Recipes that call for snow

Amy Mooney-Geels, RDLD, CDM

Eating freshly fallen snow is part of the glory of childhood snow days, right up there with sledding and snowball fights! For adults, snowstorms are not quite as fun as they used to be. So why not embrace them and eat some snow treats? Really!  Not all snow is safe for eating, so use your best judgment. If the snow outside your window isn’t fresh and clean, you can always make shaved ice and apply these frosty ideas any time of the year.

1. Maple Snow Cone: Scoop fresh snow into a paper cup or cone. Drizzle with pure maple syrup to taste. Add a splash of bourbon for an adult version.

2. Twice-Frozen Snow Pops: Stir a few tablespoons of your favorite thawed juice concentrate into fresh snow. Spoon and pack into pop molds and freeze until solid. Run the outside of the molds under warm water to help unmold.

3. Snow Halo: Pack a parfait glass about ¾ of the way full with fresh snow. Drizzle with evaporated milk to taste. Tope with a scoop of vanilla or black raspberry ice cream. Decorate with chopped fresh fruit, like pineapple or mango, large tapioca pearls, toasted coconut and your favorite crunchy cereal. Dig in.

4. “Snow-fogato”: Affogato is a simple Italian dessert where espresso is poured over ice cream. Use snow as a stand-in. Pack together fresh snow to make a tight snowball about the size of a baseball. Put it in a large coffee cup. Pour in sweetened condensed milk and then strong coffee. Top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings and eat quickly. A shot of Amaretto wouldn’t be a bad idea either!

5. Slushy Snow Mimosa: Fill a champagne flute with fresh snow. Pour in a chilled apricot nectar or orange juice and champagne or Prosecco.

The next time you get “snowed” in try a few refreshing snow treats.