Strawberry Marshmallow Poppers

Before Jude started adventuring, I had a "family" blog.  It was back when Facebook was for just college students, and a blog was a good way to simultaneously update lots of family members about the kids, without worrying who I forgot to tell a story to and who I was boring with the ninth rendition of the same story.   As I read back over some old postings, I saw these treats.  Of course, Celia was reading over my shoulder, so now she wants me to make them again.  I'm so grateful for how far we've come -- when I first shared this post, she only had two safe foods, and now she's up to ten! This is one of her latest creations -- bacon sandwiched between oatmeal banana pancakes slathered with sunflower seed butter.  We've been calling it the "Allergic Elvis."

I think one of most wearing parts of being the parent of a food-allergic kid (POFAK, for short), is constantly feeling like I'm in the kitchen.  There are a lot of great ready-to-eat options out there if you're only dealing with one or two allergens.  For example, Luke can't have peanuts, Neal can't eat anything with gluten,  and I can't have shellfish or wheat.  They're common allergies, and while they may cross things off the list to eat, trust me, the padding on my rear end isn't suffering any!! As we go through the family, the product list gets smaller; avoiding milk AND soy AND nuts knocks a lot of things out for Jude and Matthew.  And then we get to Celia and Damien, whose "can have" list fits on the back of a business card.  We've slowly added a few pre-packaged foods, but for the most part, if we want to eat, somebody has to be in the kitchen.  Needing to work around food allergies is a major reason why I am insisting that the kids take cooking courses as they get older.  Not just "learn to cook a recipe," but learn the science of cooking so they can take apart and rebuild recipes, and technique to skillfully change up a dish's presentation.  Sometimes the difference between "This again???" and "Wow, that looks interesting!" is cutting a sweet potato into matchstick julienne instead of cubes.

With food allergies, sometimes the hard part is making feeling "normal," and having food that doesn't LOOK like it's "allergy food."  Many of us joke that it's like spinning gold out of straw...or sometimes, spinning gold out of thin air!  Parties can be hard for food-allergic kids.  They want treats, too!  For Celia's birthdays, we've had cakes made out of cotton candy, and even a marshmallow molded into an Olaf. Back when we only had two foods to work with, I was making a fruit tray with dip for a Christmas party, and she wanted to know if I could make strawberries with "her kind" of dip.

Uh...ok.

So me and my buddy Google got down to business. Most marshmallow fluff recipes call for eggs. They are something she has "normal" allergies to -- they can trigger anaphylaxis and kill her.  Not gonna work.  Searching for "Vegan Marshmallow Fluff" (inherently egg free) got lots of ideas, but all containing foods she can't have, especially soy.  That "only" triggers GI bleeding...yeah, I think we'll skip that too.  I was starting to give up hope.  One last search and I was going to have to tell her that she might have to choose one or the other.   I entered "Egg Free Marshmallow Fluff recipe" and found this.  It wasn't "fluff" -- it was a whoopie pie filling.  But it was a workable recipe.  Cue the choir of Christmas angels!

I started subbing foods in my head as I read the ingredient list.  Gelatin -- Pork-based gelatin (Knox brand) is safe for us.  Water, check.  Maple syrup...not safe, but we can use Lyle's Golden Syrup instead.  Vanilla isn't a safe flavoring, but plain rum is, as is Crystal Diamond Kosher salt.  We could make this work.  (Or destroy the kitchen trying.)

Faux Fluff:

1 envelope gelatin
1/4 cup water

Mix together and microwave for 30 seconds.  Pour to mixer bowl.  Add:

1/2 c. golden syrup
1/2 tsp rum
1/4 tsp salt

Start mixing.  Mix on high speed for 10-12 minutes to create the marshmallow.

After 2-3 minutes, you can see the sugar turning fluffy.

By golly...after 12 minutes, we have a soft marshmallow-type thing going.  This may work after all!  (The difference between this and "regular" marshmallows is stopping while the marshmallow is still warm and soft -- think the difference between soft and firm peaks with either whipping cream or egg whites.)


Celia came wandering in at this point.  She decided it needed inspection by a "Quality Control" officer.  She deemed it "perfect."




Ok, now for the real test. Everybody's seen the whipped cream-and-strawberry Santas making the rounds on Pinterest.  Could I make THOSE happen??  I scooped some of our wannabe fluff into a zip-top bag, snipped the corner, and started filling cored strawberries.  (Cut the green/tops off a strawberry, slice of a little bottom so they stand up, and core out a little of the berry to stuff with fluff.  If you're making Santas, use the lopped-off point for your hat.  If you're not, put them in a bowl and snack.)

Verdict: they sort of are possible.  I think if I was filling them and serving immediately, yes the Santa-hat-option would work.  But the few test ones I made started to have the tops slip-siding after an hour in the fridge -- I think between from the marshmallow setting in the cold and the sugar in the fluff, it was almost macerating the berries from the inside,  I didn't think they'd hold overnight.  In the end, I made filled strawberries, they just didn't have caps on them.  Celia was good with that, and they held up fine as "Strawberry Poppers".

