It’s snowing today and the Java Family (well, 3/4 of us) are having fun in the snow.

Later tonight we are going to make snow cream and snow candy, which we have done before.  They are both simple recipes and are endlessly fascinating to me, having grown up in a place that did not have snow, and to my children!

Snow Cream

Search online and you will find several variations of the recipe, but you will also find many references to a recipe called “Sandy’s Old-Fashioned Snow Cream” and I’m pretty sure this is the same recipe I’ve used each year (you’d think I’d write it down but, no I just search on “snow cream” each year.  The dire warnings about using clean snow seem familiar so that’s why I am pretty sure this is the one I have used successfully year after year.  Although it is listed and linked in several places, I’ll give credit to this site, since that is where I got it from today:

Sandy’s Old-time Snow Cream Recipe

Basic Recipe

     1 cup milk
     1/2 cup sugar
     scant 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
     large bowl of snow (about 3 quarts)

Blend milk, sugar and vanilla. Stir in enough snow to make snow cream to an ice cream consistency.

Variations – There are many variations for snow cream. For example, substitute canned cream for milk for a heavier flavor. Add Nestles Quik for a chocolate snow cream, or use instant cocoa mix. Another variation is to add plump
raisins and cinnamon, or add a beaten egg for a nog taste. Puree an overripe banana and add to the mixture. Get creative – you know your family’s tastes.

Note: ALWAYS – ALWAYS make sure the snow is clean. It takes at least one to two hours for snow to clean the pollutants from the air, then use only snow that  has fallen after that first cleansing snow. It also goes without saying
(but I will anyway), to make sure you do not collect the snow where animals and birds eat (or do
other things). Cleanliness first. Stress that with the kids, because this is a treat even the younger ones can make for the whole family.

Snow Candy

Again, I don’t seem to have a recipe for my snow candy — basically you boil PURE maple syrup (no artificial stuff, it has to be the real thing) and pour it over fresh snow.  I could swear I found a way to microwave my syrup but I can’t find that link, so this is the next closest link I can find to my method and it gives good step by step instructions with pictures.  However, WonderTime magazine has a recipe where they add butter to theirs and I have to say I rarely go wrong with WonderTime’s recipes.

I wanted to get these up here so you could enjoy today’s snow as well!