makes about 20 - 2 inch s'mores treatsGreat for gift giving, favors and Valentine's Day gifts.
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time20 minutesmins
Chilling6 hourshrs
Course: Candy, Cookies, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: edible gifts, heart s'mores, homemade s'mores, valentine's day s'mores
Servings: 20
Author: Hani Bacova
Ingredients
VANILLA MARSHMALLOWS
3 1/2envelopes of unflavored Knox granulated gelatin (one envelope is 7grams/2tsp and 1/2tsp gelatin, recipe uses total of 8tsp and 3/4tsp)
1cupcold water, divided
1/2cuplight corn syrup (or use 1/3 cup invert syrup)
2cupsgranulated sugar
1/4tspsalt
1tbspVanilla Extract
Egg White - Optional
2tspmeringue powder
2tbspwarm water
Coating Mixture
1/4cupcorn starch
1/4cuppowdered sugar
HEART GRAHAM CRACKERS
1 3/4cupwhole wheat pastry flour (237grams)
1/3cupall purpose flour (45grams)
1/3cupbrown sugar, packed (75grams)
3/4tspbaking powder
1/2tspbaking soda
1/2tspsalt
1tspcinnamon
8tbspunsalted butter, chilled, cut into cubes (115grams)
2tbspmilk
1tbspfreshly squeezed orange juice
1/4cuphoney (65grams)
1tspVanilla Extract
S'MORES SANDWICH
10ozdark chocolate - use Ghirardelli Dipping Wafers or Tempered Chocolate
Instructions
VANILLA MARSHMALLOWS
Prepare Baking Pan
Grease the bottom and sides of a 13×9 inch rectangular baking pan. You can also use a non- stick spray or soft butter or even little bit of oil. Set aside.
Gelatin
Pour cold water(1/2cup) into the bowl of your stand mixer. Sprinkle gelatin(3 1/2 envelopes Knox unflavored gelatin, 8 3/4tsp) over 1/2 cup of cold water and let it stand to soften/bloom.
Sugar Syrup
In a 3-quart heavy, non-reactive saucepan combine granulated sugar(2cups), corn syrup(1/2cup, or use 1/3cup invert syrup-recipe in the notes), cold water(1/2cup) and salt(1/4tsp). Heat the mixture on low to medium heat. Cover the pot for 4-5 minutes and cook until sugar is dissolved.
After all of the sugar is dissolved increase the temperature to medium and bring mixture to boil. DON'T STIR after this point. You may notice sugar particles sticking to the sides of the pan. Take a pastry brush dip in the water and wash the sugar down with a pastry brush. Or alternatively cover the pan with a lid and let the syrup cook for 2-3 minutes. Condensation will wash down the sides of the pan clean. Attach the candy thermometer inside of the pan. If you notice any sugar crystals on the sides of the pan while sugar syrup is cooking be sure to wash them down with a pastry brush dipped in water.
Once sugar syrup reaches 240F immediately remove pot from the heat. Pour hot sugar syrup down the sides of the bowl into the bloomed gelatin. Mixture will foam up. Stir it with a wooden spoon until gelatin is completely dissolved. About 60 seconds.
Fit a mixer with a wire attachment. Start beating hot sugar syrup on medium speed. Be careful not to touch the bowl at this stage. It will be hot. Once mixture starts to turn opaque increase speed to high. Beat until thick and tripled in volume. Then beat in Vanilla Extract. If desired add gel food coloring.Tip : It is important not to let the marshmallow mixture beat till cold. It will start to set up pretty quickly then. Look for a thick ribbon stage and then turn off the mixer and pour it into a prepared pan.
Egg Whites -Optional
I often add egg whites to my marshmallows. They make marshmallows a bit fluffier. In a small dish combine meringue powder/dry egg whites (2tsp) and warm water (2tbsp). Beat with a small hand held whisk till soft peaks are formed.Once the bowl with marshmallow mixture is is lukewarm to the touch on the outside and marshmallow mixture is thick, white and tripled in volume gradually beat in soft peak egg whites and extracts. If desired add gel food coloring at this point. It is important not to let the marshmallow mixture beat till cold. It will start to set up pretty quickly. Look for a ribbon stage and then turn off the mixer and pour mixture into a prepared pan.
Fill the Baking Pan
Pour all of the marshmallow mixture into the prepared pan. Evenly spread it with a greased spatula. Let marshmallows set for 5-6 hours, and up to overnight.
Coating Mixture
In a bowl combine powdered sugar (1/4cup) and corn starch (1/4cup). Set aside.
Cut Out Heart Marshmallows
Dust a large cutting board with a coating sugar/starch mixture. Loosen the edges of marshmallow slab and invert set marshmallow slab onto a sugar/starch dusted surface. Generously dust the top of the marshmallow slab as well. Spray a metal heart cookie cutter with a non-stick spray. Cut out as many hearts as possible. You might need to spray the cutter with a non-stick spray few times in the process. Alternatively use oil or soft butter to grease the cutter. Use the same size cutter you used to cut out graham crackers.
Coat Marshmallows
Coat heart cut out marshmallows with powdered sugar/corn starch mixture. Then place coated marshmallows into a fine mesh sieve. Shake it to remove residue from the marshmallow cubes.
Storage
Layer marshmallows into an airtight container. Place a piece of parchment between layers. Store in an airtight container for up to 2-3 weeks.
GRAHAM CRACKERS
You can make graham crackers by hand or by a food processor.In a medium bowl (or use a food processor*)combine Whole wheat pastry flour ( 1 3/4cup), All purpose flour (1/3cup), brown sugar (1/3 cup, packed), baking powder (3/4tsp), baking soda (1/2tsp), cinnamon (1tsand salt (1/2tsp). *Pulse to combine.
Add chilled butter cut up into cubes(8tbsp/1stick) and work the dough with your hands until it resembles cornmeal, set aside. *If using food processor pulse until it resembles cornmeal.
In a small bowl combine together milk (2tbsp), orange juice (1tbsp), honey (1/4cup), Vanilla extract (1tsp).
Pour all the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir all ingredients together with a wooden spoon then using your hands form the dough into ball, make a disk, wrap it in a plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.*If using a food processor gradually pour liquid into the dry ingredients, while pulsing, until mixture is thoroughly moisten and when pressed with your fingers it holds together. Don't over mix it.
Preheat oven to 350F.
Roll the dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper or use a Dough EZ Rolling System. Dust the work surface lightly with flour. It’s okay to roll it out thinly about 1/8 inch.
Cut out shapes with a heart cookie cutter ( I used a 2 inch heart cutter). Transfer cookies onto a baking sheet lined with parchment.
Use a fork to poke holes into the cookies. Or if you have a small decorating comb like I have use it instead.
Re-roll scraps.
Before you place second baking sheet into the oven, cut out small hearts from the cookies using a small about 3/4 inch heart cutter. You should have an equal amount of heart graham crackers with and without a heart cut out.
Bake at 350F for 12 -14 minutes, or until golden brown, watch carefully so they don’t burn. Thicker cookies need more baking time, thinner cookie will be done faster.
Let the cookies cool completely.
HEART S'MORES SANDWICH
Melt chocolate.Sandwich heart marshmallows between 2 heart graham crackers. Use melted chocolate to glue marshmallows onto the graham crackers. Then dip half of the heart s'mores into chocolate. Place freshly dipped s'mores onto a wax paper and let the chocolate harden before storing s'mores in an airtight container.