Easter Treats Part 1

   For Easter I deciced to try to make my own candy. It is proving to be quite a task in itself but it's pretty good for my first time. I decided to do my own peeps and whoopers. Since I already knew how to do the marshmallow part that was pretty easy.

•  3 1/2 packets of unflavored gelatin
•  1 cup of cold water
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 egg whites
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
• food coloring
• 1 cup of confectioners sugar
• Sanding Sugar
• Cookie cutters

      First you oil and sprinkle confectioners sugar all over the pans you are going to use. Also spray the spatulas and mixer you are going to use with oil too. You don't want the marshmallow to stick everywhere.

     In a bowl place 1/2 cup if water and sprinkle the gelatin on top. Wait for it to soften.
    

    In a 3 quart sauce pan mix the sugar, corn syrup, 1/2 cup water and salt on low heat until dissolved. Then bring up the heat to medium and without stirring bring it to 240 degrees. Then remove from heat and pour onto gelatin mixture, stirring until dissolved.

           With a  standing mixer on high speed stir until tripled in volume, which will take about 6 minutes. More if you are using a hand held.

      Next in another bowl beat egg white until hit stiff peak. I find this easiest if you throw a pinch of salt and lemon juice in to keep it moist and it will help it peak faster. Then add the egg whites and vanilla to the sugar mixture until combined. Now since you probably are going to do color you will have to seperate in different bowl like I did to add the color before you spread it out in your pan. Once the color is added to your liking, spread it out in each pan, sprinkle more confectioners sugar on top and place in fridge for at least 3 hours before continuing.

          Now comes the fun part. :) Pull out your marshmallows and place them on a flat surface. With a pastry brush, lightly wet the tops of them and sprinkle the colored sanding sugar of your choice on the top. I just did mine on top, but you can do it all over just like the real peeps. The sanding sugar I used I made myself. You can by your own, but it's really expensive and you only get a little. I got the idea to make my own from http://www.yesterdayontuesday.com/2011/06/make-your-own-sanding-sugar.html. After you sand them, you can cut them out with whatever cookie cutter you'd like. Mine of course was rather big, but I think it turned out cute! :)

     To make the whoppers are pretty easy and you could probably make the egg ones if you even wanted to. The one problem that I had was my chocolate wanting to get hard on me, so watch out for that, but other then that they really do taste like the ones in the store. Here is where I found the little recipe http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archi8ves/84272.

• 8 ounces white chocolate
• 1 cup malt milk
• 12 ounces of milk chocolate

      First melt the white chocolate and mix with malt milk. Next form into balls. For me I stuck them in the fridge for a little bit so they could hold shape better. After that melt the milk chocolate and roll the malt balls in them. Again I put them in the fridge so the would set. Now for and easter treat you can make it all white chocolate which I did and seperate the 12 ounce chocolate into different bowls and dye the malt ball different colors. :)

       
 My next task is cupcakes in an egg and chocolate molded bunnies. :)

Getting ready for easter

Slowly I am discovering that I can make my own candy and well just about everything. So this year I am going to make my own easter candy. I'm slowly working up to the task and as I have learned from Valentine's Day, I need to give myself time and not do it all at once. One task that I have already gotten out of the way is the sanding sugar for my peeps. :) Who wants to pay $5 for a little amount when they can buy a bag of sugar, throw your favorite dye in, heat on 350 degrees for less then 5 minutes ( just to get rid of the moisture) and tada sanding sugar! Props to http://www.yesterdayontuesday.com/2011/06/make-your-own-sanding-sugar.html for figuring thing one out. Also I just bought some bakers twine, but I thought hey just for kicks what about doing that yourself too.  Well what do you know http://thefrugalcrafter.wordpress.com/2011/04/19/make-your-own-bakers-twine/ proved that its possible and for about $3.  I just ordered my easter bunny cookie cutter and easter mold on etsy.com.  My molds are from http://www.etsy.com/shop/KaiserVonVintage?ref=seller_info and my cookie cutter, boxes and twines are from http://www.etsy.com/shop/BakersBlingShop. I plan to make cadbury eggs, peeps, whoppers, jelly beans and chocolate bunnys. I'm going to get most of my help from http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/84272.