10 AMAZING TREATS YOU CAN MAKE MORE BEAUTIFULLY YOURSELF NOW

Today, we are featuring treats that are so special, you can only have them if you make them yourself (or if someone who loves you does). They are mostly pretty easy. And they are all really beautiful ways to express your foodie self.

1. SALTED CARAMEL SWIRL MARSHMALLOWS

For example, now that it is hot cocoa season, why settle for store-bought marshmallows, with their gelatinous artificially flavored and textured goo, when you can easily make some Salted Caramel Swirl Marshmallows all by yourself?

Jennifer, of Bake or Break, conjured a fabulous spin here, with sel gris based caramel and beautiful striations. The recipe was ever so slightly adapted from Marshmallow Madness. They are seriously divine.

2. HOT COCOA & CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT MARSHMALLOWS

So please… forget the packet of dehydrated, chemically-enabled cocoa mix. You deserve better than that. Treat yourself to some self-made Hot Cocoa + Chocolate Hazelnut Marshmallows. Oh, yeah.

You can’t get these anywhere else, so you just have to make them yourself! It’s not hard. And it is totally worth it. The recipe comes to us from Lauren Keating, ofHealthy Delicious.

Hot Cocoa + Chocolate Hazelnut Marshmallows

This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled. The dry mix made in step 1 can be made in a large batch and stored in an airtight container. Use 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of the dry mix per cup of milk.

SERVES: 2

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder
• 1 Tablespoon Sugar
• ¼ teaspoon Cinnamon
• pinch Cayenne Pepper
• 2 cups Milk
• 2 homemade Marshmallows (see recipe below)

Instructions:

• 1. In a small bowl, combine cocoa powder, sugar, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper. Stir well.

  2. In medium saucepan over low heat, combine spice mixture and milk. Whisk well to combine. Heat milk, whisking constantly, until it just begins to steam, about 3 minutes. Pour into serving mugs and top with homemade marshmallows.

Chocolate Hazelnut Marshmallows

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup Powdered Sugar
• ¼ cup Cocoa Powder
• 2 envelopes Unflavored Gelatin
• ½ cup Cold Water
• 1 cup Sugar
• ¼ Light Corn Syrup
• ⅛ teaspoon Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Hazelnut Syrup
• 1 Large Pasteurized Egg White or Dehydrated Egg White mixed with water as instructed on package
• 2 tablespoons Cocoa Powder

Instructions:

1. Combine powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Grease bottom and sides of a 13x9 inch baking pan; dust with sugar mixture, reserving the rest for later.

2. Grease a large mixing bowl. Pour ¼ cup cold water into bowl; sprinkle with gelatin. In a saucepan, cook ¼ cup water, sugar, and corn syrup over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Bring to a boil; continue to cook until the mixture registers 240-degrees on a candy thermometer, about 10 minutes. Pour over gelatin mixture.

3. Beat with an electric mixer on high speed until it become thick and white and triples in size - this can take anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, beat egg white until stiff peaks form, Stir the beaten egg whites into the gelatin mixture until just combined. Stir in 2 tablespoons cocoa powder.

4. Pour marshmallow into prepared baking pan; sift powdered sugar mixture over top. Chill until firm, at least 3 hours.

5. Run a knife around the edge of the pan; invert onto cutting board and remove pan. Use a large, oiled knife to cut the marshmallows into 2-inch squares. Dust cut edges with sugar/cocoa powder. Store in an airtight container either in the refrigerator or at room temperature.

3. HOMEMADE TORRONE

Torrone is a traditional nut-studded nougat candy often given as gifts at holiday time.

Why wait to get some as a gift? Italian Torrone is a little luxury that is not hard to make yourself. Becky, of The Vintage Mixer, developed her own version that’s a beautiful self-indulgence.

Homemade Torrone

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound of honey (use a high grade Italian honey for best results)
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 pound of nuts (I use a mixture of almonds, hazelnuts, and pistachios)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (I used a white vanilla extract)

Instructions:

1. Cover a loaf pan or small square baking dish (8 inch by 8 inch) with parchment paper. Have another sheet of parchment paper ready to cover the top of the torrone once its done cooking.

2. Place the nuts on a single layer in a baking tray and toast in oven at 350º F, about 8 minutes or until shiny and fragrant. Set aside.

3. Place honey in a double boiler or large bowl over a saucepan of water (bain marie) on the lowest heat. Make sure the bowl is not touching the water. Heat honey until it melts, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.

