Eat up: s’more marshmallows, please

Eat up: s’more marshmallows, please

We LOVE s’mores around here. Like, seriously we eat s’mores several times a week, no matter what the weather, heating up the marshmallows over the burner on our gas grill… or even our gas stove. Because we will do whatever it takes to get our hands on that ooey, gooey, marshmallowey, chocolatey, grahamy deliciousness. (Hence needing an exercise room!) Yesterday was National S’mores Day. Who knew that was a thing?! Well, obviously, we couldn’t let the day go by without doing a little celebrating!

What is your favorite part of a s’more? Andy loves the chocolate, but for me, it’s the marshmallow. I really just love marshmallows, all the time, in all their forms, and I also really love making marshmallows at home. They’re so easy! The first time I made my own marshmallows, I was stunned by how easy they were… so the next day I made more. And I am by no means a chef (Andy reminded me yesterday that the last time I made a cake — using a boxed cake mix!! — it exploded in the oven. Seriously.) Now I’ve made marshmallows a bunch of times and have my recipe nailed down. I’ve been wanting to share my marshmallow recipe for a while, and National S’mores Day seemed like the perfect opportunity. But an important day like this deserves something a little special, a little more elevated and sophisticated, right? A day like this deserves a s’more marshmallow. Say what? More than just a plain marshmallow, more than a s’more, it’s a s’more-flavored marshmallow — a marshmallow rolled in crushed graham crackers and dipped in melted chocolate. Mind. Blown.

Essentially, you make marshmallows by adding a bunch of hot, melted sugar and corn syrup into a bit of gelatin, let your stand mixer do all the work, pour it in a pan, get your hands good and dirty, and let it sit for a few hours. Then for this recipe you’ll just need to add a step of crushing some graham crackers and melting some chocolate. Easy peasy! In addition to the food ingredients, you’ll need a stand mixer with a whisk attachment (I’m not sure a hand mixer would have enough power or your arm would be able to stand it long enough), a food processor (or you could crush the graham crackers with a rolling pin), an 8×8 baking pan, a candy thermometer that attaches to the side of a pot, a pot, a rubber spatula, a pastry brush, wax paper, a microwavable bowl, and a pizza cutter or knife.

Eat up: s’more marshmallows, please

Ingredients

• 3 packages of unflavored gelatin (1/4 ounce each)
• 1 cup of water
• 1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar
• 1 cup of light corn syrup
• about 1/3 cup of powdered sugar
• about 1/2 cup of microwavable milk chocolate candy wafers (like these)
• 8-10 graham crackers
• non-stick cooking spray

Instructions

1. Begin by pouring the 3 packets of gelatin into the base of your stand mixer, followed by 1/2 cup of cold water, in that order. Don’t stir it. You’ll see it start to bubble. Just let it sit while you start the sugar mixture, at least 10 minutes.
2. In a pot add the remaining 1/2 cup of water, the granulated sugar and the corn syrup. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pot, and bring it to a full boil over medium-high heat until you reach 240-250º F. While it’s boiling, occasionally dip a pastry brush into water and wipe down the sides of the pot. You don’t want any of the sugar to bounce up and crystalize on the side, which could ruin everything.
3. When your thermometer reaches at least 240º, turn your stand mixer on low and very carefully and very slowly pour your sugar mixture into the bowl with the gelatin. Once you’ve poured it all in, put a dishtowel over your mixer to prevent that hot sugar from splashing out, and turn your mixer all the way to high for about 15 minutes.
4. While that’s going, spray an 8×8 pan with non-stick cooking spray, making sure to get it all over, including the sides. Then break up your graham crackers into a food processor and grind them until you have a powder. There may be some chunks and that’s ok. Press the graham cracker powder onto the bottom of your 8×8 pan, sort of like a pie crust.
5. After 15 minutes of mixing, your sugar/gelatin mixture will have turned bright white and fluffy. It’s also ridiculously sticky.
6. Pour that into your pan on top of the graham cracker powder. I like to start with a rubber spatula dipped in water, and then I end up using my hands. If you dip your hands in water the marshmallow won’t stick to them (as much). Work quickly. You won’t be able to get everything out of the mixing bowl, but get as much as you can. Spread the mixture evenly in the pan. Your wet hands will allow you to smooth the top. Sprinkle powdered sugar over the top of the marshmallow, cover the pan and let it sit on the counter for a minimum of 4 hours, but best overnight.
7. After they’ve had a chance to sit, use a knife dipped in water to go around the edge of your pan loosening the marshmallows, then flip them over onto wax paper. Use a pizza cutter sprayed with cooking spray to cut them into squares.
8. The sides will still be very sticky, so roll each square in your leftover graham cracker powder.
9. Melt your chocolate wafers in a microwave-safe bowl, according to the directions. Dip each marshmallow in the melted chocolate and put them on wax paper to cool for about 30 minutes. If you have any leftover chocolate, dip other things in it! We put some plain graham crackers and some rice krispies. Strawberries would be amazing. The possibilities are endless!
10. As soon as the chocolate cools, it will create a little shell, and you’re ready to eat up!

http://www.burritosandbubbly.com/2014/08/eat-up-smore-marshmallows-please/

These marshmallows are pretty darn amazing if I do say so myself. I’m pretty sure they’ll have you also saying… “s’more marshmallows, please!” Let us know what you think! Happy S’mores Day!

— Kerry