Skip store bought candy this Easter. Form your own fondant eggs and roll them in pretty, pastel colored sugar. Give this easy, DIY Easter candy a try!
Becky Low, with Dairy Farmers of Utah, says this homemade Easter candy is kid-friendly, too!
Move over store bought candies – now we have make-it-yourself Easter Pastels. Today’s recipe is an Easter version of Irish Potato Candy – which is not from Ireland and does not contain potatoes. For over a 100 years Irish Potato Candy, a Philadelphia confection, has been made for St. Patrick’s Day. Oh Ryan’s, a Pennsylvania based company, makes over 88,000 pounds of this simple confection which is rolled in cinnamon to make it look like potatoes (thus the name). Now this simple candy becomes a simple Easter Candy you will enjoy making with you children – in pastels for Easter!
First – start with a base even the kids will enjoy making – it’s like playing with playdoh.
– The base is a simple uncooked fondant (powdered sugar, cream cheese and butter)
– To the base add coconut for body, flavor and texture. If you like, partially chop the shredded coconut in a food processor for a finer texture (caution, don’t overdo the processing)
– The mixture is stiff so get in there and use your (clean) hands to mix it up – or use the cookie dough attachment on a stand mixer
– Roll the base into Robin egg size balls. I find it easier to portion out and roll all the candy before dipping in sugar (less messy hands).
Second – mix up your flavors. There are a plethora of flavoring extracts on the market, be adventurous
– (Note: It is easier to add the flavor at the same time you add the powdered sugar in the recipe)
– Use your imagination for this step. I like almond and coconut combination
– Try lemon extract with a little lemon zest – or orange extract with orange zest
– Other great flavors include raspberries, cherry, pineapple, etc (you could even use plain old vanilla)
Third – Easter needs color – lots of pastel colors
– If you prefer you may purchase colored sugar from store, but be aware the cost is higher than making it at home.
– Mix your own colored sugar, it’s cheaper and a very easy route. All you need is a little sugar and add food color a drop or two at a time and mix well. I like paste food colors over water based food colors but either works fine.
– Start with the primary colors Red Yellow and Blue. From this you can make a variety of colors like purple, green, orange – and every hue you like.
Here a way to make this candy healthier.
For many recipes we can substitute low-fat or non-fat dairy ingredients – same nutrients, less fat, great same cooking qualities. But for this recipe it works best with the regular cream cheese. For health, enjoy nutrient rich low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese and treat candy as candy. Candy is a treat and not as a mainstay of our diet. A serving size for this recipe is 1-2 candies.
Add comment