4. In the meantime, whisk egg whites to stiff peaks in a separate bowl.

5. Add the whites to the bowl of honey, stirring with the wooden spoon to incorporate. It should turn into a caramel-coloured cream. Keep cooking, stirring slowly but continuously over gentle heat for 45 minutes (It's best to just set a timer for this). The mixture should thicken and become pale. A small test should determine that your torrone is at a good stage – a drop of the mixture in a glass of water should solidify into a soft ball, not dissolve immediately.

6. Add the nuts, salt and vanilla to the mixture and continue cooking and stirring for 30 minutes(set the timer again so you make sure to cook for the full 30 minutes). Pour into your prepared baking dish. Top with additional parchment and smooth it down, pressing the torrone gently with your hands.

7. Place in a cool place to set for a couple of hours. When set, cut the torrone into thick slices with a sharp, heavy knife. Wrap in parchment tie with string or tape for the perfect homemade holiday gift. Keeps very well wrapped in parchment and stored somewhere cool.

4. FRANGELICO & COFFEE NO-CHURN ICE CREAM

Homemade ice cream is better, no lie. But messing with an ice-cream maker is a hassle. Even if it just means pulling the appliance out of a cabinet, setting it on a countertop, and plugging it in. Then, of course, you have to clean it up when it’s all done.

But what if you could self-indulge with self-made ice cream that you didn’t have to churn?

Sarah Kieffer, of The Vanilla Bean Blog, developed a scrumptious no-churn boozey self-love bonanza with her Frangelico & Coffee Ice Cream.

Frangelico + Coffee No Churn Ice Cream

Ingredients:

• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup Frangelico liqueur
• 1/4 cup strong cold coffee or cold press
• 2 cups cold heavy cream

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl, stir together condensed milk, vanilla, Frangelico, and coffee.

2. With a standing mixer, whip the heavy cream on medium-high until soft peaks form.

3. Whisk one third of the whipped cream into Frangelico-coffee mixture.

4. Fold the remaining whipped cream into the mixture until it is incorporated.

5. Pour into a loaf pan, and freeze until firm, 6 hours [or, covered, up to 1 week].

It’s easy to make ice cream sandwiches yourself. And also way, way, way, better than store-bought. Check out Kieffer's Cacao Nib Ice Cream Sandwiches. She used her chocolate chip cookie recipe for these sandwiches. She omitted the chocolate and added 1/3 cup cacao nibs.

5. SWEET POTATO, BLACKSTRAP & WHISKEY ICE CREAM WITH TORCHED MARSHMALLOWS

One thing that’s for sure when you make things yourself, is that you can customize them any way that you want. Who else is going to make you Sweet Potato, Blackstrap & Whiskey Ice Cream with Torched Marshmallows? No one, despite the fact that someone totally should! Maria, of Sift and Whisk, has your back.

Sweet Potato, Blackstrap & Whiskey Ice Cream with Torched Marshmallows

Ingredients:

For the Marshmallows:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening, divided
• ½ cup cold water
• 3 quarter-ounce packets (21 grams) granulated gelatin
• 2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar
• ¾ cup (245 grams) corn syrup
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• seeds from 1 vanilla bean*
• ½ cup confectioners' sugar (for dusting)

For the Ice Cream:

• 3 tablespoons (43 grams) cream cheese, softened
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1½ cups (215 grams) ½-inch sweet potato cubes
• 2 cups (475 grams) whole milk
• 1¼ (290 grams) heavy cream
• ⅓ cup (67 grams) granulated sugar
• ⅓ cup (76 grams) packed dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons (45 grams) blackstrap (or regular) molasses
• ¼ cup bourbon whiskey (optional)

Instructions:

For Marshmallows:

1. Grease the sides and bottoms of a baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. With the remaining vegetable oil, grease a piece of parchment paper that is roughly the same size as the baking sheet and set it aside. Pour ¼ cup cold water into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Sprinkle gelatin over the water and let stand while you prepare the sugar syrup.

2. In a medium saucepan, combine remaining ¼ cup water, sugar, corn syrup, salt, and vanilla bean seeds. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Insert a candy thermometer and bring to 236°F without stirring.

3. Turn the mixer on low speed to break up the gelatin, and with the whisk still running, slowly pour in the hot sugar syrup. Try to avoid hitting the sides of the bowl and the top of the whisk. Gradually increase the mixer speed to medium and then high. Continue beating for about 10 minutes, until mixture is thick, white, and glossy and has cooled down somewhat.

