Field note: every snowball hides a cube of mozzarella and a few mini pepperoni. Packed tight in one pan, they bake into a golden drift that pulls apart. Kids roll, grown-ups pinch, and the whole Frog Crew eats.
Snowball fight rules: no throwing. Pulling apart is encouraged.
Prep35 min
Cook30 min
Total1 hr 5 min
Makes24 pizza bites
Serves6
Frost level❄❄❄
Batch size
Lab note. Lab result: 24 snowballs per pan. Average cheese pull, 7 inches (18 cm). Record pull, 11 inches (28 cm), set by a nine-year-old. Unverified. Fully believed.
Reagents
Snowballs
Garlic Butter and Parmesan Snow
For the Game
Procedure
Warm up the dough. Let the pizza dough sit, covered, at room temperature for 15 minutes so it stretches without fighting back. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and cut the mozzarella into 24 cubes.
Make the garlic butter. Stir the garlic and oregano into the melted butter. Brush a 10-inch (25 cm) cast-iron skillet or a 9-inch (23 cm) round cake pan with 1 tablespoon of it.
Divide. Dust the counter with the all-purpose flour and cut the dough into 24 equal pieces, about ⅔ ounce (19 g) each.
Stuff and seal. Flatten each piece into a 2½-inch (6 cm) round. Set a mozzarella cube and 2 or 3 mini pepperoni in the center, pull the dough up around them and pinch the seam tightly shut, then roll gently into a ball. A sealed seam keeps the cheese inside.
Roll in snow. Put the Parmesan in a shallow bowl. Dip each ball in the garlic butter, roll it in the Parmesan and nestle it seam side down in the pan, packed snugly in rings.
Bake the drift. Bake until puffed and deep golden and the center bites read 190°F (88°C), 22 to 26 minutes. Brush with any remaining garlic butter. Meanwhile, warm the marinara sauce in a small saucepan. Cool the snowballs 5 minutes; the cheese inside is molten.
Crown the Captain. Push the 2 pretzel sticks into one snowball like antennae: that one is the Captain. Serve with the warm marinara for dunking. Whoever pulls the Captain picks the next game.
Field notes
Vegetarian squad: skip the pepperoni and tuck a second piece of mozzarella into each ball.
Kids roll the balls in Parmesan; grown-ups pinch the seams. A loose seam means a cheese leak.
Sticky dough? Lightly oil your hands instead of adding more flour.
The cheese stays hot long after the outside cools. Tear one open to check before handing them to small kids.
Make ahead. Shape and coat the snowballs in the pan up to 1 day ahead, cover and refrigerate. Bake straight from the fridge, adding about 5 minutes.
Storage. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days. Reheat at 350°F (175°C) for 8 to 10 minutes, until hot through, 165°F (74°C).
Contains. milk, wheat
PROTOCOL SRD-008 · SV-05 The Savory Line · BATCH 1× · snowroach.com/snowball-fight-pizza-bites/
Field note: horchata is rice and cinnamon soaked soft, blended, strained and sweetened. The creaminess comes from the rice itself. The cold comes from a glass packed with crushed ice.
Snowmelt, if snowmelt had cinnamon and excellent manners.
Prep20 min
Chill6 hr
Total6 hr 20 min
MakesAbout 6 cups (1.4 L)
Serves6
Frost level❄❄❄
Batch size
Lab note. Lab result: soak, 6 hours. Blend, 2 minutes. Strain passes, 2. Opacity, full whiteout. Two cinnamon-stick antennae per glass, for stirring and for morale.
Reagents
Horchata
To Serve
Procedure
Rinse and soak. Rinse the long-grain white rice in a sieve until the water runs mostly clear. Combine the rice, the 2 broken cinnamon sticks and the warm water in a large bowl or jar, cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.
Blend. Pour the rice, cinnamon and soaking water into a blender and blend on high until the rice is completely pulverized, about 2 minutes.
Strain twice. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve lined with a double layer of cheesecloth or a thin, clean kitchen towel, squeezing out every drop. Strain a second time for a silky finish and discard the solids.
