Easter is a time of fun and treats. What would be more fun than making your own sweets and treats for the bunny's basket. Surprisingly it's easy to recreate such classics as jelly beans and marshmallow chicks. along with chocolate eggs filled with surprises. It's not only a neat thing to do , but also helpful. Parents don;t have to worry about allergies. Everything is home made under watchful eyes,
Jelly beans are one of the most classic and most recognizable of any Easter goody. The first thing you'll need is a jelly bean mold. These can be bought on Amazon or EBay (there's usually fifty-five hollows on each pan). The recipe is pretty straightforward. It's mixing one quarter of a cup of gelatin with one cup of water and two cups of white sugar.Cornstarch is also added along with a pinch of salt. The flavor comes from the half a cup of juice added. If you're adventurous , you may want to mix juice like orange and grape or make novelty beans like cranberry and fruit punch.It's then cooking all the sugars and water along with the gelatin which will give the beans body. If this may seem too much then think homemade Peeps. Creating them does involve a lot of ingredients, such as egg whites. corn syrup and of course gelatin for body,It's basically making a syrup and blending it in with stiffened egg whites. It will come out in sheets and has to set overnight. .Use chick shaped cookie cutters that have been dipped in cold water to cut out the familiar shape. Dust with colored sugar and use melted chocolate to make the eyes,
Perugina eggs are known for their fun gifts tucked inside either milk or dark chocolate eggs.Again a big surprise is that you can create your own. Amazon sells the molds for the large eggs for about nine dollars. You do have to temper the chocolate before pouring it into the molds which have to be scrupulously clean before using. Tempering chocolate is nothing more than melting it. I'd recommend using those chocolate discs that Michael's sells as opposed to chocolate chips. This is a glossier chocolate that will have a nice sheen to it when it's hardened. It's then coating the two sides of the mold and then "soldering" them together by first gently [placing them on a hot cookie sheet and then gently sticking them together. If you want to put a toy (Or a gift certificate for older kids) inside , wrap it in Saran wrap and then seal. Let cool. You can ice it with buttercream icing or melted white chocolate.Coconut eggs are a big Easter treat. The basic recipe is like a variation of cream cheese frosting except a cup of flaked coconut is added. The candy is them shaped into eggs and frozen for two hours. It 's them melting either milk or dark chocolate chips and dipping the eggs into the melted chocolate.
Happiness is a basket of Easter goodies.Home made ones are even more special. Create some tasty treats for the bunny's basket this holiday - and save some beans and Peeps for yourself too!
Showing posts with label gelatin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gelatin. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 4, 2017
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
The ideal Icing
The icing or more appropriately the frosting makes the cake. It's the selling point that can either give it a thumbs up or a thumbs down moment. The question is what is the best one? Buttercream? whipped cream? Or just a simple dusting of confectioners sugar.
I've been obsessed with this since I started serious baking again.To me, one of the best frostings came from the famed Magnolia Bakery along with Jane's Off Seventh The second , sadly, isn' t
t there anymore, due to high rents and the owner passing. The owner made the best cupcakes, a tender moist crumb with a deliciously creamy buttercream Magnolia Bakery, has so-so cupcakes but ones with a really good, homemade tasting icing.This is the icing I long to make. I found a website Two Sisters Crafting, a craftsy site that features everything from knitting projects to baking. It was created by two sisters, Laurie and Nancy who have recipes and ideas for almost every holiday and football teams. Their buttercream icing recipes are varied with flavors I would have never associated with this sort of frosting. There's butter rum (!) and peanut butter (!) and even cookie dough (!). I just wanted a simple buttercream one one that I can dye and make a pretty icingand with even prettier decorations.It also seems to be really creamy too. Another plus is that it has chocolate buttercream icing ,a perfect go to with yellow cake - the ideal combo according to one friend,
Many (such as my Mom) prefer a whipped cream icing.It's lighter and less sweeter tasting than buttercream that sometimes can taste like divinity fudge. Two Sisters has this which is a combo of two cups heavy whipping cream, white chocolate pudding mix and confectioner's sugar. There is also a sturdy (?) whipped cream icing recipe .It is a mix of heavy whipped cream and cream cheese. It
doesn't have the usual confectioner's sugar but granular white. It's non-meltable which means it will hold it's shaped if it's piped on a cake or cupcake's surface.Is there a pure cream icing, similar to what bakeries put on their cakes? It probably has some kind of gelatin to make it solid. instead of running down the sides. Th best example of this is Charlotte Russe , a disc of vanilla, angel or sponge cake topped with a puff of whipped cream. It's served in a push pop kind of cylinder where you have to push the bottom up to get a mouthful of cream and cake, Another idea is just getting a can of Reddi Whip and spritzing the cake or cupcakes with it. A simpler idea is just dusting the cake and cupcakes tops with a fine dusting of sifted confectioner's sugar. This is an elegant way of serving both and does appeal to many people, including myself.
