Can we please get all hearts, stars, and lovey-dovey up in here already? I’ve been biting my nails waiting for Valentine’s Day to roll around. It’s the New Year, so we’re going to start planning! We’re only 6 weeks away from the most wonderful time of the year–the day of Love! Cupid’s Day! Pink puffy heart day! Maybe a diamond ring day for you, who knows?! Maybe you’re packing up your holiday decorations; maybe your dying Christmas tree is still on the front porch like mine is…but we can start planning all the ways we’re going to celebrate love love love! If you’re one of those people who thinks Valentine’s Day feels more like Single’s Awareness Day–don’t worry, I’ve gotcha covered there, too. Stay with me through these pink raspberry marshmallows. I’m going to be sharing many Valentine’s Day dessert and dinner ideas with you up until the big day. As always, I’m very open to suggestions. I have a list of cutesy and yummy desserts I want to share with you, and I’ll be tackling decadent dinners that you would normally get at a restaurant (but made at home, way easier). But I love to hear from you, so share your request in the comments below. First up: pink marshmallows. I should clarify: RASPBERRY marshmallows. I feel like 2015 was the year of the homemade marshmallow with my small batch marshmallows, chocolate marshmallows, and berry-swirl marshmallows. And I’m still over here, making marshmallows. And they’re still delicious. When I teach cooking classes, the #1 thing people tell me they want to learn how to make is marshmallows. We all know we can do better than the marshies that come in the bag at the store. In fact, once you taste a fresh marshmallow, you’ll realize that the store-bought ones are stale. They’re stale on purpose so they don’t stick together in the bag, but still: s-t-a-l-e. We can do better than that. Here’s the good news: marshmallows are surprisingly simple to make! You need a candy thermometer. Grab one at Bed, Bath, and Beyond (don’t forget your 20% coupon!), and you’re set to go. Then, use the thermometer to bring water, sugar and corn syrup to 238-degrees F. (If you happen to be anti-corn syrup, I have a maple-syrup version here). Meanwhile, let your gelatin soften in a bowl of water. When the sugar mixture is up to temp, stream it into the gelatin mixture while beating. It’s that simple. For these pink marshmallows, we’re going to stir in some freeze-dried raspberry powder. I buy bags of freeze-dried raspberries at Trader Joe’s. I’ve also seen freeze-dried fruit at Whole Foods. After I pulse it in a coffee grinder, I sift it to remove any stray seeds. I get about ¼ cup of powder from this method. Stay tuned for a fun way to float these raspberry marshmallows tomorrow…