Sweeten. Stir in the cold water, whole milk, granulated sugar, vanilla extract and a pinch of fine salt until the sugar dissolves. Taste and add more sugar a spoonful at a time if you like it sweeter.
Pour the snowmelt. Fill 6 glasses with crushed ice. Stir the horchata, since the rice settles, and pour it over. Stand two long cinnamon sticks in each glass like antennae and dust with the ground cinnamon.
Field notes
Stir before every pour; the rice starch settles to the bottom like fresh snow.
Mexican canela is softer and more floral than cassia cinnamon, and it blends more easily.
Make it a float: a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top turns it into dessert.
Dairy-free: use more cold water or oat milk in place of the milk.
Make ahead. Make up to 3 days ahead and keep it in a sealed jar in the fridge.
Storage. Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Stir or shake well before pouring.
Contains. milk
PROTOCOL SRD-009 · DR-01 The Drinks Line · BATCH 1× · snowroach.com/snowmelt-horchata/
Field note: yogurt bark is a thin sheet of sweetened Greek yogurt frozen with fruit on top, then broken like a calving glacier. Full-fat yogurt and very dry berries are the whole method: the fat keeps every shard creamy, and any moisture left on the fruit would freeze into grit.
Ten minutes of work, three hours of freezer. The freezer does not ask for credit.
Prep10 min
Chill3 hr
Total3 hr 10 min
MakesAbout 12 shards
Serves6
Frost level❄❄❄
Batch size
Lab note. Lab result: thickness ¼ inch (6 mm), freeze time 3 hours, shards 12. Freezer to soft takes about 10 minutes at room temperature, so the protocol specifies prompt eating. Compliance was immediate.
Reagents
Glacier
Berries and Snow
Procedure
Prepare the tray. Line a quarter sheet pan, or any 9 by 13-inch (23 by 33 cm) rimmed tray, with parchment, letting it hang over two sides. Check that it sits flat in your freezer before you fill it.
Dry the berries. Pat the blueberries and diced strawberries very dry with paper towels. Moisture left on the fruit freezes into hard crystals and makes the bark icy instead of creamy.
Mix the base. Stir the Greek yogurt, maple syrup, vanilla extract and salt together until smooth. Taste it: it should seem a little too sweet, because the cold will mute it.
Spread the glacier. Spread the yogurt evenly over the parchment, about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick. Scatter the berries and shredded coconut over the top and press them in gently so they freeze in place.
Freeze flat. Freeze, flat and uncovered, until completely firm all the way through, at least 3 hours.
Calve the glacier. Lift the slab out by the parchment and break it into about 12 shards; if it resists, let it stand 2 to 3 minutes first. Serve straight from the freezer, about 2 shards per person. They soften quickly.
Field notes
The vault variation: replace the coconut with 2 tablespoons of chopped pistachios for a little green crunch. Pistachios are tree nuts.
Full-fat yogurt freezes creamy. Low-fat and nonfat yogurt freeze harder and icier.
Want clean edges? Score the slab with a knife after 1 hour in the freezer, then snap it along the lines once it is firm.
Frozen blueberries work straight from the bag. Scatter them on still frozen and they bleed less color into the glacier.
Make ahead. Make up to 2 weeks ahead and keep frozen.
Storage. Layer the shards between parchment in a sealed freezer container and keep frozen for up to 2 weeks. Let a piece stand for a minute or two if it is too firm to bite.
Contains. milk, coconut
PROTOCOL SRD-015 · FR-03 The Frozen Line · BATCH 1× · snowroach.com/glacier-berry-yogurt-bark/
Field note: white hot chocolate is milk warmed to a steam, never a boil, with real white chocolate whisked in until it disappears. Vanilla rounds it out, and a small pinch of salt keeps the sweetness from running the operation. No sugar is added: the white chocolate brings its own.
For coming in from the cold, even when you are the cold.
Prep3 min
Cook7 min
Total10 min
Makes2 mugs
Serves2
Frost level❄❄❄
Batch size
Lab note. Lab result: frost level 1 of 3, the lowest rating the lab issues. Approved on appeal, on the grounds that heroes thaw too. Milk taken to 160°F (71°C), never to a boil. Mugs issued: 2.