What makes the best icing? The creamy sweet buttercream? The light and airy whipped cream? Or the plain yet classy dusting of confectioner's sugar? It depends on taste - not simply on look. The most memorable treats are the ones that taste delicious.That's what makes the ideal and best icing.
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Turkish Treats
Turkish cuisine is usually full of savory exotic dishes, laden with spices and nuts. There is also the sweet side of it,, influenced by the variety of different people who lived there from the Greeks to the Turkic tribes. The end result is an array of delicious desserts that can be recreated in home kitchens.
Melissa Clark not only wrote about Turkish delights for today's New York Times Food section she went to Istanbul to sample the many different treats.Their pastries are just as sublime and complex as any French pastry yet are little known here in the US. Their origins, in part, come from the Muslims ban on alcohol. Syrupy fruit juices called sherbets along with other confections subbed in for wine used in various ceremonies. There is the actual Turkish delight, a citrussy gelatin square that's dusted with powdered sugar. Baklava , a favorite throughout the Eastern Mediterranean area is much more delicate than the traditional Greek one.Instead of using honey , bakers pour a simple syrup over the layers of pistachio and baklava. This highlights the nuttiness . another difference is the pastry too. Turkish baklava is made with yufka, a hybrid of strudel dough and phyllo. The layers are brushed with ewe's milk butter instead of cow's milk butter to give it a richer, fuller taste.Ms. Clark gives the recipe but it's more like the Greek with using regular butter and phyllo dough.
The Turks are also known for their fruit desserts that are loaded with poached or candied apricots, pears,cherries mulberries, quince and melon.Pumpkin is also candied, made with calcium hydroxide or slaked lime.One of the most popular in Turkey and worldwide is helweh or halwah. These range from the sesame seed variety to buttery flour and semolina homemade kinds.One of the oldest of the desserts is milk puddings. , A variation is ,tavuk, gogsu, actually has shredded chicken breast in it. The meat, usually from a fresh killed capon, is ground into a fine powder and mixed with milk, sugar and cracked rice.There is also a burned kind, kazandibi, that Ms. Clark makes. The flavor is similar to a burnt marshmallow with a crusty smoky caramelized shell surrounding a mellow, creamy middle Cooking it involves using mastic, a tree resin used in Middle Eastern and Greek cooking and baking. The recipe is tricky but easily learned. Bakers must put a metal 9 by 13 pan directly over an open flame to burn the bottom of the pudding. The blackened side is then flipped over when it is served.
Turkey has an interesting array of sweets. The recipes are ancient and exotic, yer fit right in with modern Turkish cuisine. They are delicate and subtle, a perfect ending for dishes rich with spice and flavor.
Melissa Clark not only wrote about Turkish delights for today's New York Times Food section she went to Istanbul to sample the many different treats.Their pastries are just as sublime and complex as any French pastry yet are little known here in the US. Their origins, in part, come from the Muslims ban on alcohol. Syrupy fruit juices called sherbets along with other confections subbed in for wine used in various ceremonies. There is the actual Turkish delight, a citrussy gelatin square that's dusted with powdered sugar. Baklava , a favorite throughout the Eastern Mediterranean area is much more delicate than the traditional Greek one.Instead of using honey , bakers pour a simple syrup over the layers of pistachio and baklava. This highlights the nuttiness . another difference is the pastry too. Turkish baklava is made with yufka, a hybrid of strudel dough and phyllo. The layers are brushed with ewe's milk butter instead of cow's milk butter to give it a richer, fuller taste.Ms. Clark gives the recipe but it's more like the Greek with using regular butter and phyllo dough.
The Turks are also known for their fruit desserts that are loaded with poached or candied apricots, pears,cherries mulberries, quince and melon.Pumpkin is also candied, made with calcium hydroxide or slaked lime.One of the most popular in Turkey and worldwide is helweh or halwah. These range from the sesame seed variety to buttery flour and semolina homemade kinds.One of the oldest of the desserts is milk puddings. , A variation is ,tavuk, gogsu, actually has shredded chicken breast in it. The meat, usually from a fresh killed capon, is ground into a fine powder and mixed with milk, sugar and cracked rice.There is also a burned kind, kazandibi, that Ms. Clark makes. The flavor is similar to a burnt marshmallow with a crusty smoky caramelized shell surrounding a mellow, creamy middle Cooking it involves using mastic, a tree resin used in Middle Eastern and Greek cooking and baking. The recipe is tricky but easily learned. Bakers must put a metal 9 by 13 pan directly over an open flame to burn the bottom of the pudding. The blackened side is then flipped over when it is served.
Turkey has an interesting array of sweets. The recipes are ancient and exotic, yer fit right in with modern Turkish cuisine. They are delicate and subtle, a perfect ending for dishes rich with spice and flavor.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Gummy Bears That Kid’s Classic For Everyone
Mention Gummy bears and foodies go into rhapsodies about them. Everyone loves these chewy little ursines . They’re the candy version of the fuzzy cousin Teddy. They come in almost all flavors and are fun to snack on no matter how old you are.
