Real quick.... UPDATED 12/20

I did it!  I made homemade marshmallows .  Some of you may be scratching your head thinking, okay?   So, what's the big deal?  Well, the big deal is this....before I started reading and blogging I was a "scaredy cat" baker afraid of trying anything new other than a doctored up cake or cookie mix.  Now there isn't anything wrong with that!  There are some darn good, terrific even, desserts that start off with a mix.  (no one ever said, "Hey, you used a mix!"  The person I know with the most discerning palate is one of my 12 yr old twins!) The thing was I wouldn't make anything from scratch and all my cakes were basically sheet cakes.  I played it safe.  While, I am not yet in the same realm as a Daring Baker, I am getting out of my comfort zone.  Here are several first for me.  DUH, homemade marshmallows ( if it didn't work out it's homemade fluff!)!  For the first time I (successfully?) used gelatin sheets.  I also  boiled sugar to a "soft ball" state and knew it was there because I dusted off my candy thermometer and used it for the first time! Yay, me! 

My marshmallows are setting in the pan right now.   The recipe I used calls for them to sit uncovered for 10 to 12 hours, over night in my case.  I'm assuming so it builds a "skin".  In the morning I'll take some photos of the pan filled with all that gooey wonderfulness!   I hope to have time to cut them up and take more photos before I have to take the Twins to baseball practice (7-9).  Unfortunately, I'm not a "drop and go" mom so, I'm there with them until practice is over.   And then it's cook , clean the mess up, bath times ( have I told you guys Devon broke his hand?  He did!  So bathing for him is a chore which involves lots of shouting to me for help.)study some, and than prodding them along to bed.  Ok, now that I've typed that out I know I'm not updating this until Wednesday at the earliest but do check back to see my photos.  I'm going to dip half of my batch in white and dark chocolate.  Eyebrows just went up, right, when you read white chocolate.  LOL!  Yes, I've learned a thing or two, several, and bought real white chocolate.  I'm not scared!  No, sirree! 

Ok, ok, last thing, I also made tonight, The Recipe Girl's Overnight Eggnog Coffee Cake with Nog Drizzle. (now that's a mouth!)  The recipe calls for the batter to be made the night before and baked in the morning.  FYI, the batter was bowl lickin' good! So, I have that to finish up as well!  Gotta run it's 12:15 am and I have to be up in a little more than 6 hours! YIKES!

*UPDATE:  I updated the links.  The marshmallow recipe I used was from the blog Brownie Points.  I found the recipe by googling the words "marshmallow recipe".  I read quite a few before settling on that one. 

I was surprised to learn how many of you haven't tried to make your own marshmallows.  If I can YOU can.  I've posted a picture so that you know I'm not pulling your leg.  You ain't getting those at no grocery store!  :-) I didn't dip them in chocolate yet because I was busy tonight working on something for Babygirl's class which is why there aren't more photos.  More on that later.  It hasn't helped that the past two mornings it has been foggy and tomorrow's not supposed to be any better.  Figures! I will try to  get everything done tomorrow but who knows.  I have cupcakes to bake for Babygirl's class AND she's sick, oh, and my father's coming in from NYC for the weekend!  I'm going to be the walking dead for the next several days.

Wait 'til you hear this......no one in my house really liked the marshmallows!  Yes, you read that correctly. The sitter was the only one who said they were good.  Before you start the "well at least she liked them" I should tell you she's very polite, she could have been lying.  I'm hoping once I dip them in the chocolate the kids will like them better. I'm going to package most of them up as treats for the neighbors and the teachers.  From what the kids mentioned they thought they tasted plain. 

LiveJournal Tags: marshmmallows,chocolate