After taking a year off, many Pride events are up and running again, including Wilton Manors’ Stonewall Pride.
If you want to be the hit of the parade (without strutting around in your underwear), try whipping up these sweet treats in the colors of the traditional pride flag. If you want to try to incorporate the colors of the more modern version of the flag, simply divide up the portions of the recipe into five more portions and tint those pink, blue, black, and brown, and leave one white.
Rainbow Peppermint Patties
Since Charlie Brown’s friend, Peppermint Patty, was the first lesbian in comics, these are an apt salute to Pride festivities.
Ingredients
6 cups powdered sugar (more, if needed)
4 tablespoons light corn syrup
4 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening
2 teaspoons peppermint extract
24 oz dipping chocolate
Food coloring (the gel version works best) red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple (black and brown optional)
Wax or parchment paper
Directions
In the large bowl of a stand mixer, beat five cups of the powdered sugar with corn syrup, water, peppermint extract, and shortening at medium speed until just combined.
Knead on a work surface dusted with the remaining cup of powdered sugar until smooth. (This recipe depends a lot on moisture, if it’s a humid day, you may need to add a bit more powdered sugar, if the dough is too dry, add a teaspoon or two of water.)
Divide dough evenly into six balls (11 if doing the modern pride flag).
In a small bowl, color each ball red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple, respectively. (Adding food coloring could make your ball a little too wet, add more powdered sugar if necessary) until the ball is workable and not sticky.
Working on each ball one at a time, roll the ball into a log.
Place the log between two sheets of parchment paper and roll it into a rectangle about 11”x5”.
Place the sheet of dough in the fridge to chill for about 15-20 minutes.
Repeat for remaining colors.
Once the dough has chilled, remove the paper from one side of the red layer (leave one layer on the bottom so it doesn't stick to your surface). If the dough begins to tear as you remove the paper, chill it longer.
Remove both sheets of paper, from the remaining rectangles as you stack each layer on top of the other (in the order of the Pride flag: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple. (Add pink, white, blue, brown, and black for the modern Pride flag.)
Once the layers have been stacked on top of each other, slightly roll them to get rid of any air bubbles.
Trim the long end of one side with a sharp knife so that you have an even edge to begin rolling.
Starting with the long side, begin rolling the dough using the parchment paper to help (if your dough is too hard, let it soften a bit before rolling).
Freeze the roll of dough until hardened (about an hour).
Cut the frozen log into ¼-inch-thick circles. (Dental floss is good to use to cut the dough-if the log begins to flatten, roll it slightly.)
Melt dipping chocolate according to the package directions.
Using a fork, dip one pinwheel, shaking the excess chocolate off, and set it on waxed paper or parchment-lined cookie sheets.
Repeat with all the remaining discs.
Place patties in the fridge or freezer to set.
Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
Store patties in between layers of parchment paper so they don't stick to each other.
Pride Swirl Cookies
Packaged cookie dough makes this recipe fool-proof.
Ingredients
2 bags (17.5 oz) Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix
Betty Crocker Neon and Classic Gel Food Colors
Rainbow sprinkles, if desired
Directions
Mix cookie dough according to package directions.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Divide dough evenly into six bowls, and color each with a different food coloring (you may need to blend yellow and red for orange, red and blue for purple).
Assemble as directed in the recipe above.
Bake cookies 10-11 minutes, or until done (golden brown on the edges).
While still warm, roll edges in sprinkles, if desired.
Lucky Charms Rainbow Shots
Try these yummy shots, they’re magically delicious.
Ingredients
1 box Lucky Charms cereal or a bag of Lucky Charms Marshmallows
1 bottle marshmallow or whipped cream flavored vodka
Directions
Separate the marshmallows from the Lucky Charms cereal.
Sort marshmallow pieces by color, mixing red and yellow to make orange, blue and red to make purple, if necessary.
Place marshmallows of the same color in each of eight water glasses.
Divide vodka into each glass.
Let the marshmallows dissolve, chill.
Serve as vodka shots.
Rick Karlin is SFGN's food editor. Visit SFGN.com/Food to read his previous reviews. Have a culinary tip to share? Email Rick at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
