Baking: Oh oh homemade marshmallows

It's the most wonderful time of the year. Time to make the marshmallows!!!

My friends and family love my homemade marshmallows.

And they are so easy.


Homemade Marshmallows
Ingredients

• Vegetable shortening (Crisco recommended) for preparing the pan
• 1 cup cold water
• 3 tablespoons (3 envelopes) unflavored gelatin
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Confectioners sugar (for coating the marshmallows)

Instructions

1.Cut a piece of aluminum foil long enough to cover the bottom and sides of the pan. Place the foil in the pan and press it gently into place. With a pastry brush or crumpled wax paper coat the foil thoroughly but lightly with vegetable shortening. Set aside.

2. Place 1/2 cup cold water in the large bowl of an electric mixer, Sprinkle the gelatin over the surface of the water and set aside. Notice, it is not imperative to use a halloween dish but nice to mix your holidays. I doubled this recipe so I have 1 cup of cold water and 6 packets of unflavored gelatin.

Place the sugar, corn syrup, salt and the other 1/2 cup water in a heavy 1-1/2 quart or 2 quart saucepan over moderately low heat.

Stir until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture comes to a boil.Raise the heat to high, insert a candy thermometer, and let the syrup boil without stirring until the temperature reaches 240 degrees. This process takes a little while so be patient.

Almost there but it has to be 240 degrees, or soft ball stage. Do not overcook. Remove from the heat.

Beating constantly at medium speed, pour the syrup slowly into the gelatin mixture. After all the syrup has been added, increase the speed to high and beat for 15 minutes until the mixture is lukewarm, snowy white, and the consistency of whipped marshmallow, adding the vanilla a few minutes before the end of the beating. (During the beating, occasionally scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula. The marshmallow will thicken and become sticky -- if the mixture crawls up on the beaters as it thickens, carefully wipe it down with a rubber spatula.) 10 minutes of mixing, here you need to add vanilla. A side note, you can add peppermint extract or any other flavoring you would like.

Pour the slightly warm and thick marshmallow mixture into the prepared pan and, with your forefinger, scrape all the mixture off the beaters. Smooth the top of the marshmallow. Let stand uncovered at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours or longer if it is more convenient.

Then sift or strain confectioners sugar generously onto a large cutting board to cover a surface larger then your pan. Invert the marshmallow over the sugared surface. Remove the pan and peel off the foil. Strain confectioners sugar generously over the top of the marshmallow.

Prepare a long, heavy, sharp knife by brushing the blade lightly with vegetable shortening. Cutting down firmly with the full length of the blade, cut the marshmallow into 1 inch strips and each strip into 1 inch squares. Place the cubes on a cookie sheet with extra sugar in it.

Polka Dot Cake

Several years ago, I begged, pleaded and bribed my family for this Christmas cake plate for Christmas. And my son was so kind to his poor old mother that he bought her this cake plate.

The cake plate is beautiful and inspired me to make some fancy cupcakes a couple of years ago. 

But how about a Red Velvet Cake for this pretty cake plate. 

Beautiful, huh

Oh wait

It get better

Because I thought how much more fun would a red velvet polka dot cake be?

I mean on the inside

Is that not amazing?

No, I did not learn how to defy the laws of baking

But with the help of this blog, the cake pop baker and my lovely daughter, I baked cake pops with a white cake mix.

Used my sister’s fabulous red velvet cake recipe. But before the cake went into the oven, plopped the cake balls into the batter. 

My only mistake was not putting more cake balls in tightly. I should have also added a few halved cake balls. 

Bake the cake as normal, I had to add about five extra minutes to the red velvet baking time. 

But the cake came out perfectly. I would have thought the cake pops would have been dry but they were perfect even baked a second time in the cake.

How pretty is this cake?

I can imagine a beautiful polka dot cake for a bridal shower, Easter or any fancy girl occasion. It makes for a fun surprise when you cut the cake. 

I am joining Foodie Friday.

A Candy Cane Polka Dotted Tablescape

This table was inspired by my favorite cake plate, wait until tomorrow’s post about how that plate came to live at my home. As you know, I have put a request that we have an old fashioned Sunday dinner at my home.

For me, food is love. I want to make those that I love feel special and my Sunday dinners and my tables need to reflect the love I feel for those people. 

For this table, I thought we would have dinner in my kitchen. I have the cutest kitchen decorations… candy, candy cane inspired decorations along with this fun sandwich platter, topped with these snowman mugs, ready for hot chocolate. I will show you the rest of the kitchen next week.

