As if Marshmallows couldn’t get any better… A home made marshmallow is a thing of beauty. Spongy sweet perfection just waiting to be roasted, dunked, melted in cereal treats or devoured between two graham crackers and loads of melty chocolate. If you were to ask my opinion, (but don’t need to because i’m here to freely give it) I’d tell you that I found a way to improve this classic. I take cream in my coffee, sometimes I like a touch of sweetness but I’m not one to add loads of sugar to a great cup. When I was making marshmallows, I wanted to steer clear of corn syrup– so I got to thinking, what can I use as an alternative? Sweetened condensed milk came to mind! I thought, “oh man if this works I’m basically a genius.” Ok, ok I’m already a genius, but we knew that? Right? I’m kinda like the king of the Lemurs, punn definitely intended, I digress. What we need is that sticky sweet element to bring our sugar syrup to the next level. Sweetened condensed milk checked all the boxes. Candy making can be tricky, but I opted for a larger sauce pan knowing full well that dairy likes to boil over at any point once bioling temps are acheived. The marshmallows turned out wonderful! They were begging to be drizzled in chocolate and dusted with finely ground coffee. I was taking a nod to a chocolate covered espresso bean! I brewed a cup of Hemisphares Coffee and sunk a milk marshmallow into that perfect cup. As the marshmallow melted it added such a fun element to a regular cup of coffee. I think every grown up needs a reason to eat a little candy now and again, why not in a cup of coffee. This post is sponsored by Kroger Co.
Milk Marshmallows with Dark Chocolate and Coffee Dust
3 envelopes of gelatin
1 cup cold water, divided
1 cup sugar
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla ext.
2 cups powdered sugar for dusting the top and bottom of the marshmallows
1 cup dark chocolate chips
¼ cup coffee beans ground super fine
2 cups prepared hot coffee or espresso, to drink!
1. Dusk one cup of powdered sugar into a 9 by 13 glass baking dish, save the remainder for dusting the top of the finished marshmallows- set sugared dish aside.
2. Bloom the gelatin in ½ cup cold water in the bottom of your stand mixer, whisk until it’s fully mixed, set aside.
3. Boil the sugar, water, condensed milk and salt for 7-10 minutes or until the mixture reaches 240 degrees on a candy thermometer. Be very careful, this mixture has a tendency to boil over left unattended due to the dairy content. Make sure to use a larger sauce pan to avoid boiling over and stir constantly. If you don’t have a thermometer, use the soft ball stage method to achieve the proper temperature.
4. Once the sugar is fully cooked, turn the stand mixer on to low and slowly stream the hot milk syrup into the gelatin. Gradually increase the speed to high and mix for a full 15-18 minutes. Your marshmallows will be thick, glossy and fluffy, add the vanilla and slowly turn the mixer off.
5. Use a rubber spatula or spoon to evenly pour the fresh marshmallow batter into the glass sugared dish. Dust the other half of the powdered sugar over the top of the candy. Leave to set over night at room temperature.
To finish the candy
The next day, melt the chocolate in 30 second blasts in the microwave until warm and fully melted or over a double boiler. Turn the marshmallows out on to a large cutting board or piece of parchment paper. Dust off excess powdered sugar if desired. Slice into even squares. To decorate with chocolate, by using fork to drizzle the melted chocolate over the marshmallows. Dust with finely ground coffee or espresso beans, leave to set until the chocolate is firm. These melt like heaven in a cup of rich espresso or coffee or hot chocolate.
