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Spiffing up s’mores with homemade marshmallows, graham crackers
If you can make fudge and sugar cookies, you can make marshmallows and graham crackers.
Kraft doesn’t want me to tell you this, but with just corn syrup, gelatin, sugar and a candy thermometer, you can make marshmallows at home that will make you forget you ever made a s’more with anything else. And no graham crackers that come from a box will melt in your mouth like homemade ones.
In today’s paper, I explained how s’mores came to be and why Sylvester Graham, the pious and health-conscious inventor of the graham cracker, would roll over in his grave if he knew his namesake crackers were used in such a hedonistic way.
(The 19th century minister spent his life preaching that meat and an indulgent diet were the root of disease and sexual urges. Gives a new meaning to “some more,” doesn’t it?)
But back to these homemade marshmallows. I made both marshmallows and graham crackers last week for this story (you can find the recipes below and at the bottom of the story), and although the graham crackers were great, the marshmallows were grand.
All you have to do is bring corn syrup, sugar, water and salt to a boil and heat the mixture until it reaches 235 degrees. In the bowl of a stand-up mixer in which you’ve combined packages of gelatin and water, add the hot sugar syrup and beat for 10 to 12 minutes until you’ve got what looks like the marshmallow cream you can buy in a jar at the store.
Add whatever flavoring you’d like (Mexican vanilla was divine, but a splash of coconut extract would have just taken it over the top) and food coloring, if you want it. Pour the cream into a pan that has been dusted with a combination of powdered sugar and cornstarch.
Let sit at room temperature for at least four hours, and then remove the solidified mixture (it’s like one big marshmallow) and cut with a long knife or pizza cutter.
And like magic, you’ve got square marshmallows so soft and pillowy that everyone at the campground will be popping by your campsite to see what all the commotion is about.
No matter what kind of marshmallows and graham crackers you use, if you’re looking for other ways to play around with traditional s’mores this summer, try using Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Kit Kats or a gourmet bar/bark from a local chocolatier like Fat Turkey, Viva Chocolato or Chocbite instead of regular chocolate.
And if you’re bored with graham crackers, squish your roasted marshmallows inside an Oreo or Nutter Butter.
S’moreos, anyone?
Marshmallows
3 pkg. unflavored gelatin (a small box, such as those sold by Knox, usually contains four packages)
1 cup ice cold water, divided
12 oz. granulated sugar, approximately 1 1/2 cups
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
Nonstick spray
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with either a whisk or beaters, pour a 1/2 cup of the water and stir in the gelatin. (It will congeal while you heat the sugar mixture.)
In a medium saucepan, combine the remaining 1/2 cup water, granulated sugar, corn syrup and salt. Place over medium high heat, cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover and continue to stir and cook for approximately seven to 10 minutes until the mixture reaches soft ball candy stage, between 235 and 240 degrees. (Don’t guess on this step. Use a thermometer, preferably a candy thermometer.) Once the mixture reaches this temperature, immediately remove from the heat.
Turn the mixer on low speed and slowly pour the hot sugar syrup into the gelatin mixture. Once you have added all the syrup, increase the speed to high. Continue to whip until the mixture becomes white, thick and is lukewarm, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. Add vanilla during the last minute of whipping. (You can substitute other extracts, but note that some, such as peppermint, are stronger in flavor and won’t require the full amount. This is the stage where you also can add a few drops of food coloring.)
While the mixture is whipping, prepare a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking pan. In a bowl, sift together confectioners’ sugar and cornstarch. Spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray and add the sugar and cornstarch mixture. Shake the pan from side to side to move it around and coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Return the remaining mixture to the bowl for later use.
After the sugar syrup and gelatin has formed an airy cream, pour the mixture into the prepared pan, using a lightly oiled spatula for spreading evenly into the pan. Dust the top with enough of the remaining sugar and cornstarch mixture to lightly cover. (You might need to re-sift the combination to ensure even coating.) Reserve the rest for later. Allow the marshmallows to sit, uncovered at room temperature, for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
When you’re ready to cut the marshmallows, loosen the sides and bottom of the solidified mixture with a spatula that has been dusted with the sugar and cornstarch mixture. Turn the marshmallows out onto a cutting board that has been dusted with sugar and cornstarch mixture and cut into squares using a pizza wheel or a long serrated knife dusted with the confectioners’ sugar mixture. Once cut, lightly dust all sides of each marshmallow with the remaining mixture, using additional if necessary. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.
— Adapted from a recipe from Alton Brown’s Food Network show ‘Good Eats’
Graham Crackers
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature (reduce salt to 1/2 tsp. if using salted butter)
1/4 cup dark or light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup honey
Sift together all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon in a bowl.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and honey on medium until well-combined, about a minute. Add half of the dry ingredients and combine fully before adding in the rest.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a nonstick baking sheet such as Silpat or parchment paper.
Put half the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface and roll into a rectangle between 1/8- and 1/4-inch thick. Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into squares or rectangles and use a spatula to transfer them to the baking sheet. Gather the scraps and add to the chilled dough. Using a fork, pierce each rectangle or square with two rows of holes, and place the pans in the oven. Bake for 13-16 minutes or until the crackers are golden brown. (They will darken slightly as they cool.)
Using a spatula, move the crackers to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with the second half of the dough. Makes about three dozen crackers. Stored in an airtight container, the crackers will keep for about a week.
— Adapted from ‘The Craft of Baking’ by Karen DeMasco and Mindy Fox (Clarkson Potter, 2009)
Photos by Addie Broyles and Laura Skelding for the Austin American-Statesman.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment Categories: Cooking, Desserts, Playing with your food
Comments
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By Optimista
May 26, 2010 11:19 PM | Link to this
Oh MY. I am intimidated by candy making, but this post may well have sent me over the edge! Those marshmallows look AMAZING, and I adore s’mores. Great post, Addie!
By Isobel Cione
June 21, 2011 6:58 AM | Link to this
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By Cleo Ligas
June 21, 2011 5:58 PM | Link to this
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