What Better Way To Kick Off Memorial Day Weekend Than With Sweet Recipes from Hallmark Channel. It’s Memorial Day Weekend and here in the US, that means the start to the Summer season. Swimming and cooking out, good times with friends and family. Memories are being made.
We shift our attention from spring and look at Summer. The Countdown to Summer event ends this weekend and Passport to Love starts next weekend. Bring on Summer, Fun, and Love. While looking at the Hallmark Channel website, I stumbled upon the catalog of recipes from the now-defunct Home & Family show. So we thought, what better way to start the Holiday weekend than with these fun summer recipes. These will also be perfect for the Fourth of July or any summertime party you may host or attend. We have a party to attend this weekend. Perhaps we will make one of these fun treats.
Summer Marshmallow Treats – Watermelon and Ice Cream Cones
Ingredients
Ingredients for Watermelon Rice Cereal Treats
- 2 10 oz bags of large marshmallows
- \½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, divided, plus more for greasing
- 12 cups rice cereal, divided in half
- 2 0.08 oz packets of kiwi-strawberry Propel drink flavoring*
- 2 0.08 oz packets watermelon Propel drink flavoring*
- Green food coloring
- Red food coloring
- Mini chocolate chips for decorating
Materials for Watermelon Rice Cereal Treats
- 1 2.5 quart bowl
- 1 9” round cake pan
- Wax paper
Ingredients for Ice Cream Rice Cereal Treats
- 1 10 oz bag of large marshmallows
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 6 cups rice cereal
- ½ teaspoon non-alcoholic vanilla extract
- 10 ice cream cake cones
- 1 cup candy melts, the color of your choice
- 1 bag large round candy, like sour cherry balls or similar
- Colorful sprinkles
Materials for Ice Cream Rice Cereal Treats
- Standard ice cream scoop
- Cooking spray
- Wax paper
Directions for Watermelon Rice Cereal Treats
1. First, make the green rice cereal treats. In a large nonstick pan, melt ¼ cup of butter on low heat until completely melted. Add 1 bag of marshmallows and let melt, stirring often with a spatula. When the marshmallows are melted, add the kiwi-strawberry juice flavoring and 10-12 drops of green food coloring. Remove from the heat and add 6 cups of rice cereal. Stir well so that all the pieces of cereal are evenly coated with the green marshmallow mixture.
2. Allow the mixture to cool slightly. Grease the bowl and cake pan generously with butter.
3. Add about ⅔ of the mixture to the greased bowl. Use a small piece of wax paper to push the rice cereal mixture up the sides of the bowl to create the “rind” of half a watermelon. Continue working the rice cereal treat until you have about a ½” thick rind covering the inside of the bowl. Set aside.
4. Add the remaining ⅓ of the mixture to the cake pan. Use the same piece of wax paper to form a ring around the edges of the cake tin about ½” thick. This will be the rind of the watermelon slice. Set aside.
5. Next, make the pink rice cereal treats. In a large nonstick pan, melt ¼ cup of butter on low heat until completely melted. Add 1 bag of marshmallows and let melt, stirring often with a spatula. When the marshmallows are melted, add the watermelon juice flavoring and 8-10 drops of red food coloring. Remove from the heat and add 6 cups of rice cereal. Stir well so that all the pieces of cereal are evenly coated with the now pink marshmallow mixture.
6. Add about half of the pink marshmallow mixture to the bowl with the green rind already in place. Use a small piece of wax paper to press down the rice cereal mixture in the center of the green rind to form the watermelon flesh. Press firmly all around the edges and in the center of the marshmallow treat. Set aside to cool.
7. Add the rest of the mixture to the center of the cake tin. Press down firmly to form the watermelon flesh of the watermelon slice. Set aside to cool. Once the rice cereal treats are cooled, add mini chocolate chips as “seeds” for decoration.
*If using a powdered drink flavor that already contains coloring, omit the food coloring and use 1 packet instead of 2.
Directions for Ice Cream Cereal Treats
1. In a large nonstick pan, melt ¼ cup of butter on low heat until completely melted. Add marshmallows and let melt, stirring often with a spatula. When the marshmallows are melted, add the vanilla extract and mix well. Remove from the heat and add rice cereal. Stir well so that all the pieces of cereal are evenly coated with the marshmallow mixture. Allow to cool for a few minutes until cool enough to handle.