4. Working quickly, spread the mixture out onto your greased baking sheet using a rubber spatula. This will be very sticky and messy! Press the greased side of your parchment paper down on top of it and press to spread the marshmallow evenly across the baking sheet. Let stand for 1-2 hours, until cool and set up.

5. Peel off parchment paper from the top of the marshmallow slab and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Carefully move marshmallow slab to a cutting board, sprinkle the other side with confectioners' sugar, and cut into ½-inch cubes. Toss the cubes in confectioner's sugar so they don't stick together.

6. Arrange about 1½ cups of marshmallow cubes on a clean baking sheet. Using a kitchen torch, brown the tops of the marshmallows. Let cool for a couple minutes, turn them over, and brown the other side.

For the Ice Cream:

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together softened cream cheese, salt, and cinnamon until thoroughly combined. Some of the cream cheese mixture will probably cling to the whisk; just leave the whisk in the bowl for now.

2. Fill a large bowl with ice and water and place in the refrigerator to keep it extra cold.

3. In a large saucepan, combine sweet potato cubes and milk. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally so milk doesn't scorch on the bottom. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the potatoes are soft, about 8-10 minutes.

4. Transfer to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Return to the saucepan and add heavy cream, both sugars, and molasses, stirring to combine. Bring back to a boil over medium-high heat, and boil for 4 minutes, stirring and scraping down the sides and bottom of the saucepan every now and then.

5. Remove saucepan from heat, and gradually pour into cream cheese mixture while whisking with the other hand. When all of the cream mixture is added, continue whisking until smooth and there are no more chunks of cream cheese.

6. Prop open a 1-gallon zip-top freezer bag in a mixing bowl, folding down the top to create a "cuff" that will protect the zipper from any stray liquid. Carefully pour the ice cream mixture into the bag, close it up, and submerge in your ice bath in the refrigerator. Allow to chill for 30 minutes. Add more ice to ice bath halfway through, if necessary.

7. Remove bag from ice bath and, if adding whiskey, pour whiskey into the mixture, stirring to combine. With your ice cream maker set up and ready to go, tilt the bag so that the liquid runs to one side, clip off a corner of the freezer bag (hold it with your finger so it doesn't fall into the mix!), and allow mixture to drain into the frozen canister of your ice cream maker. Follow your ice cream maker's manufacturer's instructions, and churn until thick and creamy. Mine took about 20-25 minutes.

8. Pack ice cream into a storage container, layering with torched marshmallows. Press a sheet of parchment paper onto the surface and seal with a lid. Freeze until totally firm, about 4 hours.​

6. KAFFIR LIME & GIN ICE CREAM

As we’ve seen above, when you make things yourself, you can make them boozy if you want. No supermarket is going to compete. Check out the citrusy perfumed Kaffir Lime and Gin Ice Cream, concocted by Max Falkowitz, of Serious Eats.

Kaffir Lime and Gin Ice Cream

Ingredients:

• 3 cups half and half
• 20 kaffir lime leaves, bruised slightly
• 2 inches ginger, thinly sliced
• 6 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 5 tablespoons gin (recommended: Hendrick's)
• 1 teaspoon rosewater
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine half and half, lime leaves, and ginger over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Using a strainer, fish out lime leaves and ginger slices.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar together until light in color and slightly thickened. Ladle 1/2 cup half and half into bowl, whisking constantly, then transfer yolk mixture to saucepan. Cook on low heat, stirring frequently, until base coats the back of a spoon but a finger swipe leaves a clean line.

3. Strain into an airtight container, then stir in gin and rosewater. Add salt to taste, then chill in refrigerator overnight. The next day, churn according to manufacturer's instructions.

7. CHIVE BLOSSOM MARTINI

When you make things yourself, you can make them prettier, for sure, and usually more flavorful too. Get creative, like Alicia, of Boozed + Infused, did. She elevated the cocktail onion concept to create Chive Blossom Martini Infusion. It’s gorgeous!

Chive Blossom Martini Infusion

Ingredients:

• 1 c. chive blossoms (about 12 blossoms)
• 1 c. gin
• 1/3 c. extra dry vermouth

Instructions:

1. Following Marisa’s instructions for the vinegar infusion, I soaked the blossoms in water to help remove any sediment or insects.

