Tiffany's Vanilla Chocolate Marshmallow Recipe

Grand Rapids, Mich. (WOTV) - Join the WOTV 4 Women Crew for the Holiday Cookie Exchange!  Our experts are sharing their favorite holiday baking recipes including this festive holiday treat from Home Decor expert Tiffany Talsma!

Christmas is my favorite time of year. I love the parties, the cozy nights sitting by a fire, and drinking endless amounts of hot cocoa. It must be the colder weather and the thoughts of snow….hopefully we will have a white Christmas! Hot cocoa is so heartwarming for me and what goes better with a hot cup of cocoa than marshmallows?!  They are super easy to make-my kind of baking! And they taste so much better than store bought marshmallows. Give it a try- you will not be disappointed in the way they melt in you cocoa! -Tiffany

Vanilla & Chocolate Marshmallows ( Recipe courtesy of Alton Brown )

    3 packages unflavored gelatin
    1 C ice-cold water
    1 1/2 C sugar
    1 C corn syrup
    1/4 t kosher salt
    2 t vanilla extract
    1/4 C chocolate chips
    1/4 C cornstarch
    1/4 C confectioners’ sugar
    1/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder
    cooking spray
 

Directions:

Place the gelatin into the bowl of a stand mixer along with 1/2 cup of the water. Have the whisk attachment standing by.

In a small saucepan combine the remaining 1/2 cup water, granulated sugar, corn syrup and salt. Place over medium high heat, cover and allow to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover, clip a candy thermometer onto the side of the pan and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Once the mixture reaches this temperature, immediately remove from the heat.

Turn the mixer on low speed and, while running, slowly pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl into the gelatin mixture. Once you have added all of the syrup, increase the speed to high. Continue to whip until the mixture becomes very thick and is lukewarm, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. Add the vanilla during the last minute of whipping. While the mixture is whipping prepare the pans as follows.
For regular marshmallows:

Combine the confectioners' sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Lightly spray a 13 by 9-inch metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add the sugar and cornstarch mixture and move around to completely coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Return the remaining mixture to the bowl for later use.

When ready, pour the mixture into the prepared pan, using a lightly oiled spatula for spreading evenly into the pan. Dust the top with enough of the remaining sugar and cornstarch mixture to lightly cover. Reserve the rest for later. Allow the marshmallows to sit uncovered for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

Turn the marshmallows out onto a cutting board and cut into 1-inch squares using a pizza wheel dusted with the confectioners' sugar mixture. Once cut, lightly dust all sides of each marshmallow with the remaining mixture, using additional if necessary. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.
For miniature marshmallows:

Combine the confectioners' sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Line 4 half sheet pans with parchment paper, spray the paper with nonstick cooking spray and dust with the confectioners' sugar mixture.

Scoop the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round piping tip. Pipe the mixture onto the prepared sheet pans lengthwise, leaving about 1-inch between each strip. Sprinkle the tops with enough of the remaining cornstarch and sugar mixture to lightly cover. Let the strips set for 4 hours or up to overnight.

Cut into 1/2 inch pieces using a pizza wheel or scissors dusted with the confectioners' sugar mixture. Once cut, lightly dust all sides of each marshmallow with the remaining sugar mixture and store in an airtight container for up to a week.