Take a Megabite

Chocolate Marshmallows

The only time I look tan is when I get cocoa powder all over my arms. I looked pretty tan this morning, just saying.

I made marshmallows before. Those guys were lighter and fluffier and more delicate, due to the egg whites involved. These ones super rich and chocolaty. They are sturdier and would probably stay on a skewer if you wanted to serve them that way. I think it’d look cute, for real.

My mom and I had to take turns holding the candy thermometer in the syrup. You see, the pot I used was just too wide for the shallow syrup initially, and so the end wasn’t submerged when clipped to the side. Ridiculous, right? I didn’t really mind though.

The marshmallow wanted to live in the mixing bowl permanently. We had to inform it that it was just there for a visit when we poured it into the square dish. We got most of it in there too! We opted to stop after awhile though to avoid being stuck in a tangled marshmallow mess.

These are some dreamy marshmallows. The Dutch cocoa makes these guys so rich and tasty. And they are chocolatey without being too sweet. They are even good in coffee!

Chocolate Marshmallows
Recipe from Saveur

Ingredients:

• 3 T, unflavored gelatin (or 4 (1 oz. packets)
• 1 cup water, separated
• canola oil or cooking spray
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 honey
• 3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted and divided
• 2 T cornstarch

equipment needed -

• candy thermometer

1. In a medium bowl, sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup of cold water, and set aside to soften. Grease an 8 by 8 inch baking pan line the bottom and sides with parchment paper, and grease paper. Grease a rubber spatula and set aside.
2. Combine sugar, corn syrup, honey and 1/2 cup water in a 2 quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer; cook, without stirring, until syrup reaches 250º on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat; let cool to 220ºF.
3. Meanwhile, bring 1/2 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Place bowl of gelatin over boiling water (double boiler style like the red bowl + pot in picture above); whisk until gelatin becomes liquid. Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk (or using an electric mixer); add 1/2 cup cocoa powder. Add cooled sugar syrup to gelatin; whisk on high speed until mixture lightens in color and thickens, 5-6 minutes. Pour mixture (it’s kindof a battle more than a pour) into prepared pan; smooth top with oiled spatula; cover and cool at room temperature until set, 5-6 hours.
4. Combine remaining 1/4 cup cocoa powder and cornstarch in a bowl. Dust a cutting board with mixture and sprinkle the top of the marshmallows with mixture, rubbing in if you need to. Slide a knife around the edge of the pan to release the marshmallows; remove from pan. Using a large sharp knife dusted with cocoa mixture, cut marshmallows into squares. Toss marshmallows with remaining cocoa mixture and store at room temperature.

That’s my mom’s speedy cutting. That’s Elliot’s ear over on the left,
and I was the one tossing them in the cocoa mixture.

Marshmallows

I can’t wait to meet more flavors of marshmallows. If they are all as nice as these, then I’m going to consider marrying into the family.

Check it out: boiling sugar-ness and patient slipper feet. …and my open cupboard because I always leave them open. Perfect for tripping and exclamations.

I’m going to be honest and say that these didn’t really take that long. They were surprisingly painless despite my months of putting them off. They are a nice light dessert that I’d like to keep around forever.

Powdered sugar sprinkling is one of my skills. It’s on my resumé.

I’d like to take a nap on that marshmallow down there. I’d like to do that right now.

Marshmallows
Recipe from Gourmet via Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:

• About 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 3 1/2 envelopes (2 T plus 2 /2 t) unflavored gelatin
• 1 cup cold water, divided
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup corn syrup
• 1/4 t salt
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 T vanilla*

*Alternately  1/2 of a scraped vanilla bean, 2 t almond or mint extract + food coloring

Directions:

