{ Homemade Marshmallows & Gift Ideas }

I thought you should all know there are 76 days til Christmas.

You're welcome.

I'll get back to that in a minute.

For now, we are going to talk about homemade marshmallows.

Last year when I made Pumpkin Marshmallows, the thing I was asked the most was this:

"You can make marshmallows???"

Yes. You can. Yes. You should.

They are lighter and fluffier than store bought and have a much better taste.

Much.

They are easy, but messy.

Let me say that again. Easy, but.... MESSY.

Worth it though!

Also, the cooking & fluffing part are DEFINITELY not for children. Be very, very careful, the mixture is extremely hot.

First we gotta make the mallows, then the fun stuff comes.

First, add 1/2 cup of the water and the 3 packages of gelatin to a mixing bowl and allow to 'bloom'.

Over medium high heat, add the remaining water, granulated sugar, corn syrup, and salt to a small pan. Cover and allow to cook for 3-4 minutes. After that time, remove lid, and clip a candy thermometer on the pan. Cook for about 8 minutes, until the thermometer reaches 'soft ball'. Stir occasionally so the mixture does not stick and burn.

Turn your mixer, with the water and gelatin,  on low, as it is going, SLOWLY and CAREFULLY add your hot liquid by pouring down the inside of the bowl. It is VERY hot, be careful. Gradually increase the speed to high, allowing it to cool a little as you go. Do not immediately switch to high, the hot liquid could splash out and burn you. Once on high, allow to whip for about 12-15 minutes. Add your vanilla during the last minute of your whipping.

It will be lukewarm, puffy, white, and sticky by now.

For square marshmallows: sift the confectioners sugar and cornstarch together into a bowl. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray, then dust with a little of the mixture you've just prepared. Set the rest aside. Pour your marshmallow mixture into the pan. I spray my hands with cooking spray to pat mine into the pan.

Let sit 4 hours or overnight.

Turn out onto workspace dusted with powdered sugar.

Using a pizza wheel that has been sprayed with cooking spray, cut the marshmallows into squares.

Then toss them in the cornstarch/powdered sugar mix, coating all sides.

For round/mini marshamallows: fit a medium to large sized round tip on a pastry bag. Add marshmallow mixture to bag and pipe lines onto parchment paper. Allow to sit 4 hours or overnight.

Using a pizza wheel that has been sprayed with cooking spray, cut the marshmallows into 1/2 inch strips.

Then toss them in the cornstarch/powdered sugar mix, coating all sides.

My personal opinion is that making the round marshmallows is soooo not worth it! Getting the goo into the piping bags was, uh... interesting to say the least.

Now, you can be done.... OR...

You can toast them

 These have such an interesting texture when toasted. They have a sugary crunch to them. I'm not gonna lie, it's AWESOME.

Now, you can be done ... OR...

You can make s'mores.

in case you are wondering, his shirt says 'Bacon Makes it Better'

Oh so gooey!

NOW, you can be done... orrrrrrrr

You can dip them in chocolate, and honestly, why wouldn't you?

Of course you might choose to stop here, but... back to the beginning of the post and my obscene reference to the short amount of days until Christmas.

You could make amazing Christmas presents with these! Imagine this all packaged up together in a cute basket.

Spoons dipped in chocolate for stirring, so easy, so much fun! A few chocolate dipped mallows along with a bunch of plain ones, and homemade cocoa! It's a Cuppa Good Cheer!

For a great homemade cocoa recipe, try Brown Eyed Bakers!

Ready or not, here comes Christmas, and this is an easy and inexpensive gift!

If you don't have the time to make homemade marshmallows, you can still dip up some store bought, and pair with either homemade cocoa, or a box of cocoa mix, and some dipped spoons. Still an amazing 'semi homemade' gift! Great for teachers, co-workers, and friends alike!

