Homemade Marshmallow Easter Eggs
Ingredients
Marshmallows:
- ½ cup cold water
- 3 envelopes unflavored gelatin
- 1 ½ cups (318 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- ½ cup water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Other:
- Lots of all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (340 g) chopped chocolate or good-quality chocolate chips for dipping
- Sprinkles or colored chocolate wafers for drizzling
Instructions
- To start, fill two large, rimmed baking sheets (11X17-inch) with flour, shaking to get a mostly even layer. Using a plastic Easter egg (you can also use a real egg or other egg-shape object for the mold), press lightly into the flour to make egg molds. Space the indentations about 1-2 inches apart. If the next indentation messes up the sides of the first indentation, don't stress. Simply press the egg shape lightly into each indentation that needs the edges fixed a bit. Using a 2-inch (in length) plastic egg, I make about 6 indentations across in 3 rows for a total of 18 indentations for each sheet pan. Set the sheet pans carefully aside.
- For the marshmallows, pour the cold water into the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (you can do this without a stand mixer, but you'll need to use an electric handheld mixer that won't burn out after 10 or so minutes of mixing) and sprinkle the gelatin over the top, letting it soften.
- While the gelatin softens, combine the sugar, corn syrup, water, and salt in a medium saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan and increase the heat to medium. Let the mixture come to a boil and continue cooking without stirring until the syrup reaches 240 degrees F on the thermometer.
- Turn the mixer to low speed and (carefully!) pour the hot syrup into the mixer in a slow and steady stream. Once it has all been added, turn the mixer to medium or high and let the mixer whip the mixture for 10-13 minutes, until the mixture is cooled and is thick and fluffy. You don't want it to mix quite as much as when making marshmallows that will be poured into a pan to later be cut into squares. The mixture should be slightly softer than that so that it molds to the egg indentations made in the flour. Mix in the vanilla extract.
- Grease two spoons with cooking spray and carefully scoop spoonfuls of the marshmallow mixture into the indentations in the flour (see the pictures below, if needed). Once all the egg molds are filled with marshmallow, let them sit for 10-15 minutes.
- Once slightly set, gently lift an edge of the marshmallow and carefully flip over so it is now sticky-side down in the flour. Don't press on it or push it into the flour, just let it gently sit on the top of the flour.
- Let the marshmallows set for 1-2 hours (or up to overnight - covered loosely with plastic wrap).
- Take each marshmallow egg and rub it briskly with the palms of your hands to remove any excess flour. It's ok if there is still a very light coating of flour on the egg - it won't be noticeable after the egg is covered in chocolate. All the excess flour can be poured right back into the flour bag/container.
- Melt the chocolate over low heat or in the microwave on 50% power in 1-minute increments until melted and smooth. To prevent blooming (the white streaks in chocolate after it has set), stir in a bit of reserved finely chopped chocolate into the hot, melted chocolate to lower the temperature just a bit.
- One by one, drop a marshmallow egg into the chocolate. Using a fork, cover the egg in chocolate. Lift the egg up onto the fork and tap the handle of the fork on the edge of the bowl to let the excess chocolate fall through the tines of the fork into the bowl. Gently scrape the bottom of the fork on the edge of the bowl and then transfer the egg to a parchment or wax paper lined baking sheet, using the edge of a butter knife to help slide the egg off the fork onto the parchment.
- Repeat with the remaining eggs. If using sprinkles, toss them lightly on the eggs while still wet with chocolate. Place the eggs in the refrigerator to let the chocolate set. After the chocolate has set, colored melting wafers or other chocolate can be drizzled over the eggs.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Notes
Flour: trust me, you can't taste the little dusting of flour on the eggs once they've been wiped clean. It's completely unnoticeable. However, if you still are opposed, you could try and use powdered sugar or cornstarch for the egg molds - but experiment wisely since I haven't tested it myself and don't know how either of those ingredients will hold up to the process. All the excess flour can get poured back right into your flour bag/container.
Corn Syrup: I know corn syrup is the devil to some people and I, like many of you, don't use it very often; however, I'm not opposed to using it for specialty treats like this a couple times a year. If you are looking for a substitution, you'll have to google or experiment as I haven't tried subbing anything for it in these homemade marshmallows. PS: In case you are trying to work out the ins and outs of corn syrup, while it isn't healthy by any means, don't get it confused with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) - they are two different things (both made from corn but HFCS has much of the glucose in corn syrup converted to fructose to make it much, much sweeter). Moderation, friends, moderation.
Video Tip: here's a quick video tip on tempering/melting chocolate and another on dipping things in chocolate like a pro.
Chocolate: my preferred brand of chocolate is Ghirardelli.