2. Grease and ice cream scoop with cooking spray. Scoop a portion of the rice cereal mixture and use a small piece of wax paper to help detach the portion from the sticky mixture. Use the wax paper to press the mixture down into the ice cream scoop. Top one cone with the formed ice cream scoop. Use the wax paper to finish shaping the ice cream scoop and smooth out imperfections as needed. Repeat until the rice cereal mixture is gone.
3. Melt the candy melts according to the directions on the package. Spoon generously over the finished ice cream scoops. Top with sprinkles and a round candy as the cherry.
Red, White, & Blue Cake
Ingredients
Ingredients for the Butter End Cream Cheese Buttercream
- ½ lb Butter, unsalted, softened
- 12 oz Philly Cream cheese, softened
- 8 c. Sugar, confectioners, sifted
- 1/3 C. Heavy cream
- 1T. Vanilla extract
Ingredients for the Butter End Red Velvet Cake
- 1 ½ C. Vegetable oil
- 1C. Buttermilk, room temp
- 2 Eggs, whole, room temp
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 tsp Vinegar, white distilled
- 1 T Red food color
- 4 drops Gel color, maroon
- 2 ½ C. Flour, AP
- 1 ½ C. Sugar, granulated
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- 1 tsp Salt
- ¼ C. Cocoa powder
Ingredients for the Butter End Vanilla Bean Cake
- 12 oz. (3 sticks) Butter, unsalted, softened
- 2 c. Sugar, granulated
- 2 T Pure Vanilla Extract
- 5 Eggs, whole, room temp
- 2 oz. Sour cream, room temp
- 3 c. Flour, AP
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- ½ tsp Baking Soda
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1c. Milk, whole, room temp
- 1T +/- Blue Food Dye
Directions:
For the Butter End Cream Cheese Buttercream:
1. Soften butter and cream cheese and sift confectioners sugar.
2. With mixer on lowest speed, beat the butter, cream cheese & vanilla extract until creamy and fully incorporated.
3. Add half the conf. sugar and pulse a few times before mixing on low speed.
4. Add the cream and remaining sugar until desired consistency. Increase speed of mixer for a few seconds to make sure everything is nicely incorporated.
For the Butter End Red Velvet Cake:
1. Preheat the oven to 350℉.
2. Grease and line two 8” round pans with parchment.
1. Mise all ingredients. Everything should be room temperature. Sift together flour, sugar, b. soda, salt and cocoa and set aside.
2. In a mixer using a whip attachment, mix the liquid ingredients until incorporated.
3. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the liquid mixture in 2 additions until a smooth batter is formed. Scrape bowl. The oil should not separate from the batter.
4. Pour the batter evenly into the two prepared pans.
a. tip: for a level cake, wrap the outside of the pans with soaked leveling strips before putting them in the oven.
5. Bake for approximately 30-35 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
For the Butter End Vanilla Bean Cake:
1. Preheat oven to 350℉
2. Grease and parchment-line two 8” round pans.
3. Mise all ingredients. Everything should be room temperature. Sift together flour, b. powder and b. soda and salt.
4. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla extract and scrape the bowl.
5. Add sour cream on low speed. Scrape
6. Add eggs in a slow stream with mixer on low speed. Scrape.
7. Alternate adding sifted dry ingredients and milk to batter in 5 additions on low speed, starting and ending with dry. Scrape bowl after each addition of milk. When final incorporation of dry ingredients is just combined, turn mixer off and finish folding batter by hand until it is completely mixed and smooth. DO NOT OVERMIX!!
8. Add blue food dye to desired hue.
9. Pour batter into two greased and parchment-lined 8” round pans, filling pans half way or so. TIP: For level cakes, wrap the outside of the cake pans with soaked leveling strips before putting into the oven.
Note: (If there is left-over batter, fill cupcake liners and enjoy some cupcakes!)
10. Bake for about 25 minutes, until top is a light golden brown, and toothpick comes out clean in the center. Time will vary depending on oven.
ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Refrigerate or freeze the cake layers in the pans.
2. Once cold, de-pan and carefully level all four layers with a large serrated bread knife.
3. Place a little buttercream on a base plate or board and place a layer of red velvet cake on the plate.
4. Spread the cream cheese buttercream on the layer, allowing the frosting to go to the edge, trying not to get crumbs in the frosting.
5. Place a vanilla cake layer on top of the frosting, and repeat with the remaining cake and frosting.
6. Finish the top with a layer of frosting and decorate with fun confetti sprinkles and tiny festive flags.
