As the winter goes on, the temperature continues to drop and you may even see some snow in the forecast! Where I live, we don’t get a ton of snow, usually not more than a dusting nowadays. Every winter, the weather channel warns of a snow armageddon coming, but only 1 or 2 times a year do we get more than an inch that will stick around for a few days.
Over the weekend, we were blessed with several inches of fluffy, white snow! It was so much fun to play in, build a snowman, and have some snow-filled treats! I never knew how many snacks you could make with snow until I scoured the internet looking for recipes. I will share a few with you that we taste-tested and approved this weekend!
Snow Ice Cream
I have seen people rant and rave about this before but I never knew what the fuss was about until I tried it myself. There are many different recipes on the internet for snow ice cream, and since this was a more last-minute thing for me, I had to go with one that I had all the ingredients for already on hand.
This snow ice cream recipe is very quick to make and very, very yummy!
With only 5 ingredients, and taking only a few minutes to whip up, you can’t get much better than this. So why mess with a good thing? I am going to attach the exact recipe for snow ice cream that I used right here!
Unless you have a huge snow appetite, or several hungry mouths that are eager to taste this deliciousness, this recipe makes enough for leftovers, too! To freeze and enjoy again, I patted it all down into a freezer-safe container and tucked it away in the freezer for another day.
Some other recipes I looked at used sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, or heavy whipping cream. I definitely want to try these alternatives as well, but when I am more prepared for our next snowstorm!
Here is a recipe for snow ice cream using sweetened condensed milk.
And here is a recipe that uses evaporated milk (or) heavy whipping cream.
Maple Syrup Snow Candy
This is one I was surprised about. I had NO idea you could make a taffy-like treat with snow, and so simply! This is a popular tradition in Canada, but here in the United States, I had never heard of it!
This decadent treat has only 2 ingredients, and snow is one of them! You will want to make sure you have some popsicle sticks on hand for this, so it may take some pre-planning if that is not something you usually have in the house. You’ll also want to make sure you have real maple syrup for best results.
In a few easy steps, the results will yield an amazing candy that you won’t believe you made at home.
First, you’ll want to boil your real maple syrup, then pour it in rows over packed, fresh snow, roll it up on a popsicle stick, and wham! Maple syrup snow candy!
The recipe I used is linked here. Please follow all of her tips, tricks, and amounts for best results!
*Note* while this is a seriously delicious treat, it is also seriously sticky! It also may not be the best for young toddlers due to its taffy-like consistency. I let my toddler have a couple of licks, but that was all. Safety first!
Real Snow Cones
What’s better than a snow cone at the fair? Real snow, snow cones of course! And better yet, these are made with real homemade syrup and no dyes! I ate these as a child (although much more basic) and I couldn’t wait to make one for my little to enjoy.
The recipe I used does take some preparation for best results. It involves boiling fruit and simple syrup, straining out the fruit, and then letting chill for an hour or 2. This recipe I followed uses strawberries to make strawberry syrup but you could use any number of berries! Think blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries! This syrup recipe is rather sweet so as suggested in the recipe, next time I will reduce the amount of sugar I use in it, and then it will be *chefs kiss*!
As a child, we used to pour some juice over fresh snow and eat it as well! This is definitely an easy way to whip up a real snow, snow cone last minute, however, making the syrup does yield yummier results in my opinion.
Making all of these fun treats and sharing them with my little has made wintertime that much sweeter (literally!). While it is hard not playing outside all day like we do in the warmer months, the wintertime has its special place in a child’s world as well. The wintertime is magical in our kiddo’s eyes, and nothing is cuter than those rosy cheeks and big smiles as they throw snowballs, build snowmen, and eat yummy winter treats. It is also a great way to experience new, fun things and get some energy out of our littles! These are traditions I have decided to start and want to do every year (pending snowfall of course). We all know I love easy, fun activities to do with my little, and these are the perfect winter additions!
We are forecasted more snow in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for new posts on everything snowy!
Until next time,
XOXO,
Katie
