Sauerkraut Soup – Not even kidding

Posted by Pussycat in About Me, Soups | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment
20July2022

This time of year with BBQ season in full swing I always buy a jar of sauerkraut. Often I have some on my smokie or hot dog coupled with cowboy candy and all the fixings. It’s one of my favourite indulgences. I love a good hot dog and the bun is essentially a vehicle for all the fixings. This often leaves me in a quandary. What the hell do I do with the rest of the jar of Sauerkraut? Don’t get me wrong, I love sauerkraut but not to the point where I’ll eat the whole balance of the jar on it’s own. And then I popped in on my mom and dad.

My mom and I share a love of all things tart and pickled is sometimes included in that list. As she’s offering me food (the thing mothers always do) she mentions she has cabbage soup…. but you know…. sauerkraut cabbage soup. I’m sure this isn’t the first time I’ve ever had it but it immediately made me jump at the meal. As I’m devouring the delicious bowl I ask her for the recipe…. and this is how it goes.

Boil some potatoes in a pot, cook them separately from the sauerkraut, cooking the potatoes in any vinegar will make it difficult to get them soft. So cook them separately. “Do I actually have to ‘cook’ the sauerkraut?” I ask. ‘Yes’ she says, “it needs to be softened”. But she is using homemade sauerkraut, not store bought like I will be. “Make a roux with a nice diced onion and add it to the pot. I add some bacon and you can sweeten it a bit to taste.”

This morning I have a few things to do and then I come home hungry and craving a bowl of soup. The jar of sauerkraut in the fridge is beckoning and I acquiesce. I kept track as best I could and my instructions are better than my mom’s but just follow along and trust your taste buds.

Roux cooking with the onions
  • 1 jar of sauerkraut (minus a few servings used for hot dogs 🙂
  • 1 lb good bacon
  • 3-4 potatoes
  • 1 large onion diced
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • splash of oil (so the butter doesn’t burn)
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
  • water (2-4 cups)
  • dash of salt
  • up to 1/4 cup of sugar

Cook the bacon however you like (I generally broil ours in the oven) chop in to pieces and set aside. Dice potatoes into about 1 inch cubes and place in a soup pot, cover with enough water and as much as you want soup. Add the caraway seeds, a dash of salt and boil until cooked. In the meantime add butter and oil and onions in to a frying pan and cook until onions are translucent. Then add flour and stir often cooking on low heat until the flour is just barely golden turn off heat and set aside.

Ingredients

Once the potatoes are fork tender add the sauerkraut, onion roux and bacon. Bring to a gentle simmer to thicken. If it’s too thick add a little water to get the consistency you like. Add a bit of sugar at a time to tame down the vinegar and voila you have a delicious sauerkraut soup.

As I type up this post I am snacking on my THIRD bowl of soup. So so good!

Bon Appetite!

Summer Party Food

Posted by Pussycat in About Me, Main Dishes | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment
30May2022

It has been a minute since I last posted and I apologize. I’ve been busy with my newest Covid hobby… knitting… and it’s been a very useful hobby given we had our first grand baby arrive in November and our second is scheduled to arrive in August. Learning something new was definitely one of the things that kept me sane during all the Covid shutdowns here in Canada.

I must admit haven’t been much into playing with food and dreaming up ideas but that seems to be on the upswing now. Hopefully for good. We’re back to entertaining and having people over and now my mission is to find all the best recipes for just that…. making food that is good to make ahead and easy to serve to 10 or more people sitting around a pool without killing your own relaxation and sun time.

This first dish is incredible. It comes from a trip I took about 20 years ago to Indio California. I walked through a street festival and had a shrimp cocktail that was insanely delicious and satisfying to eat in the scorching sun and heat of the California sun. Whenever I mention Shrimp Cocktail to anyone their mind immediately goes to a cold cooked shrimp ring with a container of red sauce filled with horseradish. Now I’m not saying for a minute that I don’t like this kind of Shrimp Cocktail but it’s not the one I remember so fondly from California. I Googled several recipes to find inspiration but wasn’t able to find anything that had the flavours I was looking for so I improvised and this is what I came up with… and it is a winner!

Sauce

  • 1 Cup Dry Gin
  • 1/4 Cup Sugar
  • 1/2 Cup Cider Vinegar

Place all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer on low until reduced by half. Then add…

  • 1 Cup grapefruit juice (sugar free)
  • 1/2 Cup water
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • juice of 2 limes
  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil

Mix all together and allow to sit and cool while you get all the other ingredients together in a bowl.

