
1/2 c. corn syrup
2 c. sugar
1 t. rum flavoring
8 qts air-popped popcorn

Melt butter in medium saucepan. Add corn syrup and sugar. Cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and reaches firm ball stage. (Drop a tiny bit in very cold water. It should form a firm ball that is just a bit crunchy around the edges. This takes about 7 minutes.) Remove from heat. Stir in flavoring. Pour over popcorn. (Yes, it's 2 gallons of popcorn, use a really BIG bowl.) Stir carefully until popcorn is coated. Dump onto large piece of waxed paper. Spread and let cool for 30 minutes. Break into chunks. Store in loosely covered container.