1. Oil the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 x 2 inch rectangle baking pan and dust the bottom and sides generously with confectioners’ sugar.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water and set aside to soften.
3. in a 3-quart or medium heavy saucepan cook granulated sugar, corn syrup, second 1/2 cup of cold water, and salt over a low heat, stirring with a wooden spooon, until sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to medium and boil mixture, without stirring, until a candy thermometer registers 240ºF, about 12 minutes. Remove pan from heat and pour sugar mixture over gelatin mixture, stirring until gelatin is dissolved.
4. With a standing or hand-held electric mixer beat mixture on high speed until white, thick and nearly tripled in volume, about 6 minutes using a stand mixer or about 10+ minutes using a hand-held mixer.
5. In a separate medium bowl with clean beaters beat egg whites until they just hold stiff peaks. Beat whites and vanilla (or your choice of flavoring and food coloring , if using) into sugar mixture and beat until just combined. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Sift 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar evenly over top. Chill marshmallows, uncovered, until firm, at least three hours and up to one day. (I might’ve chilled them covered. And they turned out fine.)
6. Run a thin knife around edges of pan and invert pan onto a large cutting board. Lifting up one corner of inverted pan, with fingers loosen marshmallow and ease onto cutting board. With a large knife cut marshmallows into squares. Roll through confectioners’ sugar and shake off excess before putting back in you now empty baking pan. Cover and store in an air-tight container at cool room temperature for up to 1 week.

Pile these guys on a little cake stand. Serve them up as dessert.
Daydream about s’mores and hot chocolate.

S’mores Icebox Candy Bars {No-Bake}

Ok. Arm yourself with a microwave and make these candy bars and pass them out to anyone and everyone that knows that s’mores are where it’s at. These will bring your kitchen and belly all kinds of no-bake love.

Repair guys don’t bother repairing things on weekends. What’s up with that? I’m crossing my fingers that today is the day that the repair guy will fix my oven, but until then, make these super simple and super good s’mores bars.

This is what was happening during the “let chocolate mixture cool for 5 minutes” part.

Smoosh! Smoosh that candy bar!

That’s just a pep talk for that spoon down there.

S’mores Icebox Candy Bars {No-Bake}
Recipe adapted from The Hummingbird Bakery cookbook + Joy the Baker

Ingredients:

• 1/2 of a 14 oz. box graham crackers, lightly crumbled
• 2 big handfuls mini marshmallows + a few for sprinkling on top
• 1 stick + 6 T unsalted butter
• heaping 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• heaping 1/3 cup light corn syrup
• teeny pinch of salt
• small handful of chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

1. Line an 8×8 inch square baking dish with parchment paper, set aside.
2. In a large bowl, crumble the graham crackers into large chunks. Add two handfuls of mini marshmallows and set aside.
3. In a small microwave-safe bowl melt the butter together with the cocoa power, corn syrup and salt in the microwave for about 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth. Once melted, let chocolate mixture cool for 5 minutes.
4. Pour chocolate mixture over graham crackers and marshmallows. Stir until all of the graham crackers are moistened by the chocolate mixture. Dump into lined baking dish, sprinkle with marshmallows and chocolate chips and press down with the back of a spoon. Cover the top with another sheet of parchment paper and press with your fingers. Allow to cool on the counter for 30 minutes, then place in the fridge to solidify for a few hours or overnight. Cut into bars. Wrap individually and store in the fridge.

Makes about 16 candy bars.

An oven-less s’mores miracle, up-close and personal.

S’mores Cupcakes

These cupcakes are a honey graham delight, topped with chocolate ganache and then twirly swirled with marshmallow frosting. They’re so downright fantastic they’re wrong.

But if these cupcakes are wrong, I don’t want to be right.

These cupcakes are a bit messy, but Jake says it’s how they are supposed to be since real s’mores are messy. And Jake knows a thing or two about snacks and s’mores.

The original recipes makes 24 regular cupcakes. I made a half recipe and it made 24 mini cupcakes and 6 regular cupcakes.

The halved recipe is below.

