Easy Homemade Marshmallows (No Corn Syrup) & Hot Coco Mix

As the holidays draw near my heart begins to hurt a little more knowing what lies ahead, or more accurately, not knowing what lies ahead and what is to come with my broken family. My heart hurts not because of romantic heartache, but for wanting the joy and happiness again that this season is supposed to bring. The anticipation for a perfectly cooked turkey, a white christmas…. I long for that anxiety. 

Long prayers, deep breaths. God is good. All of the time.

And he is SO GOOD that he brought chocolate in our lives, and not only that, marshmallows (I bet you did NOT expect this to turn that way….. but trust me….. I eventually find a positive in every negative… just takes me a little)

Thanks to recipe development I haven’t had a good nights sleep due to an extreme ‘mallow sugar high and an overdose on chocolate. This is what happens when your only roommate is the size of a little peanut and refuses to go near the marshmallows because he can’t quite handle the texture. However the upside is that it has allowed me to find the most perfect marshmallow recipe that is EASY and requires very little ingredients, corn syrup free & NO candy thermometer necessary. I’ve also found the most perfect hot chocolate mix and will never be purchasing boxed-chocolate ever again (well, if I don’t have to I won’t). 

This recipe combination also makes for the most perfect hostess gift (or if you are throwing the party a nice little favor for your guests to go home with!). It’s thoughtful, tasty and budget friendly. Win-win-win in my book. 

First you’ll need to start with your marshmallows. You’ll also need to make sure you grease and then flour either a baking sheet or two 9″ cake pans (really anything will work, as long as it can fit in the fridge). I suggest starting these the night before you are ready to make so they are really solid/set and are a lot easier to handle/cut. I chose to use a snowman cookie cutter (that I also greased/floured) for a winter theme, however any shape or squares will do. I also rolled the sides (that are sticky when cut) in some decorative sugar just for extra teeth rotting ;).  The directions below are pretty self explanatory.

The hot chocolate mix is even easier to follow! In the directions below I don’t tell you to put the mix into the food processor and pulse until smooth at the very end however you may if you don’t like chocolate chunks (that will melt once hot milk hits it). I poured scooped my mix into little mason jars (which makes about 3 -4 cups a person).

The hot coco mix will keep for up to two months and marshmallows for two weeks. 

DIY Homemade Marshmallows (No Corn Syrup) & Hot Chocolate Mix

Prep time:  30 mins

Cook time:  12 hours

Total time:  12 hours 30 mins

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Ingredients

• For the Marshmallows:
• 2 packets of gelatin
• 2 tbsp + 1 tsp cold water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• ⅛ tsp salt
• For the Hot Chocolate
• 1 cup dark chocolate coco powder
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup dried nonfat milk powder
• 4 tsp corn starch
• 4 oz bittersweet chocolate finely chopped

Instructions

1. For the Marshmallows:
2. First in a small bowl add your gelatin and cold water. Stir until blended (thick rubbery paste texture)
3. In a heat proof bowl (or stand mixer) Add your boiling water and gelatin mix. Stir until dissolved. Right away add your sugar, vanilla & salt. Turn mixer on medium low speed (if you can do medium speed without splashing do that) and mix for about 15 minutes or until merengue like consistency forms.
4. Next grease two 9" cake pans or a baking sheet and then flour them. Pour mixture into pans and place in fridge to set 6-12 hours.
5. Once marshmallows are done setting they will be fairly firm with little bounce back when pressed. Add a little more flour on top of marshmallows so you can handle it with out it sticking to everything. Carefully use a knife around the edge of the pan and remove marshmallow from pan and onto a well floured surface. Cut marshmallows into desired shapes (squares or use a cookie cutter that is greased/floured)
6. Place into an airtight container and store.
7. For the Hot chocolate:
8. Add all of your ingredients into a medium sized bowl and mix together until well blended. Place into an airtight container and store. When ready to use add 3 tbsp hot coco mix to 1¼ cup hot milk.

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