It's a Marshmallow World...

I haven't completely lost my marbles. The title of this post is really a song. One my Mom used to sing all the time {and completely change the words to, in true Mom fashion}. 

Here's a little clip for your listening & viewing pleasure {plus, who really needs an excuse to watch Frank Sinatra & Dean Martin?}:

Anyway, I'm actually going somewhere with all this nostalgia. {Which, as we know, is not always the case.}

Marshmallows.

I've never been much of a marshmallow lover. You won't find me eating plain ol' marshallows right out of the bag the way you might find me licking plain ol' Nutella right off a spoon. No, ma'am. Not my style.

Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy marshmallows as a component of a sweet treat. Swirled into deliciously fudgy brownies; oozing from a graham cracker sandwich in a S'more; serving as the cement for a crunchy Rice Krispie treat {you KNOW I love those.} On their own? Not so much. Perhaps it's because I'm not much of a fan of gelatinous substances. {Jell-o and I are not friends.}

Regardless, when I was browsing Martha Stewart's site for edible Christmas gift ideas, I couldn't help but swoon a bit over these Peppermint Marshmallows I came across. They were just too cute.

But really... homemade marshmallows? I could just picture the sticky mess in the kitchen. An OCD nightmare.

Since I'm{almost} never deterred by a kitchen challenge, I decided to roll up my sleeves and give them a try. And since I didn't have any peppermint extract, I figured I'd try them out in plain vanilla first to see if it was worth a trip to the store eventually for the extra ingredient.

I am happy to report that not only were they shockingly easy to make* {and contain only 7 ingredients! That's if you count water and salt!}, but they have completely changed my outlook on marshmallows.

They're delicious alone.

They're amazing in hot cocoa.

And they're FABULOUS dipped in chocolate candy coating.

You will never buy marshmallows in a bag again.

I plan on making these again, and experimenting with different flavors... well... because I can. And you should, too!

*I made these with my Kitchenaid stand mixer and since I am STILL not able to remove the paddle, I did not use the whisk attachment. They still turned out, though they may have taken a few minutes longer to come together. Now, I must warn you that you can severely hurt yourself if you decide to be a little lax on safety when you are adding boiling hot sugar syrup to a machine with a spinning paddle. As always, use caution & common sense, friends!

Homemade Vanilla Marshmallows

Slightly adapted from Martha Stewart.com

3 (1/4-ounce) packages unflavored gelatin

1/2 cup cold water

2 cups granulated sugar

2/3 cup light corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract & 1 vanilla bean, scraped (optional)

Confectioners' sugar, sifted, for coating

1. Lightly spray a 9-by-9-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Line pan with aluminum foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides; set aside.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water; let stand for 10 minutes. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup water. Place saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil; boil rapidly for 1 minute. Remove from heat, and, with the mixer on low at first, carefully pour the boiling syrup down the side of the mixer bowl into gelatin mixture. Gradually turn mixer speed up to high. Add salt and continue mixing for 12 minutes until the mixture is thick, white, and cooled. {Will look like loose marshmallow fluff. Mostly because that's exactly what it is. Duh!}

3. Add vanilla extract and vanilla bean seeds {optional}; mix until well combined. Spray a rubber spatula with cooking spray. {I found a silicon spatula works best.} Spread gelatin mixture evenly into pan using prepared spatula. Let stand for 2 hours.

4. Carefully lift marshmallow from pan by using the foil overhang. Remove foil and discard. Cut marshmallows into 2-inch squares using a sprayed sharp knife. Place confectioners' sugar in a large bowl. Working in batches, add marshmallows to bowl and toss to coat on all sides of squares.



Easter Treats on the "Cheep"

My husband's plan to eat a little healthier this week must've really had an effect on my energy levels, because here I am with yet another post for the week. ;) {A personal record, I think!}

Who wouldn't be excited, though, by all the fun Easter preparations going on? In the food blogging world, I've seen a multitude of charming Easter projects, recipes, and treats. Check out some of my faves:

Coconut Bunny Cake. :)
Source: Baked Bree



Easter Chick Cupcakes!
Source: The Pastry Affair



HOMEMADE PEEPS!!!!!!!
Source: Twig & Thistle


If that doesn't inspire, then I don't know what will!

For me, it doesn't take much to spark the desire to get in the kitchen and crank out some new confections. But the truth is, trying out all these cute little projects can really impact the pocketbook if you're not careful. So, I set out this week to come up with cost effective Easter treats to share with family & friends.

I had some strict criteria for my search: They needed to be inexpensive, cute, and appeal to both young & old. After thinking it over, there was one well-loved snack that fit the bill perfectly: Rice Krispie Treats!

When I saw a version of these on The Novice Chef a few weeks ago, I knew it wouldn't be long before I made a batch of my own. With a little creativity, some embellishments, and some Easter chick cookie cutters {ok, it's actually a rubber ducky cookie cutter, but it doesn't hurt to use your imagination.}, these quickly became the perfect answer to my penny saving project. I handed them out to my co-workers, my students, and even the people at my husband's office, and everyone loved them! Mission accomplished. :)

Rice Krispie Treat Pops: Easter Edition

Adapted from Kellog's Rice Krispie Treats, and inspired by Jessica's post from The Novice Chef

You'll Need:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 package (10 oz., about 40) regular marshmallows
• - OR -
• 4 cups miniature marshmallows
• 6 cups Rice Krispies® or other puffed rice cereal
• 1 package Candy Quick or other candy coating
• Sprinkles, food coloring, lollipop sticks

Directions:

1. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.

2. Add rice cereal. Stir until well coated.

3. Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Cool.

4. Use desired cookie cutters to cut out shapes.

5. Heat candy coating 30 seconds at a time, until completely melted. (I only used 1/2 the package each time just to be safe.) If using food coloring, stir in a small amount until desired tint is reached.

6. Dip or spread coating onto cut outs, and embellish with sprinkles, etc., while still wet.

7. Wrap up in pretty packaging, and make someone smile! :)

Happy Easter, everyone!