Chocolate Marshmallows

It is the holiday season! It is my favorite time of the year. I love the festive atmosphere, and of course the gifts! For me and many, this is also the cookie season. Homemade gifts are the best, especially edible ones. 😉

In previous years, I only baked cookies. This year, I am making chocolate marshmallows and orange marshmallows as well. Why marshmallows? We have friends who are allergic to gluten and dairy. Most cookies definitely won’t be good for them. Marshmallows are soft and fluffy. Everyone loves them! With a little cocoa powder, they taste like “a cup of hot chocolate” in Bryan’s words. Rich and chocolatey! They are not as sweet as regular marshmallows because of the slightly bitter cocoa powder, which are great for adults. Chocolate lovers would really enjoy these gifts! Hopefully I will be able to control myself and not finish the whole box before sending them out.

For the orange marshmallows recipe, I will be posting it on Sunday. Stay tune!

Chocolate Marshmallows

About 90 (1-inch) marshmallows

Ingredients:

–  ½ cup boiling water

–  3½ tablespoons cocoa powder, plus ½ cup (for dusting)

–  ½ cup powdered sugar (for dusting)

–  3 (0.25-ounce) packages unflavored gelatin

–  12 ounce sugar

–  1 cup light corn syrup

–  ½ cup water

–  ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

–  ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

–  nonstick cooking spray

Directions:

1. 2 hours before, in a small bowl, combine the boiling water and 3½ tablespoons cocoa powder. Stir and mix well. Place in the fridge until cold.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together ½ cup cocoa powder and ½ cup powdered sugar. Try to get rid of most of the big lumps.
3. Prepare a 9 x 13-inch baking pan, lightly grease with nonstick cooking spray. Use a paper towel to remove extra oil. Dust the pan with the cocoa and powdered sugar mixture very generously to cover. Set aside.
4. In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, pour in the cold chocolate liquid. Sprinkle the gelatin over. Mix everything slightly with a fork. Set aside and let the gelatin bloom.
5. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, ½ cup water, and salt. Cook over medium-high heat with lid on for 3 minutes. Remove the lid. Attach a candy thermometer onto the side of the pan. Turn the heat to medium and continue to cook until the sugar mixture has reached 240˚F, about 7 – 8 minutes. Remove from heat immediately.
6. Mix the gelatin mixture quickly. With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the sugar mixture down the side of the bowl into the gelatin mixture. Once all sugar mixture has been added, increase the mixer to high speed. Whip until the mixture turns very thick and is lukewarm, about 12 – 15 minutes. Add the vanilla extract at the last minute of whipping.
7. When the marshmallow mixture is ready, quickly transfer to the prepared pan with a spatula. Spread the mixture evenly. Dust with more cocoa and powdered sugar to cover. Save the rest of the cocoa and powdered sugar.
8. Let the marshmallows to rest at room temperature uncover for at least 6 hours, best for overnight.
9. Prepare a cutting board lightly cover with cocoa and powdered sugar. Run a thin knife around the edges between the marshmallow and the pan. Turn the marshmallows out onto the cutting board. Lightly grease a large sharp knife with nonstick cooking spray. Wipe off extra oil. Cover the knife with the cocoa and powdered sugar. Cut down firmly into the marshmallow and make ¾-inch squares or desired shapes. Cover all sides of the marshmallow squares with more cocoa and powdered sugar until not sticky.
10. For storage, keep the marshmallows in an airtight container for up to 1 week (maybe even longer).

Tips:

1. I used Dutch process cocoa powder.
2. Be very generous with the cocoa and powdered sugar. It is better to have more than less. It was painful to see the marshmallows being stuck to the pan.
3. Boiling sugar syrup is very very hot. Be extra careful!
4. If you are letting the marshmallow to rest overnight. You can cover the marshmallow pan with a piece of aluminum foil after 4 hours of cooling.

(Adapted from Alton Brown via Foodnetwork.com)