Peppermint Marshmallows with French Hot Chocolate



Peppermint Marshmallows with
French Hot Chocolate

Love hot coco and marshmallows!  No Christmas party is complete with out them!  We are putting on a Polar Express Christmas Party in our ward (church congregation) in December.  We've planned a Hot Coco Bar as part of the après meal, complete with homemade marshmallows, peppermint stirrers, whipped cream and sprinkles among some of the toppings.  It was so fun coming up with this recipe for the peppermint marshmallows.  I loved how they turned out!  Marshmallows are usually rolled in powdered sugar, I thought they would look adorable rolled in the crushed peppermint.  And they did look adorable!  No need to flavor the marshmallow with anything but vanilla, or flavor your cocoa, the crushed peppermint marshmallow gives just the right amount of peppermint to brighten your cup of cocoa! 

4 envelopes unflavored gelatin

1 1/2 cups water, divided
3 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
drop of red food coloring
4 boxes full size candy canes, crushed in heavy zip lock bag

Oil a 9x13 inch baking dish with vegetable oil.  Line the dish with aluminum foil and oil foil with vegetable oil.  In the bowl of electric mixer, add gelatin and 3/4 cup water.  In small pot stir together sugar, corn syrup, 3/4 cup water and salt.  Bring to a boil and cook over high heat until the syrup reaches 234 to 240 degrees on a candy thermometer.  Stir in vanilla and food coloring.  Using the whisk on the electric mixer at full speed, pour the hot syrup into gelatin mixture and whip for 15 minutes.  Pour out into prepared dish and smooth the top of marshmallow with an oiled spatula.  Let stand at room temperature for 10 hours uncovered.  Sprinkle crushed candy canes onto  countertop or large cutting board.  Turn out marshmallows onto crushed candy canes.  Sprinkle crushed candy canes over the top of marshmallow block and rub in with hands to prevent marshmallows from sticking.  Cut marshmallows with oiled cookie cutters and roll in crushed candy canes.  Makes 64  large square marshmallows.

                    French Hot Chocolate

You can’t find a smoother, richer or creamier hot chocolate than this. Well, maybe somewhere along the Champs-Elysees!   My friend Andrea Hamilton gave me this family recipe, and we love it.  My husband likes to tease that it’s not really how the French make their hot chocolate!  

2 cups whipping cream
1 cup Hershey’s chocolate syrup
1 cup granulated sugar
4 cups milk

In medium bowl whip the cream with a hand mixer. As it begins to thicken, alternate adding chocolate syrup and sugar until all ingredients are combined. Chill chocolate cream in airtight container in refrigerator until ready to use.  Heat milk in a tea pot or crock pot and stir in all of the whipped chocolate cream.  Heat until hot and serve or fill mugs about 1/3 full of chocolate cream, add hot milk.  Stir and serve.  Top off each mug  with a peppermint marshmallow.