We’ll admit it. It’s proving hugely difficult to get hold of a stock of eggnog for you this year. We’re not going to get it in in time for you to order. There seems to be a worldwide shortage, which just goes to show how popular it is! We don’t want you to go without though, so we’ve got two recipes for you to make your own – a traditional, alcoholic one (hic!) and a low fat one for those of you who don’t want to bulk up over Christmas! Enjoy! (more…)
Every now and then, some of our valuable customers are kind enough to share their culinary secrets with us. We love receiving these recipes as it gives us the opportunity to try out something new using the products we supply – all too often we just follow the on-pack instructions or (I say guiltily) scoff it straight from the packet or box!
Here’s two recipes that are well worth trying out that were shared with us on our Facebook page.
Blueberry Syrup
Recipe supplied by Claire Manning
Not too long ago it was National Waffle Week in the US and we asked what toppings were people’s favourites to have on their waffles. Claire intrigued us by mentioning blueberry syrup. We had to know how to make that, and she happily obliged!
What You’ll Need:
2 cups fresh blueberries
1/4 cup water
1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup cold water
3 tablespoons cornflour
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Generous pinch kosher salt
What To Do:
1) Gently mix the blueberries, 1/4 cup of water, orange juice, salt and sugar in a pan and bring to a boil.
2) Mix together the cornflour and 1/4 cup cold water in a small bowl.
3) Stir the cornflour mixture into the blueberries gently so as not to mash the berries up.
4) Simmer gently until thickened and to your desired consistency.
5) Remove from heat and stir in the almond extract and cinnamon.
Then pour over delicious waffles made from either Aunt Jemima Original Pancake & Waffle Mix or Mississippi Complete Pancake & Waffle Mix – your choice!
Peanut Butter Cookies
Recipe supplied by Kearsten Hall
When we asked what uses people had for Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips (other than scoffing them straight from the bag, of course!), Kearsten gave us this idea for peanut butter cookies. Now, you don’t have to use the Peanut Butter Chips in this, you can use chocolate chips instead, but as the cookie is made with a decent amount of peanut butter it will remain a Peanut Butter Cookie no matter what!
What You’ll Need:
3/4 cup (170 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup (105 grams) light brown sugar
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup (185 grams) peanut butter (smooth or crunchy – we prefer the smooth!)
2 cups (260 grams) all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup peanut butter chips or 1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)
Makes about 40 cookies.
What To Do:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2) In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy (about 2 – 3 minutes).
3) Beat in the peanut butter. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat to combine.
4) In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the peanut butter mixture and beat until incorporated.
5) Fold in the peanut butter or chocolate chips, if using. (If the batter is too soft to form into balls, place in the refrigerator for about an hour or until firm.)
6) Roll the batter into 1 inch (2.5 cm) balls.
7) Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheet, placing about 2 inches (5 cm) apart.
8 ) Using the tines of the fork that has been dipped in white granulated sugar, make a crisscross pattern.
9) Bake the cookies for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned around the edges.
10) Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
The cookies can be stored at room temperature, in an airtight container, for about a week. Freeze for longer storage.
Don’t they both sound great? Give them a try and let us know what you think.
So…anyone else got any fantastic recipes we can try out using the stuff we provide? We’ll pick the best ones for another blog post. 
Marshmallow Fluff is one of our most popular products but it’s surprising how many Facebook messages, Tweets and emails we get from people asking what they actually do with it once they’ve bought it!
There’s no definitive answer to this, it’s an incredibly versatile ingredient. In the past we’ve suggested trying it on toast (it’s really tasty, honestly!), making s’mores and just eating it right out of the jar, though this last one can be a bit sickly after a while!
So what we’re going to do here is give you three very different but equally delicious recipe ideas for using Marshmallow Fluff. Enjoy – and let us know if you try them and how they were.
Yes, Marshmallow Fluff is sweet – but that doesn’t mean it can’t be used in savoury dishes. This is a “to-die-for” option.
You Will Need:
2 x 29 oz cans of cooked sweet potatoes (yes, you can cook your own and guess on the amount you’d need)
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup (2 fl ozs.) of warm milk
2 tablespoons of butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 x 7 1/2 oz. jar of Marshmallow Fluff
What To Do:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit
Lightly grease a 3 litre soufflé or casserole dish
Beat the sweet potato in a large bowl until smooth
Beat in the eggs, salt, butter and 1/3 of the Marshmallow Fluff
Put into the soufflé dish and bake for around 20 minutes
Remove from the oven and increase the temperature to 550 Fahrenheit
Use the remaining Marshmallow Fluff to cover the potatoes, spreading right to the edge of the dish
Return to the oven for six or seven minutes until browned and puffed up
It’ll taste sweet and delicious and will make a fantastic side dish to a main course.
This one is great for getting the kids to help with – it’s messy, fun and makes some great treats.
You Will Need:
1 x 7 1/2 oz jar of Marshmallow Fluff
1 x 12 oz pack of semi sweet chocolate pieces
1/3 (2.7 fl ozs.) cup of butter
5 cups of Kellogg’s Rice Krispies
What To Do:
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a low heat
Add all the Fluff and continue to heat for 5 minutes on low, stirring constantly
Stir in the chocolate until melted and blended
Remove from the heat and stir in the Rice Krispies until well coated
Using a spatula, press the mixture into a buttered, 2-inch deep pan (13in x 9in is best)
Leave to cool, then cut into 2in squares and serve
Perfect for the kids and adults alike!
Time for a well earned drink, and one with the perfect American ingredients – namely, Fluff and peanut butter! Keep reading! It’s worth it.