She decided she wanted to fill a couple.

 And decorate the sides. The more marshmallow, the merrier!

And eat them on the spot, of course.

See that face stuffed full of a special treat?  Yeah, it's worth the work.  Rumpelstiltskin ain't got NOTHING on a POFAK.




©2012- 2016 Adventures with Jude. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://adventureswithjude.com

Pennsylvania Dutch Style Scrapple - Gluten Free

 When you think of Philadelphia, what foods do you think of? Soft pretzels?  Cheese steaks?  Water Ice?  (Yes, it's pronounced "wooder ice." Not wah-ter.)  But if you ask me what food says "my home is Philadelphia," and that I miss when I'm away, it's scrapple.

Scrapple is a mixture of pork, cereal grain, and spices.  It is generally considered a traditional Pennyslvania Dutch food.  (Not Dutch like from-Holland, but the mispronunciation of the word Deutsch, meaning German.) It is a frugal food, like the people who brought it here from Germany.  It's traditionally made from the trimmings, organs, and bones of the pig when butchering is complete. The leftover bits are boiled together to get all the meat from the bones and make a broth, then the meat and bones removed from the pot and ground.   Cornmeal and wheat or buckwheat flours are added to the broth, and then the meat is added back.  It cools into blocks, and then the blocks are sliced and pan-fried (though many local diners will deep-fry scrapple because it's faster).

William W. Shade
c. June 1942
cook & grocer

Though the people who are most associated with it are the Amish of Lancaster County, PA, they weren't the only "Pennsylvania Dutch" people.  Scrapple is a food that my grandfather, a German-descent Philadelphia grocer, made for his children, and that in turn my father made when I was growing up.  I introduced it to Neal when we first started dating (even though he was from South Jersey, he wasn't particularly familiar with it).  When we first got married, whenever cooking dinner wasn't happening, we'd look at each other and say "Scrapple sandwiches?" and order them from the local diner.  We'd each get scrapple on rye toast with ketchup, and split a side of hash browns.  Yummmmmm. 

Fast forward fifteen years, to when Neal was diagnosed with Celiac Disease.  That knocked out not only scrapple on rye (since rye is a gluten grain), but since most commercial scrapple is made with wheat flour, he lost the scrapple itself.  In the past, I tried to make scrapple, but it didn't turn out quite right.  I've since read up a bit on why it may not have worked, and tried again and again, adjusting liquid and seasoning.  Once your proportions are correct, it is very easy to make, but time consuming.  First the meat has to be cooked and processed, then the porridge made, and the loaves cooled so they can be sliced and fried.  I never remember to even start the meat until it's too late, and I don't want to stay up to midnight to grind cooked pork.  This time, I started it at night - after dinner - and put the meat in the crock pot.  (And I just used a pork shoulder.  A little less traditional, but much easier to find at the grocery store.)  By morning it was ready to process, and then set and sliced in time for dinner that evening.  The entire active prep time is about two hours, but with all the waiting, it takes at least 12 hours to make.

Scrapple is traditionally a "breakfast" food, so anything breakfast-y will go with it.  It's good with eggs, potatoes, alongside pancakes -- if you would eat bacon or sausage with it, you can eat scrapple with it.  Luke made our favorite gluten & dairy free  Garlic Cheddar Biscuits and I cut up some fruit while the meat fried.  Growing up, it was always served with ketchup, though I've read about maple syrup being traditional as well.  (Not in my house...ketchup is its own food group.)

Gluten Free Pennsylvania Dutch Style Scrapple

makes enough for 3 meals for 6 people, but you can scale the meat and cornmeal as needed.  (Use 2 quarts of pork broth (adding water if necessary to reach that amount) for every 3 cups (one pound) of cornmeal.)


6 lb pork shoulder
24 oz water
2 onions, quartered
10 garlic cloves, peeled
2 T. each kosher salt, pepper, sage, thyme

broth from pork plus enough water to make 4 quarts
6 cups (2 lbs) corn meal

cooking oil (for frying)

Stage 1 - the meat.

Place the pork, water, herb and spices in a slow cooker.  Top with the water and cook on low for 8-12 hours (overnight).  You want the meat to be fall-off-the-bone soft - it should just flake away when prodded.

Remove the meat and vegetables from the pot, leaving as much liquid behind as possible.  (If there are any big chunks of fat, remove them - if they haven't melted into the broth by now, they're not going to and will just be chewy and gristly.)  Puree everything together (in batches if necessary) in either a food processor or blender JUST until it's no longer chunky, and adding as little liquid as possible to keep it against the blade.  You don't want it to be butter-smooth, but neither do you want big chunks.  If you have a big puddle of gravy in the bottom of the bowl, pour it off into the pot.  It's really important for there to not be an excess of liquid, or else the loaves will not set properly.  You don't need it "pressed dry," just "no standing liquid."