As someone who loves to bake, what better theme for a kitchen than a sugar coated red and green kitchen.

 It all started with this cake plate. I mean look how cute her feet are!!!

For the table, I decided that red and white polka dots would be perfect. From the tablecloth and napkins

To the plates.

Topped with the Santa plate. His blushing cheeks make this dish so sweet.

Polka dots can make any table more fun and less formal.

Kate Spade flatware with the tiniest ruffle along the edge continue the fun theme.

I found these cute candy vases and decided to set not one arrangement but three.

Although I am making Sunday dinner, how cute would this table be for a cookie party for the kids.

Sunday Dinner Menu

Bacon Wrapped Scallops

Baked Potato with Sour cream and chives

Green Salad with Candied Pecans, Cranberries and Feta

Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Chargers: Home Goods

Dinnerware: Spode

Flatware: Kate Spade

Napkin Rings: Christmas store

Centerpieces: Vases - Carolina Pottery

Santa Plates: Carolina Pottery

Tablecloth and Napkins: Home Goods

I am joining Susan and her Tablescape Party. I love all her fun tables and the tables of all the fun ladies

Homemade Marshmallows and their Fancy Wrapping

Every year, I have special friends that I am required to take my marshmallows to for a treat. 

In particular, one lovely older lady saves and counts her marshmallows for hot chocolate. One marshmallow a day. I always make a special batch for her. 

 

I have shown you before how easy the marshmallows are to make but I never get tired of finding  fun and interesting ways to present them. 

When I found these little plastic trays, I knew they would be the perfect size. 

Wrapped with cellophane. 

And some personalized ribbon. 

These treats are a special, inexpensive way to tell someone how cherished they are to you.

Menu: Week Ending December 17th

Classes are finished and now I can shift to Christmas prep full gear. I do feel a little stressed but know a couple of days in the kitchen will get me back on track. The house is decorated and we are really enjoying the holidays. 

I have spent the last two weekends prepping food for when the boys are in town. The last thing I want to do is spend the day cooking and cleaning the kitchen. 

How are your holiday preparations coming? 

Monday

Who doesn't love a big bowl of Spaghetti Carbonara on a cold winter day... I don't make this dish enough but can't wait for dinner. The pasta is delicious for lunches, heated up 

Spaghetti Carbonara

Arugula. Shaved Parmesan, Pine Nuts In a Lemon Vinaigrette
Three Cheese Garlic Bread

Tuesday

I am making Yvonne's slow cooker soup and freezing the leftovers for the week between Christmas and New Year's 

 

Slow CookerFrench Onion Soup

Recipe:

8 large yellow onions, Make sure to use YELLOW ONIONS, peeled, sliced in thin half-moons
2 TBS olice oil
2TBS butter
1 1/2 TBS  sugar
1 1/2 TBS salt
24 oz Beef Broth
32 oz. chicken broth
1/2 cup good white wine, dry sherry or Marsala
1 dried bay leaf
3 sprigs thyme, tied with kitchen twine
1tsp pepper
1 baguette, cut into 1/2 thick slices
1/2 shredded Gruyere cheese for EACH serving

Combine oil and butter in a frying pan and put all 8 cups of onions in pan.  Add sugar and salt and toss to coat.  Cook onions on medium low heat for 40 minutes to 1 hour stirring occasionally. They will cook down to a fracton of their former volume and most of the liquid will evaporate.   

Add onions to slow cooker. Add broth, wine, bay leaf and tyme to slow cooker and cook for 2- 3 hours on high.

 

Preheat oven to 350 degree. Put baguette slices on baking sheet and toast for 15-20 minutes until dry. Increase oven temp. to 400 degrees.

Put baguette in soup bowl and ladle soup over baguette. Grate cheese on top of soup.

Put bowl on baking sheet and bake in oven until cheese is melted and brown, 10 minutes.

Serve with salad.

Wednesday

Chicken Pot Pie

Roasted Butternut Squash

Thursday

Out

Friday

Peach Glazed Chicken

Smashed Potatoes

Roasted Green Beans with Almonds

Saturday

Turkey Chili in the Crockpot

with all the trimmings

Corn Bread Muffins

Sunday Dinner

 

Bacon Wrapped Scallops

Baked Potato

Green Salad with Candied Pecans, Cranberries and Feta