Chocolate-Peppermint Marshmallows

Happy Valentine's day everyone!  Have you had your fill of pink, hearts and little cupid angels?  Somehow I missed out on this holiday.  Heading to the store this weekend I saw mostly St. Patrick's day decorations and candies.  Between visiting my parents two weekends ago and moving last weekend, January came and went without so much as a snowstorm.

I have done very little to prepare for this love-centric day.  I made no chocolate-covered strawberries, no raspberry covered chocolate mousse, no heart-shaped cookies.  I haven't even planned a wonderful dinner for boyfriend yet!  It will most likely be a last-minute, what can I make with the stuff in the fridge, kind of meal.  I think that as long as I avoid pork, sweet potatoes, shrimp and fruits, he'll like it.

This Valentine's day is a special one for boyfriend and I.  It's the first February 14 that we will get to spend together as a couple and we've been together for nine years.  I suppose that I should make this a special holiday...  Maybe I'll stop at the bakery in Penn station and get him a box of cookies.  We can enjoy the cookies with some hot chocolate and peppermint marshmallows.

One Year Ago: Homemade Butterfinger Bars

Chocolate-Peppermint Marshmallows

Adapted from Marshmallows

These marshmallows are light and fluffy and give an amazing flavor to hot chocolate!  Once completed, these need to be kept in an air-tight container.  The addition of the peppermint flavor makes these guys suck up the cocoa coating, you'll need to toss them in the coating just before serving or giving away.
Marshmallow base

1/2 cup water
1 1/4 cup corn syrup
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar

Cocoa Slurry

1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa powder
2/3 cup boiling water

Bloom

4 packets gelatin, I used Knox
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp peppermint flavor (use flavor, not extract.  I like Spice Islands)

Extras

2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

Coating

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 cup cornstarch

Coat a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.  Using a napkin, wipe out excess oil.

In a 2-quart pot, combine ingredients for the marshmallow base.  Stir to mix all of the ingredients and place over medium heat.  Brush down any sugar crystals with a wet pastry brush and clip on a candy thermometer.  Cook until the temperature reaches 260, do not stir at this time!  The sugar syrup will self stir while boiling.

While the sugar syrup is boiling, mix together the cocoa slurry in a small bowl.  Also, mix together ingredients for the gelatin bloom.  Once the sugar syrup reaches 260, remove from the heat and stir in gelatin bloom.  Once gelatin is dissolved in, add cocoa slurry.  Transfer to a mixing bowl and whip for 20 minutes on high.  You might need to throw a towel over the bowl for the first few minutes, as this mixture will splatter.

At the 15 minute mark, melt semi-sweet chocolate chips in a medium bowl.  At the twenty minute mark, add 1 cup marshmallow batter to the melted chocolate and fold to incorporate.  Add this back to the main mixing bowl and fold to mix.  Pour into prepared pan and cover loosely with a sheet of foil.  Allow to set for 4 hours or overnight.

Combine ingredients for the coating and place in a large bowl.  Remove marshmallow slab from the pan and coat with some cocoa coating.  Using a sharp knife, cut slab into 1-inch square marshmallows.  Toss marshmallows in coating and EAT THEM ALL!  Maybe share some with your friends.