Pour the broth into a measuring cup.  Subtract the amount of liquid from 4 quarts (4 cups are in a quart).  Pour the broth to a large stockpot, and then add enough water so you have 4 quarts of liquid total.  Bring to a rolling boil.

Stage 2 - Preparing the loaves.

Line either four 9x5 OR seven  8x4 loaf pans, OR two large 9x13/11x14 casseroles (or a combination of) with aluminum foil.  Set aside.

Add the cornmeal to the boiling broth, stirring briskly until it is all incorporated and there are no lumps.  BE CAREFUL!! It may splash and steam.  An oven mitt or "Ov Glove" is a good idea to protect your hand and wrist while stirring.

When the cornmeal porridge has thickened to the consistency of mashed potatoes, turn the heat down to low and add the meat to the pot.  Stir briskly to combine (again, watch out for bubbling.)

Spoon into molds and smooth.  Allow to cool to room temperature and either refrigerate 4-6 hours or freeze for up to 3 (depending on pan size) for the loaves to set.

Step 3 - Prepare for eating.

Remove the scrapple from the molds.  (The foil helps you lift it right out.)  Using a long knife or a pizza wheel, cut the scrapple into 4 to 5 inch lines and then into 3/4" strips.

To freeze: Lay on parchment paper, and alternate a layer of paper and a layer of scrapple.  Wrap in heavy duty foil, and freeze for up to 6 months.  I place 8-12 pieces per pack - which is enough for us for dinner.  Wrap according to your family size.

To use immediately:  Lay onto parchment paper, in a single layer.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add 2 Tbsp vegetable oil to the hot pan, and lay your scrapple, cut side down, into the pan.  Cook for 7-8 minutes on each side  (10-12 if frozen) or until heated through and the outside edges are crispy and browned.  If cooking in batches, place in a warm oven to keep hot.

Serve with other breakfast-style foods (eggs, pancakes, biscuits).

©2012- 2013 Adventures with Jude. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://adventureswithjude.com

Spicing up the European's lives with Speculaas cookies

In the Middle Ages, spices were used to hide the stench and flavor of rotten meats.  By covering up these unwanted attributes, meat could be served or sold to people instead of being sold as animal feed or discarded.  Some of the popular spices were: cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and peppercorns.   Marco Polo first brought these spices to Europe from Cathay (China) and Japan.  He also brought silks from the Orient.  For hundreds of years, this overland route was known as the “Silk Road.” Eventually, thieves saw opportunities to ambush and rob unsuspecting traders.  Merchants sought out alternate routes to the Orient.

Some people began traveling by sea.  They sailed south around Africa and then up through the Indian Ocean.  It was risky because of the length of the distance and the climate.  Atlantic hurricanes form off the west coast of Africa. Sailors were traveling through this treacherous area both to and from the Orient.  Ships and cargo were often lost at sea and backers would go bankrupt.  While bandits were not as large a risk, the sea route was still imperfect. 

Christopher Columbus thought he had the solution. He thought sailing west would be the best route.  Traveling by sea avoided the bandits along the Silk Road, and going west instead of south would avoid the frequent storms.
 --------------------
One thing the spices were used for was baking. A common European cookie is called Speculaas. Dutch, German, and French immigrants brought the recipes with them to America.  They are traditionally made in ornate molds for St. Nicholas Day (December 5) and the Christmas holidays, but they're just as delicious just rolled into plain cookies and eaten the summer too! We adapted a recipe from our the Homeschool in the Woods Early Explorers lesson to make it safe for our family's allergies.



The original recipe uses volume measurements for butter, sugar, and flour, but Luke converted the measurements into grams to make things easier to measure (and create less dishes to wash!)  We've included both the original ingredient list and our substitutions. Though they contain a number of spices, these are a fairly mild cookie, so if you prefer a stronger taste of any particular spice, feel free to add a little more.

Speculaas (Spice Cookies)

 

Original recipe ingredients:

1/2 cup butter                                                             
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed                               
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 dash ground cloves
(optional) 1 cup finely chopped nuts

Our recipe:

96 g shortening
192 g dark brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
360 g gluten free all-purpose mix (King Arthur)
2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 whole nutmeg, ground
1/2 tsp ground ginger



Cream shortening and sugar until fluffy.  Add egg and vanilla and beat until thoroughly combined.

In a separate bowl, measure flour and spices. Whisk thoroughly to combine and lighten.  Add to creamed mixture slowly, mixing until combined.

Roll into 1"  balls.  Place on cookie sheet and bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes, until set and very lightly browned.  (If you are baking more than one tray at a time, rotate them halfway through to make sure they cook evenly.)

Remove from oven and allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack.

Enjoy!

   

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 ©2012- 2015 Adventures with Jude. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://adventureswithjude.com