Reagents
Hot Chocolate
To Finish
Procedure
Warm the milk. Pour the milk into a small saucepan and warm it over medium-low heat, stirring now and then, until it steams and tiny bubbles appear at the edge, about 4 minutes, or 160°F (71°C). Do not let it boil; boiled milk scorches on the bottom and grows a skin.
Melt in the white chocolate. Turn the heat to low. Add the chopped white chocolate and whisk constantly until it has melted completely and the milk is smooth, 2 to 3 minutes.
Season. Take the pan off the heat and whisk in the vanilla extract and the salt.
Pour. Divide between two mugs. Top each with a spoonful of whipped cream and a light dusting of cinnamon, if you like.
Cool to drinking temperature. Let the mugs stand 2 to 3 minutes, until comfortably warm rather than hot, and check before handing one to a kid.
Field notes
Peppermint version: stir in just ⅛ teaspoon peppermint extract with the vanilla. Taste before adding any more; a little goes a long way.
Kept the peppermint dust from the Frostbite Peppermint Bark? Whisk a teaspoon of it into each mug.
White baking chips melt thick and can leave the mug grainy. A chopped bar melts clean.
Dairy-free: use a creamy oat milk and a dairy-free white chocolate, and warm it the same way.
Make ahead. Chop the white chocolate up to 1 week ahead and keep it airtight at room temperature. The drink itself is best made to order.
Storage. Best freshly made. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container within 2 hours for up to 2 days, then rewarm gently over low heat, whisking, until steaming.
Contains. milk, soy
PROTOCOL SRD-016 · DR-03 The Drinks Line · BATCH 1× · snowroach.com/snowday-white-hot-chocolate/
Field note: energy bites are a no-bake dough of rolled oats bound with peanut butter and maple syrup, rolled into balls and chilled until firm. One test decides everything: squeeze a spoonful in your fist. If it holds, roll. If it crumbles, a teaspoon of water fixes it. Coconut goes on last, like fresh snow.
Field rations for a long game night. Coated in snow, for camouflage.
Prep15 min
Chill20 min
Total35 min
Makes12 bites
Serves6
Frost level❄❄❄
Batch size
Lab note. Lab result: 12 snowballs at about 1 heaping tablespoon each. Squeeze test: passed. Rest in the cold: 20 minutes. Snowballs that reached the game table: 12. Snowballs present for the second round: 0.
Reagents
Snowballs
Snow Coat
Procedure
Bind the base. Stir the peanut butter, maple syrup and vanilla extract together in a medium bowl until smooth and evenly mixed.
Load the oats. Add the rolled oats, 2 tablespoons of the shredded coconut, the mini chocolate chips and the salt, if using. Mix firmly with a sturdy spatula until every oat is coated.
Run the squeeze test. Squeeze a small spoonful in your hand. If it crumbles, mix in the water 1 teaspoon at a time until it holds together. If it is too sticky to roll, refrigerate the bowl for 10 minutes.
Roll the snowballs. Divide the mixture into 12 equal portions, about 1 heaping tablespoon each, and roll each one between your palms into a tight ball. Slightly damp hands keep it from sticking.
Coat in snow. Spread the remaining shredded coconut on a plate and roll each ball in it, pressing gently so the coconut sticks.
Set in the cold. Refrigerate the bites for 20 minutes, until firm, before serving.
Field notes
For a different flavor, use well-stirred almond butter or sunflower-seed butter, the peanut-free and tree-nut-free choice. Adjust the water only if the mixture needs it.
Natural peanut butter that has separated: stir the oil back in completely first, or the bites turn greasy on one side and dry on the other.
Gluten-free: use oats labeled gluten-free. Regular oats are often processed alongside wheat.
Dairy-free: check that the chocolate chips are dairy-free; many semisweet chips contain milk.
Make ahead. Roll up to 5 days ahead and refrigerate, or freeze in a sealed bag for up to 3 months. Let frozen bites stand 10 minutes before eating.
