31 Days of Cleansing: Day 9 Molasses on Snow Candy

It's funny how your tastes change when you are cleansing. Things that used to appeal to you, just don't seem so appealing anymore. Chocolate isn't as satisfying, coffee tastes bitter, and sweets are generally easier to pass up. Generally speaking. You may even find that a very small amount of something sweet is tremendously satisfying. Enough so that you can continue your cleansing without feeling deprived. Our homeopathic physician supports this theory. Now I know I said I was going completely off sugar for 31 Days. However, with temperatures nearing 40 degrees here in Wisconsin, our snow is melting. I figured that now was the time for Molasses on Snow Candy or it might be too late.

Have you ever read the works of Laura Ingalls Wilder? Born in and raised during her early years in the woods of western Wisconsin, Laura's writings are fascinating stories of pioneer life.  Ma had an incredible ability to make their simple lives beautiful with the food she cooked. Laura writes of the heart shaped sugar cakes Ma baked. They were dusted with white sugar, and how they were so beautiful, she and her sister didn't want to eat them. Ma also made molasses candy in the snow. Wonderful books. Wonderful candy.

All you need is unsulphured Molasses, coconut oil, sugar and water. 

And fresh, clean snow. (I do think that you could use crushed ice if you don't have snow.) Pack a shallow pan with it and stick it in the freezer until you are ready for it. I used a shallow cast iron frying pan, just what Ma would have used. 

Combine 1/2 cup molasses, 1 tablespoon coconut oil, and 1/4 sugar in a heavy sauce pan. Bring to a boil and stir, cook to the hardball stage on a candy thermometer or 290 degrees. It happens quickly!

You can also drop a little into a glass of very cold water to test the temperature. A ball should immediately form, you can see how mine wasn't quite at that stage. When the syrup is ready and forms a ball with this method, immediately remove it from the heat.

Grab your pan of snow and cut out some heart shapes with a small cookie cutter. Keep them about 2" apart so they don't melt together.

The hearts come out pretty easily if you wiggle the cookie cutter back and forth.

Carefully spoon the molasses syrup into the snow mold. Re-freeze for 10-15 minutes until they are set. This recipe makes 5-6 pieces of candy.

One beautiful piece is all it takes to satisfy a sweet tooth. Ma would have made a great blogger.

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