Tina

*

Homemade Marshmallows 

recipe by Alton Brown

3 packages unflavored gelatin
1 cup ice cold water, divided
1 1/2 cups ounces granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch

First, add 1/2 cup of the water and the 3 packages of gelatin to a mixing bowl and allow to 'bloom'.

Over medium high heat, add the remaining water, granulated sugar, corn syrup, and salt to a small pan. Cover and allow to cook for 3-4 minutes. After that time, remove lid, and clip a candy thermometer on the pan. Cook for about 8 minutes, until the thermometer reaches 'soft ball'. Stir occasionally so the mixture does not stick and burn.

Turn your mixer, with the water and gelatin,  on low, as it is going, SLOWLY and CAREFULLY add your hot liquid by pouring down the inside of the bowl. It is VERY hot, be careful. Gradually increase the speed to high, allowing it to cool a little as you go. Do not immediately switch to high, the hot liquid could splash out and burn you. Once on high, allow to whip for about 12-15 minutes. Add your vanilla during the last minute of your whipping.

It will be lukewarm, puffy, white, and sticky by now.

For square marshmallows: sift the confectioners sugar and cornstarch together into a bowl. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray, then dust with a little of the mixture you've just prepared. Set the rest aside. Pour your marshmallow mixture into the pan. I spray my hands with cooking spray to pat mine into the pan.

Let sit 4 hours or overnight.

Turn out onto workspace dusted with powdered sugar.


Using a pizza wheel that has been sprayed with cooking spray, cut the marshmallows into squares.

Then toss them in the cornstarch/powdered sugar mix, coating all sides.

For round/mini marshamallows: fit a medium to large sized round tip on a pastry bag. Add marshmallow mixture to bag and pipe lines onto parchment paper. Allow to sit 4 hours or overnight.

Using a pizza wheel that has been sprayed with cooking spray, cut the marshmallows into 1/2 inch strips.

Then toss them in the cornstarch/powdered sugar mix, coating all sides.

{ S'more Cupcakes }

Newsflash:

It's fall. 

Fall around here includes a whole lotta bonfires and weenie roasts.

You know what goes hand in hand with weenie roasts?

S'mores. Of course.

Fall is my favorite season. It's sadly short, but for a while we are treated to firey bright trees in shades of yellow, orange, red, and brown against a backdrop of a bright blue sky dotted with puffy white clouds. I know Ohio isn't the atypical amazing fall color state. Those are the New England states. However, if it's been a reasonably wet summer, come fall we are treated to gorgeousness.

And the sunsets... well, the sunsets are just amazing.

I love the pumpkin picking

And the carving.

Please note this is the Bean's prize winner from our Youth Group carving contest.

It's a little concerning, no?

And Thanksgiving. Man oh man, I love Thanksgiving.

Last year's Thanksgiving table. Decorated and sat by the Bean.

Basically, you see, I do love this little thing called Fall & all that comes with it.

Including, of course, S'mores!

S'more cupcakes are kinda like a portable s'more, you see.

Chocolate cake, drizzled with a chocolate glaze, topped with a marshmallow buttercream, and sprinkled with graham cracker crumbs and Hershey Bar bits.

Interested?

Let's do this thing!

Start with some chocolate cuppies. You can use a box, or this is a great recipe!

S'mores Cupcakes

Cupcakes:

24 Chocolate Cupcakes, baked and cooled

2 Graham Crackers

2 Tablespoons Sugar

1-2 Hershey bars

Chocolate Glaze:

4 Tablespoons of Butter

3 Tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa

1/2 Cup Confectioners Sugar

1 teaspoon Vanilla

2-3 Tablespoons HOT water

Marshmallow Buttercream*:

 2 Sticks (1 cup) of Butter (softened)

2 Cups Powdered Sugar

2-3 Tablespoons Heavy Cream or Milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1- 7 oz container of Marshmallow Fluff

 1/4 teaspoon of salt

First, lets cut up some Hershey Bars

Ideally, you'll have 2 bars of Hershey & be able to sprinkle a bit more on the top than I did.

