Recipe: Strawberries

What are the holidays without some time spent baking with loved ones? That’s what we did this weekend while on a visit to Belleville. As Diane liked to call it, it was “Baking with Ma Ma” and today’s recipe was Strawberries – coconut flavoured candies shaped like, you guessed it, strawberries. These are one of Matt’s favourite Christmas treats, and since he and his uncle seem to be the only ones who eat them, Diane thought it might be a good thing to bake together.

The process was simple enough, and actually quite fun. With only a few ingredients, the main work is getting your hands dirty by shaping each one. But when we were finished, I think they looked pretty good…and the taste test confirmed they tasted really good, too! I bet with the many flavours of Jell-o out there, you could create other types of fruits, too. Maybe next year…

This is only the start of my baking. I've yet to narrow down what treats to bake; making a list between new ones to try and old favs can be quite hard. Perhaps time will dictate what I end up making, as it usually does... But hopefully this weekend Matt and I can do some of our own holiday baking.

INGREDIENTS

1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk
16 OZ (1 pkg) Coconut (finely shredded)
2 pkgs Strawberry Jell-o Powder
2 lbs Icing Sugar

DIRECTIONS
RESERVE ½ - ¾ package of Jell-o Powder.

MIX the condensed milk with coconut and Jell-o power. Gradually add the icing sugar until the mixture gets thick enough that it can be shaped.

SHAPE mixture into small strawberries. Roll in reserved Jell-o powder and rest on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Refrigerate until cool and hardened.

DECORATE the top ends with green icing in the shape of leaves.