Storage. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Contains. peanuts, coconut, milk, soy
PROTOCOL SRD-017 · CF-02 The Confection Line · BATCH 1× · snowroach.com/frostbite-coconut-energy-bites/
Field note: a thick, cold cucumber dip in the family of Greek tzatziki. The cucumber is grated and wrung out hard before it goes in, because cucumber is mostly water and the yogurt would pay for it later. Lemon, dill, olive oil and one small clove of garlic do the rest.
Every sweet shelf needs a guard. This one is mostly cucumber.
Prep15 min
Chill20 min
Total35 min
MakesAbout 1½ cups (360 ml)
Serves4
Frost level❄❄❄
Batch size
Lab note. Lab result: cucumber is about 95 percent water. Whatever stays in the shreds pools on top of the dip by the next day, so the towel squeeze runs until the dripping stops. Puddles at 24 hours: 0.
Reagents
Dip
To Serve
Procedure
Wring out the cucumber. Coarsely grate the English cucumber, skin and all, on the large holes of a box grater. Pile it in the center of a clean kitchen towel, twist the towel closed and squeeze hard over the sink until it stops dripping.
Build the base. Stir the Greek yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, dill, garlic, salt and black pepper together in a medium bowl until smooth.
Fold in the cucumber. Fold in the squeezed cucumber. Taste, and adjust with a little more lemon juice or salt, a pinch at a time.
Let it settle. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes so the garlic and dill settle into the yogurt. In a hurry, it can be served right away.
Deploy. Spoon the dip into a shallow bowl, swirl the top with the back of the spoon and surround it with the carrot sticks, the sliced bell peppers and the pita breads, cut into wedges.
Field notes
The vault variation: swap the dill for chopped fresh mint for a brighter guard.
Raw garlic grows stronger as it sits. Making it the day before? Use half the clove.
Serving at a party? Nest the bowl in a larger bowl of ice, and return it to the refrigerator within 2 hours.
Skip the pita and it is gluten-free; the dip itself contains no wheat.
Make ahead. Make the dip up to 1 day ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator. Cut the vegetables up to 1 day ahead and store them in a sealed container lined with a damp paper towel.
Storage. Keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Stir before serving if a little liquid separates.
Contains. milk, wheat
PROTOCOL SRD-018 · SV-06 The Savory Line · BATCH 1× · snowroach.com/frost-guard-cucumber-yogurt-dip/
Field note: peppermint bark is white chocolate melted gently, spread thin and set cold, then cracked like lake ice. The trick is real white chocolate made with cocoa butter: it melts glossy and snaps clean, where baking chips stay thick and soft. Crushed peppermint and a pinch of flaky salt keep the sweetness in line.
It shatters on command. Most things do, around her.
Prep15 min
Chill45 min
Total1 hr
MakesAbout 12 shards
Serves12
Frost level❄❄❄
Batch size
Lab note. Lab result: sift the crushed candy before it goes on. The fine dust draws moisture in the fridge and turns the surface tacky; the coarse pieces stay glassy. Thickness: 5 mm. Snap: audible from the next room. Shards issued: 12.
Reagents
Bark
Procedure
Set up a dry bench. Line a small rimmed baking sheet with parchment and clear a flat spot for it in the refrigerator. Dry the bowl, spatula and cutting board completely: a single drop of moisture can make melted chocolate seize into a stiff paste.
Crush the peppermint. Seal the peppermint candies in a zip-top bag, cover it with a kitchen towel and crush them with a rolling pin into small pieces, none bigger than ¼ inch (6 mm). Shake them in a sieve and keep the fine dust for a mug of hot chocolate; only the coarse pieces go on the bark.
Melt gently. Put the white chocolate in a dry microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at 50 percent power in bursts of 20 seconds, stirring well after each, until only a few small lumps remain, about 2 minutes in all, then stir until smooth. It should feel barely warm, no hotter than 110°F (43°C): white chocolate scorches fast.
Spread the sheet. Stir in the peppermint extract, if using. Scrape the chocolate onto the parchment and spread it into a rectangle about 8 by 10 inches (20 by 25 cm), a little under ¼ inch (5 mm) thick.