2. Remove from water, toss in towels, and allow to dry.

3. Add chive blossoms, gin and vermouth to a pint jar.

4. Infuse for a few hours, a few days, or up to a week depending on how strong you want the flavor.

5. Strain and filter the infusion.

8. CHOCOLATE ORANGE LIQUEUR

When I was a little girl, I remember when Sabra, an Israeli chocolate-orange flavored liqueur came on the market. It was one of the few liqueurs my parents had in their cupboard. I used to sneak tastes of this elixir and remembered the incredible fusion of these two incredible flavors.

Check out Boozed + Infused’s self-made version. It’s beautifully wicked.

Chocolate-Orange Liqueur

Ingredients:

• Zest of 3 large Oranges
• 1/4 c. Cacao Nibs
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 2 c. vodka

Instructions:

1. Place all above ingredients in a glass jar, and close tight.

2. Shake well and allow to infuse for about 4 weeks.

3. Strain through a filter, then cheesecloth, jelly bag, and coffee filters.

4. This infusion clogged the coffee filters frequently, so be prepared to change the filter often.

Chocolate-Orange Martini

Ingredients:

• 2oz. Chocolate-Orange Liqueur
• 2oz. Creme de Cacao (light)
• Orange twist

Instructions:

1. Combine in a cocktail shaker with ice, and shake.

2. Serve in a chilled martini glass with an orange twist.

9. ROSEMARY VODKA

Yes, there are plenty of flavored vodkas out there, if you want them. But we prefer buying the unflavored kinds and flavoring them ourselves. Alabama Chanin articulated a simple and elegant concept: Rosemary Vodka. It’s a beautiful cinch.

All you do is steep some rosemary sprigs in your favorite vodka for 3 days and strain. Try it on the rocks with a salted rim and a squirt of fresh Meyer lemon.

10. DRUNKEN CHERRY BRANDY

Commercial cherry brandies taste medicinal to us, for the most part. But, we scored some sour cherries -- not so easy these days. But we found this charming recipe for Drunken Cherry Brandy, by Miss Foodwise. And it totally reminded us that when we rely upon ourselves, we’ve got the power!

Drunken Cherry Brandy

Ingredients:

• Cherries: 1kg
• Eau de vie or Vodka: 1 liter
• Sugar: 300 g
• Sterilised Jars

Instructions:

1. Rinse the cherries well.

2. Cut of the stalks leaving 1cm still on the cherry, that way the brandy will keep longer as.

3. The cherries stay nice and firm.

4. Layer the cherries with the sugar.

5. Pour over the alcohol and close the jar.

6. Put in a dark place at room temperature and shake every day for a week.

Read more about Beautiful Self, as it relates to Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink,Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact including 10 Magnificent Books Present the Beautiful Self Now and The Self-Realization of Plants and Animals Now.

Enter your own images and ideas about Beautiful Self in this week’s creative Photo Competition. Open for entries now until 11:59 p.m. PT on 01.25.2014. If you are reading this after that date, check out the current BN Creative Competition, and enter!

PHOTO CREDITS:

1. Photo: Courtesy of Bake or Break. Salted Caramel Swirl Marshmallows.
2. Photo: Courtesy of The Marshmallow Lady. Salted Caramel Swirl Marshmallows.
3. Photo: Courtesy of Healthy Delicious. Hot Cocoa & Chocolate Hazelnut Marshmallows.
4. Photo: Courtesy of Healthy Delicious. Chocolate Hazelnut Marshmallows.
5. Photo: Courtesy of Healthy Delicious. Hot Cocoa & Chocolate Hazelnut Marshmallows.
6. Photo: Courtesy of The Vintage Mixer. Homemade Torrone.
7. Photo: Courtesy of The Vanilla Bean Blog. Frangelico & Coffee No Churn Ice Cream.
8. Photo: Courtesy of The Vanilla Bean Blog. Frangelico & Coffee No Churn Ice Cream Sandwiches.
9. Photo: Courtesy of Sift and Whisk. Sweet Potato, Blackstrap & Whiskey Ice Cream with Torched Marshmallows.
10. Photo: Courtesy of Serious Eats. Kaffir Lime & Gin Ice Cream.
11. Photo: Courtesy of Boozed + Infused. Chive Blossom Martini.
12. Photo: Courtesy of Boozed + Infused. Chocolate Orange Liqueur.
13. Photo: Courtesy of Alabama Chanin. Rosemary Vodka.
14. Photo: Courtesy of Miss Foodwise. Drunken Cherry Brandy.