Salad Mix Ingredients

  • 30-40 medium cooked shrimp
  • 1 English cucumber seeded and diced
  • 1 large tomato seeded and diced
  • 1 mango peeled and diced
  • 1 grapefruit peeled seeded and diced
  • 1/2 large purple onion diced
  • 3-4 green onions diced
  • 1 Cup blistered corn (pan fry corn niblets to blister them)
  • 1 large avocado diced
  • 1/2 Bunch cilantro roughly chopped

Mix all ingredients together and salt and pepper to taste (honestly it doesn’t really need much more flavour). Let sit to have all the flavours blend or eat whenever you’re ready. You can certainly add a little hot sauce if you like but I didn’t and allowed people to add their own based on taste.

This dish is perfect for entertaining. You can easily make up a large batch, double or triple based on number of people, you can also increase or decrease ingredients based on taste or allergies. Lastly it will sit very well in the refrigerator overnight… Just in time for a sunny pool day!

Bon Appetite!

AHHH! It’s September, How the Hell did that Just Happen?

Posted by Pussycat in Sweets | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment
1September2021

Stay back Pumpkin Pie people, I’m hanging on to summer breezes with all my might…. it is after all summer for another 21 days…. I plan on tasting summer for the last three weeks with this luscious ice-cream, recipe. Yes, I’m kicking myself, I had meant to take photographs of all those beautiful sour cherries on the bushes a few weeks ago. I was ecstatic not to have to fight all the local creatures for them this year resulted in 3 days of picking and endless ruminating about what to make with them. I guess in all that daydreaming about what to make I neglected to take pics of my lovely harvest…. sorry, next year I’ll do better!

For all you pie lovers, I’m sorry, (not sorry) I couldn’t bring myself to do that to them. I guess I just don’t love pie enough. Nah… I just love ice-cream way WAY more. My favourite of all time is of course New York Cherry Cheesecake, that nice blend of sweet and a bit tart and so I thought, What could be better? I know….. Czech Cherry Cheesecake Ice-cream with all my lovely macerated, only slightly sweetened, home grown sour cherries. With about two ice-cream pails full of fresh cherries I’m pretty sure I can keep that summer feeling going long into the fall and maybe even into winter 😉

It’s been a few weeks since I pulled all those cherries off my trees and I’m not sure what y’all did with yours but I only slightly sweetened them with a small amount of sugar, ensuring all the wonderful tart flavour remained and cooked them down a bit, blending about a quarter of them in my bullet just to add some thickness. I divided them and froze them in single quart containers. Having not added anything else allows me to thaw the containers and do whatever I want with them later on. I’ll be making a Black Forrest Cake shortly and I’ll be posting soon but for now I’m sharing the last container of my Cherry Cheesecake Ice-Cream for today. Just to help you enjoy the last few weeks of summer.

I scoured the Internet and was able to find a no cook rich amazing cheesecake ice cream recipe here. Though my recipe used a home made cherry mixture…. seriously next level…. even if you don’t have any this ice cream is well worth it. I know I’ll be making this a few times over the course of the fall and into winter; just to hold on to a little summer feeling.

CheeseCake Ice-Cream (altered very slightly from Sweet Tea & Thyme)

  • 2 cups heavy cream (35%fat)
  • 1 – 8 oz package of full fat cream cheese
  • 1 -14 (or so) oz can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • zest of one lemon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup Cherry filling of choice
  • 1/2 cup broken graham wafters (or more 😉

Whip the heavy cream in a mixer until stiff peaks form then set aside in another bowl and use the same bowl mix the cream cheese and condensed milk, vanilla extract, lemon juice and zest until blended smooth.

Gently fold the cream cheese mixture into the whipped cream using a silicone spatula being careful not to over mix. It does not have to be completely mixed but should blended together so that you don’t have large pockets of either mixture.

Layer into a large container 1/3 of the cheesecake mixture, 1/3 cherries (swirl a little) and 1/3 graham wafers until you get to the top swirling the cherries a little as you go. Add a handful of graham wafters to the top along with the cherry mixture.

Freeze mixture for 4 – 8 hours or overnight. You may need to allow to thaw for 10 minutes before you scoop the ice cream and serve.

Bon Appetite!

Make spectacular burgers with this special spice mix!

