Cooking Tidbits: Homemade Frosting
I’ve always believed that who a person grows up to be is largely influenced by the parents and people who surround them.
I come from a long line of empowered women – women who can herd a large number of incredibly independent and intelligent children, women who can tackle twin teenage daughters and women who are capable of easily switching between the roles of mother, friend, artist, baker, engineer and poet.
I thought, this week, I would pay homage to these women; in each of their own unique ways, they’ve made me into the baker/cook I am today.
One of the items I am constantly complimented on is my homemade frosting. Homemade will always trump store-bought- it’s a fact that will remain irrefutable till the end of time.
I’ve chosen a frosting from each of the influential female figures in my life.
Why not use one or all of these recipes to show your appreciation for the people who’ve made a difference in your life?
Grandma’s Never-Fail Boiled Frosting
Ingredients
1 cup Sugar
1/2 tsp Cream of Tartar
Pinch of Salt
3 Tbsp Cold Water
2 Egg Whites
1 tsp Vanilla
Utensils
1 Pot
1 Large heat-resistant bowl
1 Electric beater
Fill a large pot with water and place it on the stove. You will want the water to come to boil. (Insider tip- to get your water to boil faster, sprinkle in some salt; it increases the temperature by a couple degrees.)
Mix all your ingredients together in a heat-resistant bowl. Choose a bowl that is a little larger than the pot. You will be placing the bowl on top of the boiling water. (Insider tip- your egg whites will need to be room temperature so make sure to let your eggs sit out for awhile.)
Once your water has come to a boil, position your bowl on top of the pot. Use an electric beater to beat the mixture for 3 to 4 minutes. You will know it is done when the frosting becomes stiff and you can create peaks that stand up without falling.
(Insider tip- to further accentuate the flavor of the frosting, add a light layer of nuts or coconut immediately upon spreading it on the cake. Your frosting will dry a lot like a meringue; so don’t worry if there’s a crunch.)
My grandmother was responsible for single-handedly raising 6 children alone- 4 of which were boys. It’s a miracle her house is still standing today. She was a woman of the 50’s. She cooked, cleaned and put a hot dinner on the table every night of the week. It’s because of her that my mother owns 3 bins and several notebooks full of recipes.
Mom’s Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
8 oz. softened Cream Cheese
1 stick softened Butter
1 lb. Powdered Sugar
2 tsp Vanilla
Utensils
1 Large bowl
1 Electric beater
In a large bowl, combine all of your ingredients. Beat it well. (Insider tip- the best kind of cake to use with this frosting is vegetable or fruit based, e.g. pumpkin, carrot, zucchini, and banana. It offsets the tanginess of the cream cheese brilliantly.)
My mother was lucky enough to have an attentive husband, a well-mannered son and a cozy house nestled in the Michigan countryside. Then she gave birth to twin girls; her life was changed forever. She had to start buying clothing in pairs, worrying about two sets of birthday presents and two orthodontic futures.
My heart goes out to her; Lord knows our teen years were no stroll in the park. In the midst of raising three children, she managed to keep an impeccably clean house and produce dish-after-dish of delicious culinary delights. I don’t think the phrase could be any more true- I am my mother’s daughter.
Mrs. H’s Butter Frosting
Ingredients
1stick softened Butter
4 cups Powdered Sugar
1/4 cup Milk
1 tsp Vanilla
Food coloring
Utensils
1 Large bowl
1 Electric beater
Begin by beating your butter in a large bowl until it’s creamy. Add in the rest of your ingredients; mix until it’s smooth. If needed, sprinkle in a little more milk.
You can add 1/4 cup Ghirardelli baking cocoa to make a light chocolate frosting or a few drops of food coloring to add an extra pizzazz to your mixture.
(MacGyver tip- Don’t have any fancy piping tips for decorating? Who does? Those little suckers are expensive! You can use a pen tip instead. Screw off the tip of any regular ball-point pen. Wash it in hot, HOT, soapy water. Cut the corner off a regular plastic baggy. Make sure the hole is smaller than the circumference of the pen tip. Stick the pen tip into the hole and then add in your frosting. Voila! Instant piper.)
Mrs. H was our neighbor in California for 13 years until my family moved away to the East Coast. She’s been my unofficial second mom for years (now the mother to my sister-in-law). She could/can still be found baking brownies at 2a.m., sewing costumes for a class project that is due just hours before the school bell is supposed to ring and hosting 60 plus people parties in which she caters completely herself. This woman does not know the meaning of the word limit. When I think of endurance and sheer creativity, I think of Mrs. H, not Martha Stewart.
These are the women who’ve watched me grow and fine tune my skills in the kitchen. I now pose the question to you- who’s been that one unshakable influence in your life?
Rebecca Adams has a degree in English and is still trying to find her niche in the working world. She can frequently be found scheming up new recipes and scanning previous MacGyver episodes for tips for her column. To learn more about Rebecca add her on twitter @skullnbows.
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