hot white chocolate with vanilla bean marshmallows

It’s been snowing here again. Again. We could bundle up, go outside, shovel snow, go to work, be productive. Or….we could boycott the snow. Stay inside. Stay in our p.j’s, pull on our thickest pair of socks. Turn up the heat. Play games, watch movies, read a book on the couch under our coziest blanket. Snuggle. Gaze out the window and see how pretty everything looks coated in white. Make marshmallows and drink hot white chocolate. What do you say?

ingredients for vanilla bean marshmallows:

adapted from Momma Reiner via Martha Stewart

2 tbl. + 1/2 tsp. unflavored gelatin
2 c. sugar
1/2 c. light corn syrup
1/2 c. hot water
1/4 tsp. salt
2 large egg whites
1 vanilla bean
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. cornstarch

Lightly spray a 9 x 13″ pan with non stick cooking spray. Set aside. Sprinkle gelatin into a bowl filled with 1/2 c. cold water to bloom. Set aside.

Combine sugar, corn syrup, hot water, vanilla extract and salt into a saucepan. Slice open vanilla bean and scrape insides into the pan. Stir to combine. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan. Heat mixture over medium heat until it reaches 240°. Remove from heat and stir in gelatin. Set aside.

Put egg whites into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. Slowly add gelatin mixture, then continue beating on high speed until mixtures doubles in size and looks thick, about 10 minutes.

Pour marshmallow into pan. Smooth the top. Spray a apiece of parchment paper with cooking spray and cover the top of the marshmallow. Set aside to firm, at least several hours or overnight.

When ready, turn marshmallow onto a cutting board. Trim off edges of marshmallow. Fill a bowl with the cornstarch. Cut the marshmallows to size, then coat with cornstarch. tap off excess cornstarch.

*If you want to make marshmallows without corn syrup, or for some other flavors see here.