Tis the season for holiday outings that leave you wondering how you will ever overcome all the cold weather during the post-merriment months. If you aren’t from a snow-covered part of the world, bets are that the weather is still cold and possibly even a little bit rainy. And, for the few of you that live in a part of the world that is sunshine all the time… don’t rub it in anyone’s face, it is already a bitter pill to swallow.
No matter where you enjoy the holiday season, one thing is for sure, sweet treats are abundantly wrapped, joyfully given, and consumed with only a little bit of guilt. You know what we are talking about- cookies, cakes, and chocolate. It’s no wonder that the gyms are filled with new resolutions during the first week of January. While ice cream may not be at the top of anyone’s “Winter Treat List” there are many holiday snacks that make excellent ice cream toppings. Be a daredevil and top your bowl with bits of Grandma’s excellent cookies- even she can’t be mad once she tastes the results. Stir in extra chocolates or little bits of peppermint to create an excellent do-it-yourself flavor.
Among the many proud and reliable stocking stuffer treats are a few favorable items that seem to sneak into the toe of Santa’s gift every year. Gold coins, candy canes, and hot chocolate packages with marshmallows. Who doesn’t love a warm mug of chocolate with a mountain of melted marshmallows on top? There is no foul if you bypass your mug and dump your marshmallows directly over your ice cream bowl, but for those of us who want our cake (or in this instance, our hot chocolate) and to eat it too, making a set of extra marshmallows is not a bad idea. Yes, it can be a sticky mess, but homemade marshmallows are definitely worth the little bit of something extra they add to your ice cream bowl. (Plus they make excellent gifts!)
Homemade Marshmallows
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen Blog
What You’ll Need:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
3 ½ envelopes of unflavored gelatin
1 cup cold water
2 cups cane sugar
½ cup light corn syrup
¼ teaspoon salt
2 large egg whites
1 tablespoon vanilla
Directions
Oil the bottom and sides of a 13×9 rectangular metal baking pan. Dust with confectioners’ sugar.
With a standing electric mixer, sprinkle gelatin over ½ cup of the cold water and let it stand to soften.
In a medium saucepan, cook sugar, corn syrup, the rest of the cold water, and salt over low heat. Stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar is dissolved.
Increase the heat to medium and let it boil, without stirring, until a candy thermometer registers at 240 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cook for 12 minutes. Remove pan from heat and pour sugar mixture over gelatin mixture. Stir until gelatin is dissolved.
Beat on high until marshmallows are white, thick, and have tripled in size. (About 6 minutes)
In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until they hold stiff peaks. Beat whites and vanilla into your marshmallows until just combined.
Pour mixture into baking pan.
Sift ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar evenly over top. Chill marshmallows uncovered for at least three hours.
Run a knife around the edges of the pan and invert marshmallows onto cutting board. Cut into roughly one-inch cubes.
Sift remaining confectioners’ sugar into pan and roll the marshmallows on all six sides.
Keep in airtight container at cool room temperature for up to a week.
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