Posted by Pussycat in Main Dishes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment
13July2021

I’ve been wanting to post this for a while now as I figure most of us are well on our way to backyard BBQs and maybe looking for a new upgrade for our burgers. I’ve always loved lots of toppings on my burger, onions, raw and/or cooked, ketchup, mayo, mustard, cowboy candy, and any other fixings; thinking mostly of burgers as a vehicle for all these toppings, that is until I started to add this spice mix. I first encountered a version of this mix on the tv show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. It was from a restaurant I have long lost track of but I believe it was in the southern states and if I recall it was in some version of a basement diner. This mix was added to ground beef and shaped into a hot dog, boiled and then simmered in bbq sauce. Its claim to fame was the multilevel spiciness. I don’t have the exact measurements and/or ingredients but made a version from my vague recollection of this episode. If this information sparks anyone and you know where it’s from please comment. I would love to add this to my post.

For now, we’ll have to settle for my take on the inspiration. Adding this spice mix makes any burger stand on its own and you can cut back on the toppings to really enjoy the burger. Good bye to dead meat on a bun…. Hello deliciousness! And for a little added healthy bonus, farm fresh eggs from a friend of mine. If you have that opportunity I say, always take advantage of it!

You see on the plate some hand cut fresh matchstick fries, my husband’s favourite, probably because he also loves hickory sticks…. and these really are mostly like chips. As well deep fried cauliflower (my favourite) with a special sauce that makes any deep fried veggie shine. This recipe goes back to a 2012 post, not my best photography, but the food is still super yummy and it’s definitely worth a go if you already have the deep fryer out to make French fries…. What don’t have a deep fryer???? What’s wrong with you! 😉 LOL…. we only use ours on special occasions…. like this. Anyway… If you have the deep fryer out, then these are a nice addition, just don’t leave out the sauce, it really brings the cauliflower to the next level of scrumptiousness and I promise you’ll be looking for other uses for it. It’s just that good.

I mix up a small bottle of the spice mix and have it on the ready anytime I make burgers, meatballs or even meatloaf. It doesn’t have salt, I find it doesn’t really need it, but it also leaves you to add your own amount, I find everyone is a little different with how much they like to salt their food. I also like to leave it out so that I can always have that discretion.

Spicy Ground Meat Mix

  • 2 Tablespoons granulated garlic
  • 2 Tablespoons onion powder
  • 1 Tablespoon chilli powder
  • 1 Tablespoon cayenne powder
  • 1 Tablespoon black pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon white pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon celery salt
  • 1 Tablespoon onion flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon hot Hungarian paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red peppers
  • 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon Jamaican allspice
  • 2 Tablespoons brown sugar

Mix all ingredients together in a jar and keep for use in all ground meat recipes. If you would like a spicy burger I add per 20 oz of meat, 2 Tablespoon of this mix, 4 Tablespoon bread crumbs, 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, and 1 egg. This will make 4 nice large burgers. You can always cut down the spice mix for a less spicy burger. With these ratios it packs a nice slow simmering heat in your mouth…. for all your spice loving friends and family this is a party for sure!

Bon Appetite!

Really Easy and Healthy Summer Meal

Posted by Pussycat in Main Dishes | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment
9June2021

I know some of you might scoff and turn up your nose at this post. It’s not really a cooking post. But not all meals need to require hours of preparation to be delicious and most that are healthy require just a little bit of time. This meal just takes minutes and it has become on of my favourite during these hot summer days by the pool. Who wants to spend tons of time hanging around a hot kitchen with the water is calling??? And by the way, this meal will also do wonders for keeping you happy in your bathing suit. I call that a win win!

Just to provide a bit of backstory, I grew up loving Kohlrabi, my mother planted it by the side of the house when I was a kid and it was probably my favourite vegetable. Not many of my friends knew what it was, and if you aren’t familiar with it, it’s time for something new. It tastes a little like the inside of a cabbage but with less burn and a little sweeter. It also maintains it’s consistency when cooked though I only ate it raw and fresh out of the garden growing up… Mmmm still one of my most favourite foods from childhood. Imagine my surprise when I saw it spiralized and bagged in the grocery store. I’ve tried other spiralized veggies before but they often turn to mush, I must be overcooking them. I kinda gave up on them in general since the only one I liked was the turnip (made my own) and it was a whole bunch of work.

These are so easy and delicious it’s literally insane. Even my husband likes it, trust me when I say that’s a big deal. Must be since cooked kohlrabi really doesn’t have a strong flavour and picks up the flavour of what you put with it. Kinda like a la dente pasta, even cooked it keeps it’s structure 😉

Here’s where the easy part comes in, you can steam, microwave the kohlrabi like the package says or you can pan fry in a bit of butter, my personal favourite. Once hot add some pesto or some of your favourite seasoning, (pesto is really good) mix and fry just until hot. Add in a can of salmon or tuna and mix. Eat and enjoy the healthy flavourful meal, that took you less than 10 minutes.