SOMEONE, must have been a sneaker and eaten my other. SOMEONE who is nearly 6 foot tall, 

red-headed, and nicknamed Bean....

Chop the Hershey Bars up into little squares & sit aside.

Add 2 graham crackers and 2 Tablespoons of sugar in a zippered baggie.

Then crush, making sure not all is powder fine. You'll want larger pieces as well.

Sit this aside too.

Now, make your chocolate glaze.

Melt the butter in the microwave, then add the 3 Tablespoons of cocoa. Mix well, add in your 1/2 cup of Powdered Sugar & 2 Tablespoons of Hot Water & 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Whisk until glossy. If too thick, add the 3rd Tablespoon of Hot Water.

Drizzle over cupcakes. You can also dip your cupcake into the glaze, twisting a little as your take it out to get rid of excess chocolate.

Please ignore the fact that I'm glazing the very edge of the cupcake. It's hard to drizzle  

and take photos at the same time.

Let the glaze set up while you make your Marshmallow Buttercream.

In a mixer, add the 2 Sticks of Butter. Beat for about a minute. Then add the 2 cups of powdered sugar in a little at a time. Next, beat in your Vanilla & Marshmallow Cream. Now add your milk/heavy cream 1 Tablespoon at a time. If thin enough, stop there. If not, add more.

This is not a firm buttercream, keep that in mind. It's a softset & kind of a little sticky.

Top each cupcake with a nice sided dollop of the frosting. You don't need to cover the whole cupcake. 

After that, sprinkle with the graham cracker mix & add on a few piece of Hershey Bar for each.

Donzo!

A tasty alternative to real s'mores, no bonfire necessary.

Happy Fall, y'all!

Tina

*My Marshmallow Buttercream is adapted from this Vanilla Buttercream Recipe

{ Chocolate Chip Cookie S'mores }

Shut yer mouth!

Yeah, I'm serious!

We've been doing this for years, and there are mostly likely some of you out there that have as well, but for others, you may have never really thought of it, so...

I'm posting this.

First of all though, lemme tell you about our firepit.

(Firefox doesn't like that word. Is it firepit? or fire pit?. Oh grammar, you are so full of riddles.)

Late last Spring, we threw together a firepit with scrap lumber, cinder blocks, and a very sad old picnic table for the Bean's 14th birthday party.

We used it so much, that the Hubs decided to fix it up this year. He's still going to add lighting, but I'm going to show you the after.

Our house sits on a hill, we have a small backyard, and then a huge expanse (about an acre) down the hill about 40 feet. Hubs built retaining walls and a staircase down to that part of the yard. It's cool. I have no photos taken, and it's dark now, so... you'll have to, as John Lennon said, imagine.

We call it the 'back back yard' or 'down in the dip' (which is not exactly a romantic name for it, and it makes me sad, because it's very pretty and park like, however... habits are habits are habits).

Long story short, or long story long, in this case, that is where the firepit is.
I love it down there because there's no smoke billowing into the house, like with the one we had prior to this one. It was right outside the backdoor.

Smokey. Robinson. Yes it was.

Here is the result of his handiwork this year

 Huge improvement!

(Please ignore the tree across the creek that washed up with the flooding rains last year. Um...yeah.)

So, tonight was our initiation of the new firepit area. 

I love my big tables for sitting out all the food. It will be great for parties!

We have a house cat who likes to come outside when he can. The Bean brought him down tonight. 

Meet Fairley Bueller. Yes, for real.

He was not a huge fan of the smoke.

AT ALL.

He soon wandered off to a less eye watering area.

Oh, yeah, I'm getting to the s'mores.

In this post, you'll read about how the Bean is a big fan of the Reese's S'more, and you can see in the photo above, he again chose the peanut butter goodness.

 

For the Chocolate Chip Cookie S'mores here, we start out with baking up the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Evah.  (I made mine last night.) Then toast up your marshmallows and top...

with the traditional chocolate...

or, like the Bean, with Reeese's Cups, plop on the mallow, and cover with a second cookie and...

 you'll get a big ole bite of delight!

