People ask you also sorts of questions when you are pregnant but the recent favorite is about what I’m craving. I haven’t had too many strange midnight snacks… the weirdest was that I wanted mini marshmallows, uh….frozen. (You should totally try it, hubby liked them too). A close second to that is chocolate and anything with cheese or carbs. I know it sounds like I’m in junk food heaven but I’ve actually been eating tons of leafy greens, lean proteins and fruit for the most part.
Anyway, back to marshmallows. I have been wanting to make them from scratch for a long time, but I had filed them away as one of those difficult recipes that you should only attempt when you have extra patience. To my surprise, they are actually relatively easy if you have the right tools! I came across these cute snowflake shaped ones and thought they would make a perfect topping to Hot Chocolate on a Stick which I first discovered on Pinterest, my new favorite source of inspiration.
We have a recent Christmas tradition of only getting gifts for the kids, so I thought Hot Chocolate on a Stick would be a fun inexpensive surprise for the adults. I wrapped them up in twos in cute gift packaging and printed up some little personalized labels to go along with them! I also put instructions on the back to heat up 8 oz of milk and stir in the stick for almost instant hot chocolate. Aren’t they fun?!
Here is the recipe if you want to make up a batch yourself!
Hot Chocolate on a Stick
(makes 48)
Homemade Marshmallows
(makes about 60 snowflakes & extra tidbits)
- 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
- 2/3 c. water, divided in half
- 1 1/2 c. sugar
- 2/3 c. light corn syrup
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- 1 teaspoon homemade vanilla extract
- Cooking spray
- 1/4 c. confectioners sugar
Line a 9×13 pan with non-stick foil and spray with cooking spray. Add 1/3 c. of cold water to gelatin in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Let soften while making the sugar syrup.
Heat sugar, remaining 1/3 c. water, corn syrup and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Cover and bring to a boil until a candy thermometer reaches 238 degrees.
Whisk the gelatin on low speed and stream in the hot sugar mixture down the side of the bowl (caution: Hot sugar will burn you!) When all the sugar is poured in, raise the speed to high and beat mixture until it has tripled and is white, fluffy and sticky.
Spray a spatula with cooking spray and coax the sticky fluff into your prepared pan. Use an offset spatula to smooth it flat. Sprinkle the top with confectioners sugar and allow to firm up overnight.
You can cut the marshmallows into cubes or use a fun cookie cutter dipped in confectioners sugar to make shapes.
Cocoa Rounds or Blocks
- ½ c. heavy cream
- 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
- 3 3/4 cups dark chocolate chips
- cooking spray
- wooden sticks
Heat the heavy cream and sweetened condensed milk over low to medium heat until just steaming. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate chips.
Allow to melt thoroughly. You can place it back over low heat if the chocolate is lumpy at all, but mine was very smooth after stirring. Be careful not to overheat it.
Prepare two mini muffin pans, by spraying with non-stick cooking spray. Using a small spring loaded icecream scoop, dispense the chocolate into each cup filling each 3/4 of the way full.
Poke each marshmallow long ways with a greased metal skewer or other sharp utensil. Slide the marshmallow 1 inch up the stick and dip into chocolate. Repeat for 48 sticks and then place in the refrigerator to harden. Package up and put a smile on the face of your friends during the colder months of the year!
I learned that you should always make a few extra in case the kids want to enjoy some too….
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