Have you made homemade marshmallows before? I assumed it would be really hard to make them from scratch. But, thanks to Ina Garten I now know how easy they are to make. This Hot Chocolate and Homemade Marshmallows is probably the coziest drink recipe on my blog.
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Recipe Notes for Homemade Marshmallows
Store-Bought vs. Homemade
There’s really nothing wrong with store-bough marshmallows. I’ve been buying them for years. But, now that I’ve tasted the difference between store bought and homemade marshmallows, I don’t think I’ll ever buy store-bought again. They taste so much better than I could have imagined. They’re more fluffy, pillowy and incredibly fresh.
How To Make Marshmallows
1. GET A CANDY THERMOMETER
Make sure you have a candy thermometer that can attach to the side of a pot without touching the bottom. I bought this one from Bed Bath & Beyond.
2. USE A STAND MIXER
I recommend using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. It can take a good 15 minutes of mixing to get the sugar syrup and gelatin to the right thickness. Let the machine do the work for you.
3. USE EGG WHITES
I included two egg whites in the recipe. Ina doesn’t use them, but for me, the egg whites ensure that the marshmallows will be fluffy.
4. PLAN AHEAD
The marshmallows will need to sit at room temperature overnight so they can dry out prior to being cut into squares. If you have 30 minutes to prep and the time to let them rest overnight, you’ll be all set.
Adding the marshmallows to the hot chocolate was not only tasty, but beautiful. As they melt into the warm drink, it creates a delicate swirl of chocolate and vanilla that is oh-so-tempting…
Mexican Hot Chocolate
I made a Mexican-style hot chocolate which includes spice from chili powder and cayenne. I love the extra kick, but you can make yours however you’d like. You can even add a splash of Baileys for some extra fun.
Pre-Made Hot Chocolate Mix
And, if you really want to simplify the hot chocolate prep, this pre-made hot chocolate mix is one of my absolute favorites. Just add the milk of your choice.
Hot Chocolate with Homemade Marshmallows Recipe
Ingredients
For the marshmallows:
- 3.5 envelopes of unflavored gelatin
- 1 cup cold water, divided into 1/2 cups
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 egg whites
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
For the hot chocolate:
- 1 cup almond milk
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons cacao powder
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 3 teaspoons maple syrup (honey works too)
- 1 tablespoon cooking coconut oil
- Sea salt & ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
For the marshmallows:
- Combine gelatin and 1/2 cup of cold water in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Set aside.
- Combine the sugar, corn syrup, salt and 1/2 cup water in a small pot and cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and a candy thermometer reaches 240 degrees F. Remove from heat.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the hot sugar syrup into the dissolved gelatin.
- Add the egg whites and the vanilla.
- Switch the mixer to high speed and whip until the mixture is very thick. This may take about 12-15 minutes.
- Dust a 9x13 baking dish with confectioners' sugar and pour the marshmallow mixture into the pan.
- Smooth the top with a spatula and dust additional confectioners' sugar on the top.
- Allow the mixture to sit in the pan overnight, uncovered, so it dries out.
- Using a knife, slowly cut along the edge of the marshmallow mix to detach it from the pan.
- Use a spatula to carefully loosen the mix from the bottom of the pan until you can flip the pan over and the marshmallow mix falls out.
- Cut the marshmallows into squares and dust with a final sprinkle of confectioners' sugar.
- Serve with hot chocolate or store in an air tight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
For the hot chocolate:
- In a small pot, over medium heat, warm the almond milk.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and whisk until well mixed together.
- Serve hot with homemade marshmallows.
Notes
Add a little water, if the hot chocolate is too thick.
All images ©Regan Baroni 2017.
If I left these out overnight uncovered I’d have paw prints in the confectioner’s sugar in the morning ; ) Glad Ollie is better behaved than Cheddar!
You know, I didn’t even think about Ollie getting his paws into them! Luckily, he didn’t… 😉
The hot chocolate will definitely be tried soon, although it is still warm here in West Texas. Never used maple syrup in hot chocolate before, nor chili powder for that matter.
The marshmallows are definitely out of my comfort zone. I never even considered making them. I suppose that’s half the fun though.
I was surprised how easy it was to make marshmallows… I had never thought to make my own either. It was a lot of fun, though and they taste so much better than store-bought. The hot chocolate is a Mexican style, so it has some spice to it – I’d love to hear what you think when it cools down in Texas.
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