Valentine Treats

I thought this year for Valentines I would give/send my family & friends a little treat, just to say...........

                                                              
Here are a few recipes I have in mind.

Strawberry Divinity Fudge

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup water

1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

1 cup preserved strawberries

2 egg whites

Boil sugar, water, and cream of tartar to firm stage (248 F.).  Add strawberries which have been drained as dry as possible.  Let come to a boil again.  Pour slowly, beating constantly, over stiffly beaten egg whites.  Beat until thick and fluffy.  Pour into well-buttered pans.  When firm cut in squares.  Any thick preserves or candied fruit may be substituted for strawberries. 

Raspberry Marshmallows

 

400g fresh or frozen raspberries
500g granulated sugar
20g powdered gelatine
60g egg whites
pinch of salt

Using a flavourless oil like canola, lightly grease a 13" x 9" pan.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook the raspberries until soft and juicy. Mash them with a fork to help release the juices. Once soft, press the raspberries through a sieve to remove the seeds and reserve the liquid (approximately 1 cup) in a large bowl. If the raspberry liquid seems very thin and watery, reduce it over medium low heat until it thickens. Set the mixture aside to cool and start the sugar syrup.
In a small sauce pan over medium heat, cook the sugar with one cup of water. Stir frequently until it comes to a boil and the sugar has dissolved. Then clip on your candy thermometer and maintain a gentle boil without stirring until it reaches 255°F.

While waiting on the syrup, sprinkle the powdered gelatine over the cooled raspberry mixture and whisk. When the syrup is getting close, drop the egg whites and salt into your mixer and beat them on medium speed until foamy.

Once the syrup comes to temp, pour the syrup into the large bowl with the raspberry and gelatine. It will bubble up, which is why I emphasized a large bowl earlier. Whisk the mixture to dissolve the gelatine then pour into your mixer with the eggs. Beat on medium-high speed for several minutes, until the mixture has cooled a bit and tripled in volume. Pour the gooey marshmallow mass into your prepared pan, smooth with an offset spatula and allow to stand and cure for several hours.
Once the marshmallows have cured, cut around the edges with a knife to release the sheet. Dust the surface liberally with a mixture of corn starch and powdered sugar (1/2 c. of each will do the trick).  As you remove the marshmallow from the pan, toss some of the dusting mixture under the sheet to aid in releasing it. Use as much as you need to keep it from sticking to everything.

Place the marshmallow sheet onto a well dusted cutting board.

Now you can cut it into cubes or pull out the cookie cutters and cut out shapes from the sheet. Toss the cut marshmallows into a bowl with the dusting mixture and toss to thoroughly coat. Transfer to an air tight container.

Strawberry & Champagne truffles

 

 

 8 oz. white chocolate, chopped
2 tbsp heavy whipping cream
4 tbsp butter
4 tbsp of strained strawberry puree
red food colouring, optional
powdered sugar
Melt butter and white chocolate together in a microwave and mix. Heat cream in a small saucepan over low heat until simmering. Pour the cream into the white chocolate/butter mixture and combine. Mix in the strawberry puree. Add a bit of red food colouring if the mixture isn't pink (it depends on how red your strawberries were). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for a few hours.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a spoon to scoop out ping pong ball sized portions of the strawberry truffle mixture onto the parchment paper. Place the sheet in the freezer for 1-2 hours, until the mixture is firm.

Take the tray out and roll each portion into a ball. Roll each ball in powdered sugar and serve immediately. If not served immediately, place in an airtight container and keep in freezer until ready to serve (they might need to be re-rolled in powdered sugar when served)