When I was young my grandmother made a cake that everyone in my family loved. It was a doctored box mix with sliced bananas and a divinity like icing. After she passed away we realized no one had the recipe for the icing. All of us wish we could have that cake again. At several family functions we talk about it. All we can remember is that it was a cooked icing (water and sugar - divinity like). It is not the seven minute icing. This icing would get hard like candy when it dried. It is not a soft icing. Any ideas of what is could be????

Was it cooked water and sugar added onto an egg white? I will fish out the old Wilton icing that might be this. I remember that it did get hard when I made it.

Otherwise, if it was boiled sugar and water but NOT egg white, look on google for "penuche icing" that is cooked and beaten like fudge. It sets firm but not crusty.

Would be this it. This is not a seven minute frosting. I have made both.



http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1932,157169-228199,00.html

I'm thinking you might mean Penuche Frosting:
Melt 1/2 cup butter or margarine; add 1 cup brown sugar. Bring to boiling; cook and stir 1 minute or till slightly thick. Cool 15 minutes. .....Add 1/4 cup hot milk and beat smooth. Beat in enough of 3 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar for spreading consistency. Frosts two 8- or 9-inch layers.

It could also be broiled icing. That also crusts up pretty good.

I don't think it is Penuche Frosting. I know it did not have brown sugar in it. The Old Fashioned Boiled Icing is a good starting point. I will have to try it. If I can figure this out, what a treat it will be. Thanks for any and all help.

Icer101 - I tried the recipe and I really thought it was it do to my memory of ingredients. I tried it but it never got hard. It was a soft icing. I was wondering if you ever tried it. I didn't know if I should have cooked it to hard ball stage instead of thread stage. Any thoughts.

Here's the Wilton recipe:
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
Cook to 240F (I did soft ball stage about 244F)
While this cooks, whip 4 egg whites and a pinch of cream of tartar to soft peaks. Pour the hot syrup slowly onto the egg whites.
Measure 1+1/2 cups powdered sugar and sift that into the meringue. Beat 4 minutes at high speed.
Add 1 teaspoon vanilla or flavour of choice.

This took about a day to harden up. It made nice shell borders as well as spreading well onto the cake.