When I think of chocolate and marshmallow together I think of s'mores - that decadent summer (or anytime really) treat with chocolate, marshmallow, and graham crackers that is best made over a campfire in the woods right before tucking into the tent for a nice cozy night after a long day of fishing and/or hiking.
Right.
Who I am kidding? I am not the type to camp. I did it when I was a kid, but I find waking up in a tent a bit clauterphobic, and I know for a fact that many of you out there feel exactly the same way. Sometime ago in my early teens (or younger) I realized that I could take a marshmallow, put it on the end of a fork, and warm it up over the flames of our gas stove. Done - life became instantly better. Of course there was a lot of explaining to do when the sugary mess fell into the burner, but that is a different story for a different time.
My sister thought about making marshmallows years ago - YEARS before the whole gourmet marshmallow craze at organic and high end markets commenced. She was way ahead of the curve, and still makes flavors that surpass those found in your favorite high end stores.
We found this recipe from Maida Heatter, who is one of the best bakers of all times. I decided to take it a step further and cover the little delights in dark chocolate. The combination made for a great treat and the dark chocolate evened out the sweetness of the marshmallow. While I made plain marshmallows, you could add a hint of peppermint extract to the batch (or any other combination that sounds good to you...) to mix things up.
So much better than camping!
I N G R E D I E N T S
Vegetable shortening (Crisco recommended) for preparing the pan
1 cup cold water
3 tablespoons (3 envelopes) unflavored gelatin
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cornstarch (for coating the marshmallows)
12 oz dark (60%) high quality chocolate for tempering
Chocolate Covered Marshmallows (Marshmallow Recipe from Maida Heatter)
1. Prepare a 9 x 13 x 2 inch pan as follows. Invert the pan. Cut a piece of aluminum foil long enough to cover the bottom and sides of the pan. Place the foil over the inverted pan and fold down the sides and corners just to shape. Remove the foil and turn the pan right side up. Place the foil in the pan and press it gently into place. With a pastry brush or crumpled wax paper coat the foil thoroughly but lightly with vegetable shortening. Set aside.
2. Place 1/2 cup cold water in the large bowl of an electric mixer, Sprinkle the gelatin over the surface of the water and set aside.
3. Place the sugar, corn syrup, salt, and the other 1/2 cup water in a heavy 1-1/2 quart or 2 quart saucepan over moderately low heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture comes to a boil. Ideally, you should let the syrup boil without stirring until the temperature reaches 240 degrees. I tend to watch for a boil, and decide that it is good to go - however, most people are not as relaxed as I am about their baking/cooking so feel free to follow the instructions properly. All things aside it is important that you do not overcook the sugar syrup. Once the boil occurs, remove from the heat.
4. Beating constantly at medium speed, slowly pour the syrup into the gelatin mixture - it is hot so do not try to touch it etc. That would be really dumb! After all the syrup has been added, increase the speed to high and beat for 20 minutes until the mixture white and the consistency of marshmallow fluff, adding the vanilla a few minutes before the end of the beating. (During the beating, occasionally scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula. The marshmallow will thicken and get sticky and messy- it is marshmallow after all...) This is a good time to taste the mixture - or spread it on some bread with peanut butter etc...
5. Pour marshmallow mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top of the marshmallow with the spatula or your fingers or whatever you find works best.
6. Let stand uncovered at room temperature for about 12 hours.
7. Turn the pan upside down and cut the marshmallow into pieces (I like 2 inches by 2 inches) that suit you. Gently dust or roll each piece in cornstarch. This will ensure that the pieces are less sticky.
Set the pieces aside in a large bowl or plate.
Place about 8 oz of the chocolate (chopped) in a double boiler over medium heat. Be careful to not allow any water in the chocolate - this will affect the tempering process. Use a rubber spatula and slowly stir the chocolate as it melts. You want the chocolate to reach a temperate of about 112F. Once it gets to this temperature, remove it from the heat, and add the remaining chocolate that you have set aside (a few pieces at a time) stirring constantly. This process is a pain, but it will produce the shiny coat on the finished product that will make your guests look at you in awe.
Continue to stir and add in chocolate until the temperature comes down to about 86F. Remove the remaining unmelted chocolate and set it aside. Place the marshmallow on the end of a skewer and dip into the chocolate. Ensure that it is evenly covered and allow the excess to drip off. Place the covered marshmallows on a piece of wax paper. You will need to work quickly so that the temperature of the chocolate does not drop. If it does, warm it up.
Once finished, place the marshmallows (on the wax paper) on a plate or cookie sheet, and allow them to cook in the fridge for about 30 minutes, or until you see a nice sheen on the outside.
Remove from the fridge about 30 minutes before serving. These will last for about 3-4 days (or a few longer if kept in the fridge.
Enjoy!