Kohlrabi Fry

  • 1 bag of kohlrabi ‘linguine’
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 – 2 tablespoons basil pesto
  • Strained can of tuna or salmon

Melt butter in a fry pan, on medium heat, once melted add bag of kohlrabi and mix until warmed through and pieces are browning. Add pesto and mix thoroughly, once mixed through add strained can of fish. Serve immediately. Can serve 2 but I eat the whole thing and never feel bad about that!

Anything on your stove today?

Posted by Pussycat in Main Dishes | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment
12April2021

May I suggest a little spring soup? I was walking down the produce isle in the grocery store the other day and spotted some beautiful fat fresh leeks. I couldn’t help myself. They looked so good that I just grabbed them and put them in my basket. They aren’t something I cook with often and really who is thinking about soup in April? Not me usually and then all of a sudden there’s this…

Yes, it’s snow, snow and more snow for the next couple of days and guess who’s thinking about a nice creamy leek soup….. ME!

It’s so easy to make that it’s almost embarrassing to be actually writing this recipe down but here goes anyway.

I happened to have a couple extra baked potatoes from the other day just getting dry in the fridge so they worked well to get fried up in some butter to make some nice crispy crouton substitutes. That works really really well in this soup 😉

Creamy Spring Leek Soup

  • 3-4 large fresh leeks cleaned thoroughly and chopped
  • 4 celery stalks chopped
  • splash (2 -3 tablespoons) oil of choice, I used avocado oil
  • 4-5 potatoes peeled and chopped
  • 1 litre of salt free chicken or vegetable broth
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon thyme or fresh thyme sprig
  • 1/2 to 1 Cup cream
  • salt
  • pepper

Place oil, leeks and celery in large pot and sauté until leeks and celery are soft, 5 – 10 minutes on medium heat, stirring frequently. Add potatoes, broth, Bay leaves and thyme and simmer until potatoes are soft, 15 – 20 minutes.

Fish out the bay leaves and thyme sprig if you used fresh then mix the soup with either immersion blender or in a blender. Mix in cream and salt and pepper to taste. Serve right away with a sprinkle of cracked black pepper and potato or regular croutons.

*Also, in the event you happen to have a bit of mashed potatoes sitting in your fridge you can easily add these into the soup to essentially make this a leftover saver!

Bon Appetit!

Here it is…The best recipe for your Big Green Egg!

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5March2021

When you get to be in your later years….. whatever that is for you, 40’s, 50’s, 70’s or if you’re lucky enough and that means your 80’s or 90’s, it gets tiresome sometimes to make meals. Maybe not the actual making of them but for sure coming up with things to make. I think that’s why people like to go out so much, it’s just difficult to try to think of what to eat every. single. day. for dinner and never mind adding lunch and/or breakfast! Sometimes a new toy is just what one needs to be able to find some inspiration. For me this last year during lockdown that new toy has been a smoker; but not just any smoker, the Big Green Egg. This baby checks all the boxes, smoker, BBQ, pizza oven….and much needed inspiration to try some new things and redo some old favourites.

It’s not difficult to work the Egg, just two sliders that manage the airflow and consequently the temperature inside, probably one of the least technical devices I own but oh oh so much fun. Today’s adventure with the Egg includes two recipes, one of our long time favourites Jack Daniels Baby Back Ribs recipes and because giving you an old favourite I already posted here feels a little like cheating I’ve added another I found recently and really caters to my love of spicy foods, Ricardo’s Ribs jacked up even more in the smoker! You can go back to either of those links but I’ll add Richard’s here for convince and for me to always have available.

Prepare Richard’s Ribs by mixing up the rub ingredients and covering the ribs in the spice mix.

Richardo’s Rub Mix (with minor alterations)

  • 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon child powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Mix the ingredients in a bowl, if you compare, I’ve cut down on the salt, increased the onion powder and added garlic powder because really, you can NEVER go wrong with garlic powder. Let the ribs sit covered overnight or rub them first thing in the morning to have ready for smoking later in the day. You can also salt and pepper the Jack Daniels Ribs and set them aside for when you’re ready to smoke them.

Richardo’s BBQ sauce (slightly altered)

  • 1 teaspoon chilies powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 3/4 cup ketchup
  • 3/4 cup blueberry jelly (any kind really works here)
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • Tabasco sauce or Sriracha to taste (spice level)

Mix all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Stir simmering gently for about 5 minutes or until it thickens to a syrup consistency. Set aside for use on the ribs.