You Will Need:
1 cup (8 fl ozs.) of chilled milk
2 tablespoons of smooth peanut butter
2 large tablespoons of Marshmallow Fluff
What To Do:
Put it in a blender. Blend it until smooth. Erm. That’s it.
How does that sound? Yes, we were sceptical too, but it’s fab!
So next time you’re browsing the shop, see the Fluff but are put off by the fact you have NO idea what to do with it, there’s three recipes to get you going. There are, of course, variations on these recipes and a whole load more on top. In the meantime, why not share your recipe ideas with us? We’ll try anything new!
Let’s face it, when it comes to American snack traditions we’re as intrigued about them as they are about our bangers and mash, but the American version is usually a yummy, sweet and sticky dish…and s’mores are no exception!
Traditional methods call for toasting your marshmallow over a raging campfire, while your shorts and t-shirt clad friends sing ‘Kumbaya’ by the guitar. But let’s not pretend that our rain wouldn’t ruin that setting… so instead, cheat and enjoy anyway.
All you need are some Nabisco Honey Maid Grahams, a bar of Hershey’s chocolate (by the way – we now have the much anticipated Hershey’s Milk Chocolate GIANT Bar in stock!) and some yummy yummy Marshmallow Fluff. Oh, and a microwave to make the magic happen.
Take one of the long crackers and carefully snap into half. You can then load your chocolate up on each piece and place in the microwave. Two pieces of Hershey’s is enough per half. Remember to use a microwavable plate!
Once the chocolate is melted (30 seconds – 1 minute plus depending on your microwave ) you can then start to construct the s’more.
Place a good spoonful of Marshmallow Fluff on one of the chocolate laden crackers and then top the Fluff with the other cracker.
What you will have is something that will make you want more. In fact, make a few in the first place so you dont have to wait any longer to enjoy another s’more.
You can also of course use the traditional ingredients, like Little Becky Marshmallows, if you’re having a bbq or you have a fancy fire pit, but please be careful!
You can also get creative with s’mores – why not try them with ice cream or atop of one of our Cake Mixes to make an extra special s’mores cake! Dont forget the Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup to really make it worthwhile.
Enjoy and send us your s’mores creation pics and ideas!!
Time to go green for reasons other than the environment. It’s St. Patrick’s Day and as you will probably know, we’re selling Lucky Charms cereal in a tri-pack for just £16.49. That’s THREE of our bigger 453g boxes for less than £17 – a real bargain!
We got to thinking what else is typically Irish that we can help you out with and came up with Irish soda bread. But how to put an American spin on it?
Photo and recipe courtesy of Sweet Pea's Kitchen
God bless Twitter – we cast about for a recipe that would take traditional Irish soda bread and red, white and blue it. Here’s one we really liked that we wanted to share with you, thanks to @tagost (Sweet Pea’s Kitchen). For the genuine American taste, use the recommended products in the recipe. The rest you’ll have to get yourself!
You will need:
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for work surface (Gold Medal All-Purpose Flour)
1 cup cake flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda (Arm & Hammer Pure Baking Soda)
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoons caraway seeds
1 cup raisins
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus 1 tablespoon melted for crust)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
Pre-heat your oven to about 200 degrees Celsius (400 Fahrenheit) with your shelf in the middle.
Stir together the flours, sugar, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt and caraway seeds until well mixed, then add the butter and mix with a fork to coat with the flour mixture.
Keep mixing until it resembles coarse cornmeal, with the butter no larger than small peas. Add the raisins and keep stirring until combined with the flour etc.
Now lightly beat the egg and buttermilk together and add this to the flour mixture. Stir with a fork until the dough just begins to come together. Place onto a floured surface and knead until the dough becomes cohesive. Don’t overdo it or it’ll become too tough, just get it to the point where it’s all together.
Pat dough into a 6-inch, 2-inch high round baking tin and place on a lined baking sheet. Using small sharp knife dipped into flour, cut a 3/4-inch-deep X in the center of the dough.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown then remove from the bread fromthe oven and brush with butter. Allow it to cool to room temperature and you’re all set. Delicious Irish-American soda bread with caraway seeds and raisins.
Got any Irish-American recipes to share with us? Let us know in the comments and in the meantime enjoy St. Patrick’s Day!
How good do they look? Delicious crabcakes made using our Old Bay Seasoning and a really simple recipe! For what you’ll need and how to make them, pop over to Jeanne’s blog, Cook Sister!
Made anything yourself using Old Bay or any other American ingredient? Tell us about it!
Well, it’s Shrove Tuesday, or Pancake Day as most of us call it, and tonight thousands upon thousands of pancakes will be made across the UK. Some of them will be successful, some of them will not and we do wonder how many will end up stuck to ceilings as mums and dads try flipping them.
We can’t help with that particular technique here at American Soda, but we can give you what we think is the perfect pancake recipe.
You will need:
One egg
Pinch of Salt
4oz Plain Flour
200ml Milk
200ml Tepid Water
Sift the flour into a bowl and add the egg and salt. Now beat in the milk and add the water until your mix has the consistency of single cream.
Heat up your pancake pan and oil the base with no more than a teaspoon of oil. Add one ladle of your pancake mix and quickly roll the pan to cover the base in an even, thin layer. Wait until it’s no longer runny and give that flip a try to cook through the other side.
Messed it up? Thought so. Throw the first one away and try again! There should be enough for around eight pancakes.
It really is that simple. Serve it up with your choice of lemon juice, sugar or do it properly with either Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup or Aunt Jemima Original Syrup. Of course, you could save yourself ANY bother and buy our Perfect Pancake Pack – it might be too late for tonight, but who says pancakes can only be eaten on Shrove Tuesday?
How do you do your pancakes? Share with us your perfect pancake method, we’d love to give them a try!
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