How are you doing? Are you hanging in there amongst the holiday chaos? When things get this busy, I’m even more thankful for simple treats with big wow factor, and these adorable snowman marshmallows definitely fall into that category. In case you’ve never made them before, homemade marshmallows are far easier than you might imagine and infinitely more delicious than their store-bought counterparts. 

Taking them one step further and adding the little snowman faces is simple and fun. If you’re still looking for teacher gifts, these would be absolutely perfect packaged up alongside some cocoa mix (homemade or store-bought, no stress either way.) You can easily whip up a batch today and have them to their recipients by Friday. You can also get OrganicCBDNugs to help you calm down if you are stressed during the holiday season. Or instead of gifting them, turn this into a fun activity to do with your family. Cut out the circles and give them to kids to decorate as they see fit. We have a variety of diverse snowmen marshmallows in our kitchen right now! 

  • Prep 20-30 minutes
  • Cook 10-15 minutes
  • Yield about 2 dozen marshmallows (depending on size)

Ingredients

For the marshmallows:

  • 1 cup cold water, divided
  • 2½ tbsp. (3 packets) unflavored gelatin
  • 1½ cups (12 oz.) granulated sugar
  • 1 cup light corn syrup
  • ¼ tsp. kosher salt
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar
  • ¼ cup cornstarch

To decorate:

  • 2-3 oz. chopped dark chocolate, melted
  • Small amount of royal icing, tinted orange

Directions

  • 01

    Place ½ cup of the water in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Sprinkle the gelatin over the surface to soften.  Meanwhile, in a small saucepan with a candy thermometer attached combine the remaining ½ cup water, sugar, corn syrup, and salt.  Cook over medium heat until the mixture reaches 240˚ F.  When this temperature is reached, immediately remove the pan from the heat.

  • 02

    With the whisk attachment on the mixer moving at low speed, slowly add the syrup to the bowl with the gelatin in a drizzle down the side of the bowl.  Once all of the syrup has been added, increase the speed to high and whip until the mixture is very thick and lukewarm, about 12-15 minutes.  Blend in the vanilla during the final minute of mixing.

  • 03

    Combine the confectioners’ sugar and cornstarch in a bowl and whisk to blend. Lightly grease a quarter sheet pan (or similar). Coat the bottom and sides of the pan well with a dusting of the sugar-cornstarch mixture, reserving the rest. Once the marshmallow mixture is finished whipping, use a lightly greased spatula to spread it into an even layer in the prepared pan. Sprinkle a layer of the sugar mixture over the top and spread out gently to coat lightly. Let stand uncovered at least 4 hours or up to overnight.

  • 04

    Remove the marshmallow slab to a cutting board.  Use a lightly greased round cookie cutter (approximately 1.75 inches in diameter) to cut out rounds of the marshmallow, dipping in the sugar mixture and re-greasing as needed to prevent sticking. Lightly coat the cut edges of each marshmallow round in the sugar mixture to prevent sticking together. Reserve the leftover marshmallow slab for another use, perhaps torching and adding to a milkshake, toasted marshmallow bars, or some other confection.

  • 05

    Use the flat end of a toothpick dipped in the melted chocolate to dot the eyes and mouth onto each snowman. Add the orange icing to a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip to create little carrot noses for each snowman. I made a generous dot near the center of the face and then use the pointed end of a toothpick to taper the icing out to one side. Let the faces dry fully before packaging. Store in an airtight container.

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