Set up your smoker letting it reach 225 – 240 degrees F. Have the sauces ready to go and set your ribs on the grill. You can add applewood chips into the smoker, they work really well with both recipes.

Smoke the ribs for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours then slather them with the sauce and grill the sauce to a finish, serve with the balance of the sauces. The internal temperature of the ribs needs to reach 145 degrees F or to 190 – 200* F for all the fat and collagens to melt making them super juicy and melt in your mouth!

Allow the ribs to sit for 10 minutes before cutting into and serving them. Save any remaining sauce for next time! I often double or triple the sauce and store extra in jars in the freezer.

Bon Appetite!

Want a comfort meal the whole family will love?

Posted by Pussycat in Main Dishes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments
18February2021

Food doesn’t always have to be ‘low carb’, ‘keto’, ‘whole 30’, ‘Atkins’, ‘low fat’, ‘GI’ or ‘detox’. Sometimes food can just be good old fashioned delicious comfort food and that is where this meal comes in.

We had this meal quite often in our house growing up and I’m sure people all over the Czech Republic and their descendants all over the world still eat this meal quite frequently. It’s just GOOD! And if anything tastes like home to a Czech person… this would be it!

I have always loved the sweet and sour cabbage and other than garlic my favourite spice is the caraway seed, probably even more so now because my husband doesn’t love it so much so I eat it less often. But this meal wouldn’t be even close to authentic without it so it stays. The cabbage to the pork is kinda like cranberries are to turkey. It is so addictive that you won’t mind having two or more meals worth when you make this, it’s just the two of us here unless people are coming over so we will (okay I will) eat it for a few days.

I know some of you are not going to be terribly pleased with some of these instructions and I realize that it can be challenging when you might not have eaten this and are trying it for the first time but with difference sizes of roasts and cabbages it’s really difficult to give exact measurements. Go with the flow here and rest assured you’ll enjoy the outcome.

Roast Pork

  • Pork Roast 2-4 lbs (Sirloin or Blade)
  • 1-2 onions diced
  • 1-2 teaspoons caraway seeds
  • 5-8 garlic cloves minced or more
  • salt
  • pepper
  • drizzle of oil
  • 1/4 – 1/2 Cup flour

Place the roast in a nice heavy cast iron roaster drizzled with oil (I generally use avocado oil) liberally salt and pepper the whole roast, rub the minced garlic around the whole roast and place diced onions around the roast in the pan.

Roast in oven at 340 – 350 degrees F until the internal temperature of the roast is 145 – 160 degrees F. This should take 45 minutes to an hour depending on the size of the roast. Once the roast is cooked take it out and set aside while making the gravy.

Place the roaster with all the sauce and bits on the stove and cook until all liquid is gone and the oil and onions have turned a nice golden brown. Add just enough flour so that the mixture is about the consistency of porridge and fry the flour for 3 – 5 minutes. Slowly add 1/2 to 1 cup water mixing and letting it bubble until you have the consistency of a gravy. Flavour with more salt, pepper and fresh minced garlic if you want more garlic flavour. Set the roast back in the roaster until ready to serve, cutting into slices and drizzling with gravy.

Sweet Sour Cabbage

  • small head of cabbage
  • 1/4 – 1/2 cup water
  • 1 -2 tablespoons caraway seeds
  • salt to taste
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • whole onion diced
  • 1 – 2 tablespoons flour

Shred the cabbage the same way you would for coleslaw and put in medium sized pot. Add water (just less than enough to cover the cabbage), salt, caraway seeds and cook until soft. Once the cabbage issue cooked add the vinegar and sugar and in a separate fry pan add diced onions and oil, fry until translucent and add flour, frying on low until lightly golden then add to the cabbage mixture. Bring to a boil and season to a nice sweet sour flavour. Set aside until ready to serve.

Dumplings or Knedliky

  • 300 grams or about 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg
  • 3/4 cups of milk (any fat amount will do)
  • 1 kaiser or egg bun chopped into small cubes 1/2 inch or so.

Put a large pot of water on the stove. I generally use my large roasting pan because it has the length to accommodate the dumpling. Bring to a slow simmer while you make the dumpling.

Add the first 3 dry ingredients to the mixer first then wet into the middle. Turn the mixer to low level with a dough hook and allow to blend the dough. Keep at low speed until all the flour is incorporated. This may take a while and you may need to stop the mixer and pull the flour from the sides. Once you have a nice soft dough allow the mixer to do the kneading for you for 5-7 minutes.

