The holidays have flown by and I'm left in the wake of the lethargic aftermath. Even thinking of the right words for this post is an effort! It's a touch pathetic really but it's not entirely my fault. Fraiser's on the ol' Amazon Prime and it's like a moth to a flame. How can I win when a key character is a cute Jack Russell Terrier?
I would like to start with saying (finally), Happy New Year! Hello 2014! Here's to a joyous and wonderful year ahead, no matter what the challenges. Salude!
Before anybody jumps off the deep end and starts the New Year with the stereotypical health and fitness goals, please take a moment to relax! If you're anything like our family, getting through the holidays was a sheet act of survival between traveling, budgeting, gift shopping, present wrapping, scheduling, familial tensions, and cooking. Quite frankly, Mike and I were so busy working till the last second in order to save PTO and trying to make all the details perfect, we kind of missed out on the holiday spirit. Most of Christmas Eve was rushed and stressful. I don't want December to lose its magic just because we're adults.
These Marshmallows were made to capture the simple whimsy of winter and as a present for the in-laws. We were trying to think of home-made gifts and Mike recalled his mother's love for classic hot cocoa when they were stationed in Alaska. What's more nostalgic than that? Cozy up with mug and a good book! Heck, be a little naughty and make the adult version. Whichever way that you like it- make sure that it's loaded up with marshmallows!
I've never made marshmallows and found the process fun as well as educational. It's so wild to make something that you took for granted. Like babies come from the stork, marshmallows come from the grocery store and are made of mystery- duh. No seriously.. what the heck is a marshmallow? Lo, the power of knowing what you're eating.
Turns out it's gelatin, cornstarch, corn syrup, and sugar. Not exactly my idea of appetizing and yet the end result is delicious. How does that even work? This recipe is particularly lovely because it incorporates vanilla bean and honey. It's not an overpowering flavor and adds a subtle sweetness. Sorry regular marshmallows- you just got schooled.
The marshmallows are easy to make- please be careful because the batter is sticky and you don't want that mess in your kitchen. I don't recommend microwaving them for smores as I have done in the past with the store bought version. Instead of puffing up all big- they melted which really makes one raise their eyebrow, "what the heck is in the store bought version that makes it puff??" These are best lightly toasted and in hot cocoa.
Check out Joy the Baker's adaptation of these delightful Honey-Vanilla Bean Marshmallows!