Gummi or gummy bears got their start in Germany in 1922 where they were christened Gummibars or rubber bears. Hans Reigel of Bonn first developed these tasty little treats where they were made from sugar ,glucose syrup and starch. Various fruit flavorings such as orange and pineapple are added along with citric acid , gelatin and food coloring. There is a vegetarian version which substitutes fruit pectin instead of gelatin (which is derived from horse or pig hooves). Most gummy bears come in orange, raspberry, pineapple, lime and strawberry The vegetarian version has more exotic flavors.
Gummy or gummi bears have spawned other gummy animals such as lobsters , octopi rings cola bottles and the like. There are even the fun but icky gummy worms and snakes along with sharks and hippos. (have yet to see these.) There is even a kid’s vitamin , called Bear Essentials, packed full of Vitamin C, that’s being offered now too (the original Gummies have no calories whatsoever and are considered empty by nutritionists).
Nothing says bliss and comfort like a handful of Gummy Bears . They’re a holdover from childhood that we all enjoy snacking on. They’re the candy version of a Teddy bear.
Gummi or gummy bears got their start in Germany in 1922 where they were christened Gummibars or rubber bears. Hans Reigel of Bonn first developed these tasty little treats where they were made from sugar ,glucose syrup and starch. Various fruit flavorings such as orange and pineapple are added along with citric acid , gelatin and food coloring. There is a vegetarian version which substitutes fruit pectin instead of gelatin (which is derived from horse or pig hooves). Most gummy bears come in orange, raspberry, pineapple, lime and strawberry The vegetarian version has more exotic flavors.
Gummy or gummi bears have spawned other gummy animals such as lobsters , octopi rings cola bottles and the like. There are even the fun but icky gummy worms and snakes along with sharks and hippos. (have yet to see these.) There is even a kid’s vitamin , called Bear Essentials, packed full of Vitamin C, that’s being offered now too (the original Gummies have no calories whatsoever and are considered empty by nutritionists).
Nothing says bliss and comfort like a handful of Gummy Bears . They’re a holdover from childhood that we all enjoy snacking on. They’re the candy version of a Teddy bear.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Make Wiggle Room For Jello
There's nothing like the American classic, Jello. It's perfect for dessert or even as a side dish at a buffet.Not only that it's low in calories so you can splurge on it without feeling guilty. It's also versatile and you can eat it plain, with fruits or whipped cream.
Jello was invented in 1897 by Pearle Waite of Le Roy , New York. Gelatin was nothing new. The French had been creating it since 1682 when gelatin's; inventor Dennis Papin boiled animal bones and culled the glutinous matter from them. The result was a clear sticky , protein enriched gel. This used it in all aspects of cooking from meats to sweet desserts. Gelatin dishes in the 1800's were not widely consumed nor were they popular. It took Mr. Waite a little over two centuries later, to develop a palatable gelatin that would be tasty and easy to make. He added fruit syrup for color and taste and a new American classic was born. His wife named it "Jell-O". Waite sold the patent for it to Frank Woodward. Woodward was able to make it the most popular dish out there.
Gelatin soon became a staple in American households. Housewives soon realized they could give their families a fun colorful dessert for only pennies.The flavors were good, the original ,being strawberry , lemon ,orange and raspberry (lime was added in the 1930s). In this modern high tech age we still crave the low tech easiness and goodness of a cup of Jello. It's a fun dessert that can come in a variety of ways. Also it's good for nails. Eat Jello three or four times a week and you'll have strong healthy ones.
If any of you have any good Jello recipes please feel free to share them. Do you make yours into shapes? Or add fruits of the season? Do you like bubbly Jello made with club soda or ginger ale? Let Foodie Pantry know about it.
Jello was invented in 1897 by Pearle Waite of Le Roy , New York. Gelatin was nothing new. The French had been creating it since 1682 when gelatin's; inventor Dennis Papin boiled animal bones and culled the glutinous matter from them. The result was a clear sticky , protein enriched gel. This used it in all aspects of cooking from meats to sweet desserts. Gelatin dishes in the 1800's were not widely consumed nor were they popular. It took Mr. Waite a little over two centuries later, to develop a palatable gelatin that would be tasty and easy to make. He added fruit syrup for color and taste and a new American classic was born. His wife named it "Jell-O". Waite sold the patent for it to Frank Woodward. Woodward was able to make it the most popular dish out there.
Gelatin soon became a staple in American households. Housewives soon realized they could give their families a fun colorful dessert for only pennies.The flavors were good, the original ,being strawberry , lemon ,orange and raspberry (lime was added in the 1930s). In this modern high tech age we still crave the low tech easiness and goodness of a cup of Jello. It's a fun dessert that can come in a variety of ways. Also it's good for nails. Eat Jello three or four times a week and you'll have strong healthy ones.
If any of you have any good Jello recipes please feel free to share them. Do you make yours into shapes? Or add fruits of the season? Do you like bubbly Jello made with club soda or ginger ale? Let Foodie Pantry know about it.
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