Take the dough out of the mixer and finish kneading on a dry counter working in the cubed bun pieces. Shape into an even log 2 – 3 inches in diameter and slide it into the covered pot of boiling water. The dumping will expand and you will slowly simmer it for about 20 minutes, turning it halfway through. Once it has boiled take it out carefully and place on cutting board. Cut through the middle and ensure that the centre is done. If it is still doughy and needs a little more you can place it back into the pot and boil for another 3 – 5 minutes. ** We’ve always cut this using thread… yes a thick (light coloured) thread. To do this slide a piece of thread about 12 inches long under the log and criss-cross on the top pulling the thread up through the dumpling cutting it into a nice slice. If you are going to slice with a knife I would recommend using a serrated knife so as not the squish the dumpling.

Slice all the dumpling and serve with sliced meat, all topped with gravy and a side of the sweet and sour cabbage.

This meal can easily be reheated and though the dumplings are best steamed as a leftover it can also be microwaved.

Also any leftover dumplings can always be cut up and fried with eggs the next day… maybe a recipe for another time???

Bon Appetite!

Just in case you AREN’T dieting this New Year

Posted by Pussycat in Sweets | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment
18January2021

I know we’re all feeling a little overwhelmed with all these lockdowns this last year. And depending on where you live, you might just be locked down again…. as we are. It’s so hard right now to think of healthy eating and healthy lifestyle and all that nonsense… sometimes you just need a cheat! And if that’s the case for you right now, boy have I got the thing for you.

Marshmallows! But not just any marshmallows, I’m talking about the ones you make from scratch with just a few ingredients and OMGoodness are they amazing. They are so much less sweet than store bought and so easy to make you’ll be making them EVERY weekend!

Butterscotch with SKOR bar bits

They melt faster and softer and they are… well…. they are extremely edible… one. after. the. other.

sweaty cinnamon

I know, they aren’t the most photogenic and the cinnamon ones actually started to sweat a little, unlike all the other flavours so they look a little wet, but trust me when I say they were still delicious. I think it was the spiciness of the cinnamon that made them this way… so there was a little extra sugar…. it was so tough to handle... :0 just had to lick my fingers more.

Butterscotch and SKOR and Mint, sweaty cinnamon and plain at the top

Seriously though, in an afternoon you can have several batches of these whipped up and they stay so well in the freezer or just in a container on a shelf. They are after all basically sugar. I made these before and so just followed my previous recipe I’ll repost here to make it easy. This time I had some cool flavours. Peppermint, if you overdo it with that flavour like I did they’ll taste like scotch mints and be amazing when roasted. Sweaty cinnamon ones — delicious! I also made some butterscotch ones where I smashed a SKOR bar into bits and blended it in…. so absolutely amazing…. and finally plain with a little vanilla added.

We kept talking about how off the charts these would be as S’mores and YUP that’s next on the list. But I digress….. just make them, enjoy a bit of sugar and never buy these again!

Marshmallows

  • 1/2 Cold water
  • 3 Tablespoons plain gelatine
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt (pinch)

Place these ingredients in a mixing bowl and let bloom while you cook the following in a saucepan.

  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 Cup corn syrup
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar

Various flavours can include but aren’t limited to…. peppermint, Anais, butterscotch, chocolate, cinnamon, coconut, raspberry. Just keep in mind that things like cocoa powder will weigh down and impact the fluffiness of the marshmallows. Using flavouring will help them to maintain their fluffy texture. The list is pretty much endless.

Place all ingredients into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Attach a candy thermometer and let it bubble until it reaches 245 degrees F.

While this is all boiling and blooming spray a 9 x 11 cake pan and dust liberally with icing sugar.

Once the sugar mixture comes to temperature pour slowly into the mixer and start on low initially making sure it doesn’t splatter. This is where you can add any flavourings. Then bring to high speed and let it mix until the marshmallow is pulling from the sides of the bowl and cooled.

Using a greased spatula pour into the prepared pan, level out the mixture and place in freezer for at least an hour or overnight to make cutting them easier.

Liberally sprinkle icing sure on the top of the marshmallow and pull onto a sheet of parchment paper. You can cut these with a sharp knife (greased) or simply with a pizza cutter. Make sure that you dredge the sticky edges in the icing sure to help keep them from sticking together.

Store in sealed containers in refrigerator or freezer. Honestly they won’t last long.