...Let there be MARSHMALLOWS!!!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, EVERYONE!!

This morning, a man whose been in my life a very long time, looked deeply into my eyes, wrapped his arms around me, held me tightly and whispered in my ear those three words Every girl Wants to hear on Valentines Day! "You've Lost Weight!" ..... siiiggghhhh.... I'm In Love! lol.... who needs to hear Sweet Nothings when you've got someone whispering poetry like that in your ear. Needless to say, I wish I had some Cookies or Goodies to shower him with.....

The past week, I haven't had much strength or energy to bake some Goodies for V~Day... but in between catnaps & headaches... I had some very vivid dreams about MARSHMALLOWS!! no, I didn't wake up and find my pillow was gone. I did, however, have to drag my aching body out of bed to  make    some Marshmallows and what goes better with Marshmallows than Cocoa, right? Actually, It all started out as Marshmallows for everyone, but it got a little more complicated than I thought and my fingers & hands got into the process, I think I might have even unexpectedly coughed and so... DARN IT!... Marshmallows; Contaminated! Noone wants to touch them. *ahhhhh.... marshmallows.... all mine...* 

Now, I can be as Romantic as the next girl,  but of course, It's hard without Inspiration and being a single girl ... well... inspiration is a little lacking these days. So, if you have a Love, then.... cherish it! Cuz Folks, the grass is not that green on this side of the fence. But, there are MarSHmAlloWs ... and ... Gosh Darn It!! You just can't feel anything but HAPPY when you pop a marshmallow into your mouth!

Marshmallows are easy and fun to make and don't require a lot of time, but it requires all of your attention. Or things can get CraZy! You'll need:  3 pkgs. unflavored gelatin, 1-1/2 cups sugar, 1 cup light corn    syrup, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1 Tablespoon Vanilla, & powdered sugar.

If you don't have a standing mixer... I'd suggest going to get one, or going to get a bag of marshmallows! Which, is not a bad idea because they have the cutest shapes, now. And the sizes, OMGOSH! Every holiday has their own shapes ... don't even get me started on PeePs!! So, yeah, the mixer.... a handheld might not be strong enough to survive. I could be wrong... let me know how yours come out. Ok, in the bowl of your mixer, combine the gelatin w/3/4 cup cold water. It will soak up all the water and end up looking like wet sand. Let sit.

Meanwhile, combine sugar, syrup ~ did you know that if you spray or spread oil in the measuring cup, the syrup will slide right out? ~ salt, vanilla (I prefer vanilla paste, it's a lot more pricey but the flavor is amazing. But, I still use Vanilla and I beg you NOT to use imitation vanilla. If you do ... don't tell me ; )) & 1/2 cup cold water in a small saucepan. Cook this over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Raise the heat to high & cook until the syrup (I mean the sugar mixture) reaches 240* A candy thermometer is the only way to measure heat. You can use the soft ball test. Drop a few drops into Ice cold water, if it flattens out into a soft ball, when held, it's done. but usually just cook it about 12 minutes (just guessing). Remove from heat and here is where the fun begins. Get all of your wiggles out now because you will be devoted to only these marshmallows for the next ... well,... you'll be Devoted!

I put Sweetie (my mixer) on low and slowly poured the sugar syrup into the gelatin until it all mixed. Then kicked her into Overdrive (high), she squealed with excitement and whipped the syrup (that I had colored with pink food gel) around that bowl in a frothy mess. Steam coming up and everything. It soon cooled and became thicker as she whirled round and round. With 15 minutes to whip, I stepped aside to prepare the parchment paper (wax paper would not be a good choice here, the marshmallows will stick. Parchment has a non porous/sticky surface). Of course, I couldn't leave well enough alone... It wasn't enough that I couldn't breathe through my nose, I coughed at every tickle and my body still ached ... a lightbulb went on in my oxygen-deprived brain! I'll do different shapes!! I generously sprinkled Powdered sugar on a sheet of parchment, a Heart shaped cupcake mold, and an 8 inch square metal cake pan. I did pretty good! Powdered sugar only where I sprinkled it! Not all over. The pans, I could just pour the mixture into, but my BIG idea was to pipe the marshmallow into little hearts, kisses, and X&Os so I prepared a pastry bag with a round tip. do you see a disaster ahead? Always listening when I bake, I heard Sweetie begin to strain... I hate when this happens because I feel bad when I ask too much of her and which is why I remembered why I don't make marshmallows more often. She kept on whipping her little Heart out and by now I was standing next to her and caressing her and whispering words of encouragement to her. This might sound funny to you... but to me... she means the world and as I was rubbing her, I actually heard a shift in her gears. Like, i think i can, I Think I Can, I KNOW I CAN! haha... ok, a bit dramatic, but there was a shift and she chugged along steadily for the next 6 minutes.

I might've had a wee bit  much of cold medicine... I forgot the set-up time for marshmallows is..... QUICK!! I scooped mix into the pans, already feeling a little thick. I quickly rubbed my fingers with a little butter and smoothed the marshmallow into the pans. Then working really quickly I scooped the remaining mix into the pastry bag. Already I could feel the thickness as I put pressure on the bag to make little hearts, kisses and X&Os..... they all looked like little poops! Cute, Pink, Little poops! I laughed to myself as I kept squeezing the bag because I couldn't turn back now. No way was I going to throw the rest of the mix away.  It was still going to taste like Marshmallows, right? Let them sit for 4 hours or overnight to set up. Remove & dust off some of the powdered sugar and they're ready to eat.I have to confess that I left stuff out... just because I am confident in the kitchen and pretend to know what I'm doing... Marshmallows are still STICKY! lol... I had it in my hair, on my cheek, my eyebrow, my blouse, my behind... this only made me laugh more and the more I laughed, the worse it got. So, this should explain why the marshmallows are All Mine! But I'm still Proud the powdered sugar stayed where I put it.

Marshmallows are paired with Hot Cocoa like Romeo & Juliet, Anthony & Cleopatra, Ma & Pa Kettle... you get the idea. One only makes the other better! Just working with what I had in my cabinets... (I'll bet mine are not like your cabinets).  ; ) I found, 2 pkgs Instant Hot Cocoa Mix, 1 cup milk, 1 cup half & half, 1/4 teaspoon Vanilla Paste, 2 Tablespoons Chili Powder & 1 chocolate bar & whipped cream for topping. If I had any flavored syrups, I would have used 1/4 cup.

Mix all ingredients into a sauce pan, making sure to chop or grate 1/2 of the chocolate bar. Save the rest to eat later. Let it sit for about 10 minutes to let the flavors mingle. Mingling is important when introducing new flavors to each other. Hey! That sounds like a Great dating tip! Warm up mixture on low heat, whisking every now and then until all is melted together. Remove from heat and let sit another 10 minutes. More mingling. Trust me... it's worth the time! On med low heat, reheat the cocoa until desired temperature. I like mine Hot so it begins to melt my marshmallows into squishy goodness. Get your favorite mug and gently pour in the Cocoa, leaving a little room at the top for LOTS of marshmallows.

Well, I hope your Valentine's Day is all you DREAM it to be .... haha, get it? I had a dream about Marshmallows and now I'm having them! On Valentine's Day! ; D   Don't forget to enjoy All of the Loves in your life... not just the Romantic ones! Now I'm going to go and enjoy my Cocoa with Marshmallows and watch a couple of Heartwarming chick flicks... you know... Saw 3D and Paranormal Entity ......  

 ~Happy Baking .... & don't forget your Apron!