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Spiced Hot Chocolate with Home-made Marshmallows

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Ingredients

  • 7 cups dry low-fat milk powder
  • 3 ½ cups quality unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate, chopped or in morsels
  • 2 ½ cups superfine sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground clove
  • ½ cup instant mocha cappuccino powder (optional)
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 cup confectioners sugar
  • 3½ envelopes nfectioners sugar 3½ envelopes (2 tablespoons plus 2 ½ teaspoons) unflavored gelatin
  • ½ cup cold water
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • ½ cup light corn syrup
  • ½ cup hot water (about 115 degrees)
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

For Hot Chocolate Mix:

This is a shelf stable dry mix you can keep for months. Also makes a great gift idea in a special jar or container. Spices can be eliminated for a more traditional hot chocolate. 


Combine half of the powdered milk with all of the semi-sweet chocolate in a food processor. Process until chocolate is finely chopped, almost a powder. Mix in vanilla and almond extract and process to mix. Empty the contents of the food processor into a large bowl and mix in remaining milk powder and all other ingredients. Mix very well and process again in food processor to finish. 

Use about 1/8 cup of mixture for a small cup of cocoa, or ¼ cup for a large mug. Just add boiling water and stir well. 

For Marshmallows:
You will need a candy thermometer.

Spray a 13 by 9 by 2-inch rectangular metal baking pan with Pam and dust with some confectioners’ sugar.

In a bowl of standing electric mixer, sprinkle gelatin over cold water and let stand to soften.

In a 3-quart pan, cook granulated sugar, corn syrup, hot water, and salt over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to moderate and boil mixture, without stirring, until a candy or digital thermometer registers 240 degrees, about 12 minutes. Remove pan from heat and pour sugar mixture over gelatin mixture, stirring until gelatin is dissolved.

Beat mixture on high speed until white, thick and nearly tripled in volume, about 6 minutes. In a large bowl with cleaned beaters, beat whites until they just hold stiff peaks. Beat whites and vanilla into sugar mixture until just combined. Pour mixture into baking pan and sift ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar evenly over top. Chill marshmallow, uncovered, until firm, at least three hours, and up to 1 day.

Run a thin knife around edges of pan and invert pan onto large cutting board. Lifting up 1 corner of inverted pan, with fingers loosen marshmallow and let drop onto cutting board. With a large knife trim edges of marshmallow and cut marshmallows into roughly 1-inch cubes. Sift remaining confectioners’ sugar into a large bowl and add marshmallows in batches, tossing to evenly coat. Marshmallow s keep in an airtight container at cool room temperature 1 week. Enjoy!

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