Chewy, gooey, melty goodness.

It's so worth the sticky fingers.

By the way, I would just like to thank the Bean for being such a lovely hand model. 

He has real talent, no?

I think so too.

In case you were wondering, we found the cat. Finally.

Tina


Shared at:
Oopsey Daisy
Michelle's Tasty Creations
Six Sisters' Stuff
Kitchen Fun with My Three Sons

{ Can You Handle S’more? }

So, my last post was about S'mores. If you scroll down, you can see it.

If your finger is out of shape and just can’t handle the scroll, I’ve linked it here, as well.

You are welcome.

When left alone, with graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows, my mind started to wander.

Or wonder, depending on how I look at it.

I needed a snack to take to church (to a group of chocolate hungry teenagers, no less), and I had little time to prepare.

Always a good thing to shove at teens?

Brownies.

It’s just a fact of life.

Good news? Brownies are fast. Gotta love something you can plop into a pan and not worry about.

I’ve made my brownies with fudge glaze for them before. So, I wanted to do something different.

This is back to where my mind started to wander (and wonder).

S’more Brownies!

I’m sure I’m not the only person to think of it. Most likely far from it… but, I’m posting this anyway.

Because I can. :D

Needed:

1 box or recipe for a 13x9 pan of brownies

3 (or more) full sized Hershey Bars, broken into small pieces

6 graham crackers, broken into small pieces

2 cups (or more) mini marshmallows

If you remember from my last post, I had those new square mallows. I didn’t have minis. I used them anyway. 

Minis would cooperate better.

And spread more marshmallowy love.

Break up the crackers, and the Hershey bars. Throw into a bowl with the marshmallows and toss to mix well.

Bake brownies according to directions, but with about 5-8 minutes remaining, remove from oven, cover with this topping, then finish baking.

This will allow enough time for the chocolate to melt, and the mallows to brown without over baking.

Allow to cool, cut, and if you are serving teenagers… STAND BACK.

I wouldn’t want you to lose an appendage. 

ooey, gooey, messy goodness.

If you want to take it a step further (toward sugar comas), you can make this fudge glaze I mentioned earlier, and drizzle on top when fully baked.

(The recipe is near the end of that post)

I decided to do just that after I took the photos. 

As far as I know, no sugar comas were induced.

Printable Recipe

Tina

{ For the S’more Connoisseur }

It’s summer here in Ohio, officially. 

Not according to the calendar, but according the the thermometer on my kitchen windowsill that read 95.4 today.

Summer, hello.

The Bean is a s’more connoisseur. He loves s’mores like a fish loves water.

Maybe more.

I know, what you are thinking: “A post about s’mores? I can handle that on my own. Graham crackers, chocolate, marshmallows.  Yeah, thanks so much, Tina.”

But hold the phone. I have tricks. I have tips. I have suggestions!

Well, I have at least one of those things.

The graham crackers we love to use are store brand, Kroger. They are already in squares instead of rectangles. This makes life easier.

Kudos to Kroger!

And the Bean enjoys a plain, old fashioned, Hershey s’more of course, but he prefers…

 A good Godiva s’more.

His ultimate favorite though…..

That’s right… a Reese’s s’more.

mmmmmm…..Peanut Buttery……….

New out in our stores are these

Super soft, square, and flat.

Not good for campfires, darn things won't fit on my stick!  

Great for microwaved s’mores, or, as the back of the package suggests, grilled s’mores. 

I’m not sure about that, but hey, Kraft knows.

Things I want to try before summer ends?

Hershey’s with Almonds, Heath Bar, and Snicker S’mores.

I figure the Heath bars will stick to my teeth, but hey, the marshmallows stick to my fingers. 

Might as well be equal opportunity.

Or… ooh!! Hey.. A Caramello s’more.

The mind. It boggles.

So, do you all have any great s’more ideas? Tell me about them, I *need* to know!

~Tina