Seed the frost. While the chocolate is still soft, scatter the coarse peppermint and the flaky salt evenly over the top, then press them in gently with your palm so they stay put.
Set it cold. Refrigerate, uncovered, until the bark is firm all the way through and snaps cleanly, 30 to 45 minutes.
Shatter on command. Lift the bark off the parchment and break it by hand into about 12 shards. For neater edges, score it first with a sharp knife and snap along the lines.
Field notes
Read the label: real white chocolate lists cocoa butter. White baking chips often use other fats, so they melt thick and set soft.
Seized chocolate? If it turns grainy and stiff, it got too hot or met moisture. Start again for the bark, and whisk the seized batch into hot milk; it still makes an excellent mug.
The vault variation: swap half the crushed candy for broken pretzel pieces. A salty crunch and a little good chaos. Pretzels contain wheat.
Gluten-free as written; check that the white chocolate and candies are labeled gluten-free.
Make ahead. Make up to 1 week ahead and keep it chilled in an airtight container.
Storage. Store airtight in the refrigerator, layered between parchment, for up to 2 weeks. Let it sit out a few minutes before serving, and return leftovers to the cold within 30 minutes; untempered white chocolate softens at room temperature.
Contains. milk, soy
PROTOCOL SRD-013 · CF-01 The Confection Line · BATCH 1× · snowroach.com/frostbite-peppermint-bark/
Field note: a cooler is a long, cold drink built in the glass, and this one carries no alcohol at all. The mint is pressed, not pulverized, so it gives up its oils without the bitterness. The syrup is shaken cold, so nothing warm ever meets the ice, and the fizz goes in last and slowly, so it arrives intact.
Lime, mint and fizz over a full glass of ice. The ice is load-bearing.
Prep10 min
Total10 min
Makes2 drinks
Serves2
Frost level❄❄❄
Batch size
Lab note. Lab result: more ice means less melt. A glass packed to the rim chills the drink fast and holds it there, so each cube gives up less water. Fill level: 100 percent. Dilution: minimal. Glasses issued: 2. Glasses returned: 2, empty.
Reagents
Cold Syrup
Cooler
Procedure
Shake the syrup cold. Put the granulated sugar and cold water in a small jar, seal it and shake hard until the syrup turns completely clear, 1 to 2 minutes. No heat needed: at equal parts, sugar dissolves in cold water if you shake long enough. Store-bought simple syrup works too; use 2 tablespoons, plus more to taste.
Wake the mint. Drop 4 mint leaves and 1 tablespoon of the syrup into each of two tall, sturdy glasses. Press the leaves gently with the back of a spoon 4 or 5 times to release their aroma. Bruise them; do not shred them, or the drink turns bitter.
Add the lime. Pour half the lime juice into each glass, then fill both glasses to the rim with ice cubes.
Top with fizz. Pour half the sparkling water into each glass, slowly and down the side so it keeps its bubbles, then lift once from the bottom with a long spoon to mix.
Calibrate and serve. Taste. For sweeter, stir in the remaining syrup a teaspoon at a time; for sharper, add a squeeze more lime. Hang a lime wheel on each rim and serve at once, while it is still fizzing.
Field notes
Frog-friend variation: add two thin cucumber slices to each glass with the mint. Very green. Very chill. Suitable for a cave-rescue afterparty.
Roll each lime firmly on the counter before you cut it; it gives up noticeably more juice.
Club soda or plain seltzer can stand in for the sparkling water. Tonic water cannot: it brings its own bitterness and sugar.
Serving a crowd? Scale the batch, but build each drink in its own glass. Fizz poured over ice in a pitcher goes flat before the second round.
Make ahead. Shake the syrup and squeeze the lime juice up to 1 day ahead, and refrigerate them separately in sealed jars. Build the drinks to order.
Storage. A built cooler does not keep: the fizz and the ice are both on a clock. Leftover syrup keeps in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
PROTOCOL SRD-014 · DR-02 The Drinks Line · BATCH 1× · snowroach.com/cryo-lime-cooler/