S’mores Cupcakes
Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

cupcakes -

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• scant 3/4 cup graham flour
• 1 t baking powder
• 3/4 t salt
• 3/4 t cinnamon
• 10 T (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 T honey
• 3 eggs
• 1 t pure vanilla extract

chocolate ganache -

• 3 ounces semisweet chocolate*, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/2 t light corn syrup

* I used milk chocolate, and it was very runny, so I’d recommend using the semisweet and allowing it to thicken and cool before topping the cupcakes. Maybe top with the marshmallow with a little milk chocolate wedge, if you’re feeling like getting hershey with it.

marshmallow frosting -

• 1 envelope unflavored gelatin (scant 1 tablespoon)
• 1/2 cup plus 1/4 cup cold water
• 1 cup sugar
• candy thermometer

Directions:

1. Make cupcakes. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line standard or mini muffin tins with paper liners (12 regular or 6 regular and 24 minis). Whisk together both flours, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
2. With an electric mixer on medium high speed, cream the butter, brown sugar and honey until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to medium; beat in eggs and vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined.
3. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake, rotating tins half way through, until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, about 25 minutes for regular cupcakes and about 11 minutes for minis. Transfer cupcakes to wire rack and cool completely. (If you want to wait until the following day to top the cupcakes simply store them in an airtight container until the next day.)
4. Make ganache. Place chocolate in a small heatproof bowl. Meanwhile bring cream and corn syrup to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium high heat; pour mixture over chocolate. Let stand until chocolate starts to melt. Gently stir the chocolate into the cream until smooth and no lumps remain. Allow to cool and thicken. Divid the ganache over the top of all the cupcakes. Allow to set.
5. Make marshmallow frosting. In a mixing bowl, sprinkle gelatin over 1/3 cup cold water. Allow gelatin to soften, about 5 minutes.
6. Heat remaining 1/4 cup of water and sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved and there’s no crunch when you press the spoon into the mixture. Stop stirring. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan and boil syrup until temperature reaches the soft-ball stage (238 degrees F). Remove from heat and add syrup to softened gelatin. Whisk mixture by hand to cool, about 1 minute. Then use an electric miser to whisk on medium-high speed until soft and glossy (but not dry) peaks form, 8-10 minutes. Use immediately. Marshmallow will harden.

P.S. Use your handy kitchen torch to toast the marshmallow frosting. I was pretty excited to do this part!

Honey Graham Pound Cakes with Chocolate Marshmallow Frosting

Last year my Thanksgiving contribution was to drive a smooshed pumpkin roll six hours to my sister’s house. Not this year though. Because this time tomorrow I’ll be in Minnesota hanging out with my parents. My mom and I will be going over the Thanksgiving dinner menu and Wednesday will consist of cooking and prepping.

I decided to channel my excitement for Thursday by making these delicious s’more’eque pound cakes.

S’mores are on my mind often as the ideal flavor combo for a dessert. I think about that magical menage a tois of graham crackers, chocolate and marshmallow. So here you go! A remix of that childhood favorite. Maybe coming up I’ll make a pie and then brownies expressing s’more love yet again.

Honey Graham Pound Cakes (makes 4 mini loaves)
Recipe adapted from Joy the Baker

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups graham flour
• 2 t baking powder
• 3/4 t salt
• 1 1/2 sticks (12 T) butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 t vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 4 mini loaf pans and line the bottom with parchment paper.
2. Whisk the graham flour, baking powder and salt together in a small bowl and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, whip the butter, sugar and honey at a medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add vanilla extract. Add eggs one at a time, beating for about one minute after each addition. Scrape the bowl as needed. Add the dry mixture and buttermilk in three additions, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Stop the mixer and scrape the bottom of the bowl with a spatula to make sure everything is evenly incorporated.
4. Transfer the batter to the 4 prepared mini loaf pans. Smooth the top and bake for 25-30 minutes turning half way through baking. Remove from the oven when a thin knife comes out clean when inserted in the center and cake is golden brown.
5. Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Now make the frosting!

Chocolate Marshmallow Frosting
Recipe adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 6 large marshmallows
• 4 T (1/2 stick) butter
• 1/3 cup milk

Directions:

1. Sift the sugar and cocoa powder together into a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
2. Place marshmallows, butter and milk in a medium saucepan over a low heat. Stir until the marshmallows are melted, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and pour over the sugar and cocoa powder mixture. Stir until smooth, satiny and combined.
3. Frost the tops of your mostly warm honey graham cakes!
4. Slice and eat, chasing with a cool glass of milk.