Home-made marshmallows are so much better than store-bought. I’ve added just a hint of cardamom to these Chocolate Dipped Chocolate Marshmallows and that brings out a nice deep chocolate flavor.
Wherever you go and whenever you want, you are bombarded with articles and posts how to improve your health, by changing or starting your fitness program, changing your eating habits etc. I am no stranger to that; as a nutritionist/dietitian, I strongly believe that many of us can do a little better, when it comes to our health and wellness. Having said that, I am also a realist and believe that there is room in everybody’s diet for a treat. Here is one of the treats I like, marshmallows, Chocolate Dipped Chocolate Marshmallows to be precise.
Marshmallows are surprisingly easy to make. The only caveat is that you need to read the recipe before you start and concentrate during the preparation. You start out with 7 bowls and pans, each containing a different combination of ingredients and you’ll have to combine them in the right order, at the right time; it’s like musical chairs for ingredients.
The ingredient combinations you’ll have are the following. Check the recipe for quantities and volumes.
- water and gelatin
- corn syrup, granulated sugar and water and cook until reach temperature of 240-245 degrees F. Check with candy thermometer.
- hot water, unsweetened cocoa powder and vanilla extract
- corn syrup
- confectioner’s sugar and cocoa powder
- finely grated dark chocolate and cardamom
- dark chocolate for melting
Now, get ready and start the music.
Heat mixture 1 and add content to mixture 4 and start mixing.
Add mixture 3 to heated mixture 2 and mix. Then add mixture 3-2 to mixture 1-4 and set your mixer to high for about 10 minutes. The result is a very fluffy light brown sugary-chocolaty marshmallow basis.
Are you still with me?
Now you’re in the home stretch. Pour the marshmallow mixture into a baking pan that you lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Make sure you have the corners covered and no excess anywhere. I used an 8×8 baking pan and ended up with 36 marshmallows, each about 1-1.5 inches square. Smoothen the top and cover it with mixture 5. Give the marshmallows some leisure time (4-6 hours in your kitchen cabinet); they will dry and then invert them onto a piece of parchment paper.
Cut the marshmallows into your preferred sizes. Spray a little bit of cooking spray on the knife so the marshmallow does not stick to the knife.
The finishing touch. Grate the chocolate of mixture 6 fine, really fine, so you’ll end up with chocolate dust with here and there some larger pieces. Add the cardamom. I used a Microplane rasp/grater . In a separate bowl (#7) melt the finely chopped chocolate.
Dip the individual marshmallows into the chocolate-cardamom dust and then, when the melted chocolate is slightly cooled, but still liquid, dip the bottom of the marshmallows into the melted chocolate. Transfer onto parchment paper and allow to cool fully.
You can also drizzle the marshmallows with the melted chocolate or if you really need a chocolate fix, submerge them into the melted chocolate. You will need more chocolate than the recipe calls for though.
Chocolate Dipped Chocolate Marshmallows
Ingredients
Marshmallows
- 1 cup water divided
- 3 packages gelatin
- 1.5 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup corn syrup light
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tea vanilla extract
Chocolate Dusting
- 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
Chcolate Shavings
- 2 ounces dark chocolate
- 1 teaspoon cardamom
Dipping Chocolate
- 5 ounces chopped dark chocolate finely chopped
Instructions
- Grease a baking pan 8x8-inches with cooking spray. Make sure you get in the corners, without over spraying your baking pan.
- Sprinkle the gelatin in 1/2 cup of water and set aside for 5 minutes or until spongy.
- Place the sugar, 1/4 cup of corn syrup and 1/4 cup of water in a saucepan and stir. Clip a candy thermometer into the pan and bring to a boil, until it reaches a temperature of 240-245 degrees F.
- At the same time whisk together, the cocoa powder, vanilla extract and remaining warm water (1/4 cup) until smooth.
- Place the remaining corn syrup (1/4 cup) in a bowl. Heat the spongy gelatin in a microwave for a few seconds. Pour the gelatin into the corn syrup and start the mixer on low speed.
- When the sugar/syrup mix is up to the right temperature, add the cocoa powder mix. Poor this chocolaty mix slowing into the gelatin mixture while turning up the speed of the mixer. Mix this for about 10 minutes and the mixture will become very fluffy.
- Pour the marshmallow mix into the prepared pan and smoothen if necessary.
- Mix the confectioner's sugar with the cocoa powder and sift it evenly and generously over the marshmallows.
- Make the chocolate shavings by grating the dark chocolate very fine, and add the cardamom. Set aside.
- Allow the marshmallows to sit for at least 4-6 hours or overnight. No need to refrigerate.
- When the marshmallows are dry, use a knife to 'cut' the marshmallow loose from the baking pan and invert them onto parchment paper. Cut the marshmallows into your preferred sizes. Spray a little bit of cooking spray on the knife so the marshmallow does not stick to the knife.
- Dip the uncovered sides of the marshmallows into the chocolate-cardamom mixture.
- Chop the 5 ounces of dark chocolate and melt in au-bain-marie or in the microwave. Allow it to cool just a little.
- Dip the base of each marshmallow in the dark chocolate.
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