Marshmallow Memories

I didn't realize, until I found marshmallows I could eat because they didn't contain corn syrup, how much I had missed those little rounded squares of white gooey, vanilla sweetness. Finding  Dandies Marshmallows changed my life. They have no gelatin like other corn free marshmallows so they melt like the regular marshmallows do. They brown like marshmallows do. They even catch fire like marshmallows do!

Yep, I had to prove Catching Fire wasn't just an idle claim or only a book/movie title.

With my new marshmallows, I can make s'mores again, if I can find wheat free graham crackers or something I like as well. The thing I loved best about Girl Scouts after the camping trips. In fact, I quit Girl Scouts when the troop I was in decided NOT to do as many camping trips. What was the point?

This is my Girl Scout sash. It was pretty cool to be in the Nations Capital region.

The first printed S’mores recipe appeared in 1927 in the Girl Scout handbook called Tramping and Trailing with the Girl Scouts.  Rumor has it the chocolate, graham cracker and marshmallow “S’mores” name came from campers asking for “some more.”  Sigh, I am still searching for graham cracker substitutes. I know I can use GF cookies but it isn't quite the same. Better refer back to my new traditions post for encouragement.

Crackerless s'more. So sad.

But there was one treat from my childhood I could make! Rice Krispie Treats. Except I can't call them that because the name is trademarked and I use other gluten free cereal as an ingredient. The original recipe was developed by two women, Malitta Jensen and Mildred Day, Kelloggs home economists, in 1939 using Campfire marshmallows to create a fundraiser for another girls' organization, Camp Fire Girls.

The original name was Marshmallow Squares. Soon the bars were more than a fundraiser, they were a wartime morale booster, sent in WWII care packages across the globe due to their stability and cereal ingredients. The gooey treat (I like the word gooey a little too much) have been a childhood treat ever since.  You can find the original recipe here.

For years, I'd watched folks eat marshmallow treats or pops on a stick. The memories of making them with my mom was so strong. But I needed corn free marshmallows. Years passed and then? Tah dah! When I found Dandies, oh, the joy! But I only make a small batch so I don't binge!

I used an 8X8 pan. Oh, that missing corner? Well, I had to make sure they tasted all right!

Recipe (for an 8X8 pan):

Melt three tablespoons butter on low. Note: I used three tablespoons instead of half that because I discovered my marshmallows seemed to melt better with more butter. Start with three tablespoons if you are doubling the recipe and add more as needed.

Add 1/2 bag Dandies marshmallows and stir until melted. Stir constantly so the marshmallow doesn't burn and the butter doesn't brown. 

Add approximately 3 cups rice cereal gradually. It can turn into a ball in no time so work quickly.

Butter an 8X8 pan (9X13 for double) and press cereal mixture into pan using parchment or wax paper, spreading evenly. Let cool if you can wait that long. 

I love them but, boy, are they a lot sweeter than I remember! Small squares are best!

PS. Every Thanksgiving,  we are marshmallow on sweet potatoes/sweet potato casserole topped with marshmallows people. Now I can too.

PPS. Don't go to Pinterest. Too many cute marshmallow craft ideas! Treat this recipe like you would the regular recipe. Add holiday sprinkles, ice with chocolate etc.

Are you a marshmallow fan or foe? Do you have a favorite recipe using marshmallows?

Inspired Pie...

I’ve been taking a trip down memory lane this past week. My sister needed my grandmother’s pecan pie recipe. Every other pecan pie she’s tried to make has flopped. No pie recipe came close to our Nanny’s pecan pie. Nanny was a pie whisperer for sure. When we visited Nanny and Granddaddy’s farm, there was always a pie cooling on the dryer down in the sleeping porch. Butterscotch, chocolate meringue, pumpkin, you name it. 

Recipe cards from my grandmothers and mother.

But Ann wanted the pecan pie recipe and I have my mom’s recipe card box. I looked through all the cards and found recipes for apple pie, date-pecan pie, Nanny’s chocolate meringue pie, lemon icebox pie, strawberry fluff pie, pineapple pie, ancient jello pie recipes clipped from magazines but no pecan pie.

 

The news really disappointed my sister. As Ann said, “there were just too many recipes just in Nanny’s head.”  You can see how we both took it.

My sister is the crying three month old. I am the aghast toddler.

I cried even longer. I found Nanny’s candy recipes made with Karo corn syrup, and all her cookie recipes.  I’ve been trying to date her recipes. My books are set in WWII and I knew corn syrup was rationed then. I also found out the pecan pie recipe with corn syrup was supposedly invented during the Depression. Pecan pie and candy was around before then, just not with the infamous corn ingredient.

There are other syrups around. After reading a lot about arsenic in rice products, naturally occurring but still a concern, I choose to use cane syrup, homemade or not, most of the time. 

I also made sure to use less syrup than called for and MORE pecans. Again, it’s called PECAN pie, not syrup pie! I know, I know. Some folks like it gooey! But I like it nutty.

Silly me. I thought I was a purist when it comes to pecan pie. I don’t like it with chocolate or rum, no raisins or sweet potatoes or coconut. There’s a reason pecan pie is called pecan pie!

But this week I’ve been revisiting more of the Little House books. Between Jan's post on The Long Winter and today's version and Virginia's post about bravely creating a new pie recipe, I started having visions of maple syrup and the inspiration to create a recipe the way my grandmother did. 

In her head. 

I already had maple in my head. But what could replace gooey corn syrup? Only maple syrup seemed a little strong. And then it hit me. I love using condensed milk in my pumpkin pie for its smooth texture and balance. What if....

Pecan Maple Cream Pie! I'd heard of maple cream but never made one. I'd heard of pecan pie made with maple syrup but not with the cream.  To be on the safe side, to see if what I came up with would work, I searched the Internets far and wide. A lot of recipes were complicated or had cornstarch or heavy cream.

What was in the pantry? Now to the faux part, the easy makin' part. I would use condensed milk rather than sugar and cream.

I found an original pecan-pie-without-the-corn-syrup recipe on The Kitchn site. Thank you, Emma Christensen. and adapted it. I'm not as brave as my grandmother. I wanted it to at least have a chance of success.  

Cakey Crust: I used an individual pack of Pamela’s baking mix (about a cup)  and about three tablespoons cold butter to make my crust in the food processor.  I wanted a crust just a little on the cakey side. Just pulse til combined. But you can use any gluten free crust as well. 

Filling: Then I mixed up the ingredients for the filling. Oh, the smell. Oh, the wonder. Oh the prayers it would turn out. And it did! Thanks to a lot of inspiration from my grandmother and friends and blogs. Now to work up my courage to try to recreate Nanny's original pecan pie.

Pecan Maple Faux Cream Pie

1 can sweetened condensed milk

½ can 100%  maple syrup (yes, I used the can rather than dirty a measuring cup.)

3 large eggs, whisked

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

2-2.5 cups halved pecans.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the condensed milk, maple syrup, eggs, salt, and vanilla  in a large mixing bowl. Whisk until smooth and mixed well.

Add pecans and stir again.

Pour pecan mixture over pie crust and spread evenly.

Place pie on a baking sheet to catch any drips, place in middle of the oven, and bake for 50-55 minutes.

The top crust of pecans should be deep brown and firm when tapped and interior is 200 degrees.

Cool and refrigerate. Cover lightly and use within a few days.

So, what recipe do you wish you had written down from a relative or friend or restaurant? Are you a pecan pie purist or pie purist for that matter?