Snowman Marshmallows

Medically reviewed by Christiana George Updated Date: December 17, 2022

This is actually a project I did in January, but since we have just started getting snow here recently, I thought it would be appropriate. My daughter needed to take something to school for her Discover and Share that had a winter theme. So I thought snowmen marshmallows would be cute. I found a recipe for homemade marshmallows at. It looked easy, albeit perhaps messy. But, hey, with two small kids, it’s always messy here anyway.

First I tested the recipe to make sure they would taste good and come out okay.

Homemade Marshmallows

by My Baking Addiction

Ingredients

3/4 cup water, divided
3 (.25 oz.) packages, unflavored gelatin
2/3 cup light corn syrup
2 cups white sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar

Cooking Directions

Line a 9×13 inch baking dish with plastic wrap and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Spray another piece of plastic wrap to cover the top, and set aside.
Place 1/2 cup of water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and sprinkle gelatin on top of water to soak.
While gelatin is soaking, combine 1/4 cup of water, corn syrup, and sugar in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Boil the mixture hard for 1 minute.
Carefully pour the hot sugar mixture into the gelatin mixture and beat on high for 12 minutes with electric mixer, until the mixture is fluffy and forms stiff peaks. Add in vanilla extract and beat until just combined.
Pour the marshmallow mixture into the prepared baking dish, using a greased spatula to smooth the top. Cover the candy with the piece of prepared plastic wrap, pressing it down lightly to seal the covering to the top of the candy.
Allow the marshmallow candy to rest for 4 hours or overnight.
Mix together cornstarch and confectioner’s sugar in a shallow dish. Using oiled scissors or an oiled kitchen knife, cut the marshmallow candy into strips, then into 1 inch squares. Dredge the marshmallows lightly in the cornstarch mixture and store in an airtight container.

I did use clear vanilla extract as she suggested to keep the marshmallows pure white. Let me just say one thing though, the smell of the hot corn syrup mixture combined with the gelatin as it is being mixed is very off putting. It smelled like manure in my kitchen and I was very afraid of what these marshmallows would taste like, but have no fear, the smell does go away and does not affect the taste.

The first batch I made, I just cut them into squares. Okay, very large squares. Here is my assistant dredging them in cornstarch and confectioner’s sugar.

And here she is taste testing for me. She gave them her seal of approval. They really were quite good. Much better than the store bought ones. They are lighter and fluffier.

The real test for me, was to have some with a cup of hot cocoa. Yep, they were delicious in my book too. So then I knew I would make more and shape them into snowman for the kids. At first I was going to cut the marshmallows into circles and stack them up on a candy stick to make the snowmen, but when I went to get my circle cookie cutter, I found a snowman cookie cutter and went a different route.

I then when to the store to see what kind of candy I could find to decorate with. I found mini M&M’s for the buttons, some sour candy strips for the scarves, and orange slices for the nose. I had some black glitter gel for the hat, eyes, and mouth and I used cookie icing to glue things together.

I cut small triangles out of the orange slices to make the carrot nose.

I cut the sour candy strips in two lengthwise for the scarves and even fringed the ends by making small slits with a sharp knife.

Here is the completed project. The black icing didn’t spread as well as I thought, so I just ended up using the black gel for the hat, eyes, and mouth. I think they came out pretty well.

My daughter was excited to see them. I made girl ones and boy ones for her classmates.

The kids really did like them and they tasted good. I will bookmark this recipe to do again next year.

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Alice Medrich’s Cocoa Brownies

Baked Dessert

Christiana George

Updated Date:
June 8, 2023

Let’s get things straight here: I am no food stylist. If I were, I would know that trying to cut into a panful of brownies immediately after taking them out of the oven would result in extremely jagged edges, serrated knife and all.

But good-looking brownies be damned. Yesterday was my birthday and I didn’t think I should have to wait. The temptation was just too great: its crackly top gleamed diffusely, its gorgeous smell tickled my nose, and most importantly, there was the knowledge that a truly great brownie—possibly the brownie—was waiting. After all, no Genius Recipe has failed met yet. This one was no exception.

You all probably know Alice Medrich better than I do. I’ve only recently been officially introduced to her and her incredible repertoire of desserts, but long before I became aware of the obsessions of the food world, her kamut pound cake had already collapsed synapses in my brain—in a good way, haha—something that no baked good has done in quite the same way since. I was a fan way before I even knew it.

I think these are probably the best brownies I’ve ever had. Their crackly top is exemplary, and, though I know we all judge our brownies by different metrics so that there is no universally-accepted Best Brownie, these are, conclusively, it. This statement comes from the mouth of someone who has not done all that much perfect-brownie-chasing in her life but recognizes instant chemistry when it happens. It’s like falling in love all over again. I mean, it is falling in love all over again, only with a brownie.

I don’t even know why I felt like brownies yesterday. My birthweekend (a phenomenon which inevitably happens when your birthday falls on a Monday) had already been full of beyond-normal levels of hedonism. I can only offer this, something my mom told me yesterday: it had been snowing when I was born. Do you think this explains my predilection for the gooey, rich, and chocolate-y? Whatever the case, they are definitely the perfect way of easing myself into my XXth (I’m keeping the figure undisclosed) year.

Cheers, y’all! And go make some brownies!

ALICE MEDRICH’S COCOA BROWNIES

Makes 16 to 25 brownies

Adapted from Alice Medrich’s Bittersweet via Food52

Ingredients:

10 Tbsp (1-1/4 sticks) unsalted butter
1-1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cold large eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (unsifted, measured by stirring briefly, spooning into the measuring cup until it’s heaped above the rim, then leveling it with a straight-edged knife or spatula — it should weigh nearly 2.5 ounces)
2/3 cup walnut or pecan pieces (optional—I didn’t use them)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 8″ square pan (I used a 9″, which resulted in slightly flatter brownies) with parchment paper so that there is an overhang on each side.

Let a skilletful of water come to a gentle simmer. In a heatproof bowl, place the butter, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt, and place it in the skillet. Stir while the butter melts. Once the mixture is hot, remove the bowl from the skillet and let it cool until it’s only warm. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the vanilla, then stir in the eggs, one a time, vigorously. Once the batter looks shiny and well-blended, stir in the flour until no streaks remain. Vigorously beat the batter for 40 strokes. Stir in the nuts if using. Spread the batter evenly into the pan, then place it into the oven.

Bake until a toothpick in the middle comes out slightly moist with batter, 20 to 25 minutes (in my 9″ pan, it took about 20 minutes). Remove and let cool completely before lifting out of the pan and transferring to a cutting surface. Cut to your desired size.