Jack Daniels Marshmallows



Oh, marshmallows. I have had such a trying time with them. I am that weird person who hates plain marshmallows but loves making (and devouring) rice krispy treats from scratch. I had my first taste of   fresh marshmallows at a little bakery in Atlanta a long time back and had been obsessed with making homemade ones ever since. 
I made two different recipes over 2011 that both fell flat. I whipped and whipped and whipped with a hand mixer and they never came together anything more than a liquid mess. I decided to give up entirely for about five months, until my friend Lucy, of The Sweet Touch, invited me over to make some marshmallows at her place. I was apprehensive, but I figured it'd be fun to meet up and try again. She had a recipe printed out and we followed the instructions exactly and I realized where I had gone wrong. 




Making marshmallows is a huge headache without a stand mixer. It needs to be whipped for about 6-10 minutes with the speed of a stand mixer, and I feebly attempted this with my hand mixer, which takes even longer. I clearly didn't have the patience to make it there... Either way, we made some successfully delicious peppermint flavored ones, and even swirled the tops with red coloring. 

As for how these whiskey marshmallows came about...
I have a friend who loves all things Jack Daniels since she was a kid (yep, you read right). She even has a tilting display holder for her special version with honey in her apartment.

So when my friend J and I were trying to think of what to give her for her birthday (besides the brownie cookies), we knew whatever it was had to have Jack Daniels in it. I didn't really want to bake something with it because alcohol always evaporates out and I already had the cookies ready. That's where these marshmallows came in.



I swapped out the vanilla for the alcohol. About a shot and a half. Pretty much the size of a miniature bottle. The initial taste is just sweet but as it melts in your mouth, the flavor of whiskey is unmistakeable. My friend received them yesterday and said they were delicious, with just the right amount. So I'm glad these were birthday-girl approved! Especially from someone who holds Jack Daniels in such high esteem.

Update 3/10/15*
I made these again but this time we torched them each with a blowtorch and added some chocolate chips. Some of us may have poured some extra Bourbon on top too. Needless to say, they were to-die-for. 

Although I've tried 4 different recipes for marshmallows and two of them were successful, I choose to share this one with you today. It incorporates two egg whites which makes the overall result fluffier. 

I also dipped half of them in chocolate and left the other half as is, for boozy hot chocolate. 

Whiskey Marshmallows
Adapted from Epicurious

2 TBS + 2.5 tsp unflavored gelatin
1 cup cold water, divided
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/4 tsp salt
2 large egg whites
6 tablespoons whiskey

*If doing peppermint, I recommend only 1 tsp - it can get strong!*

  • Oil the bottom and sides of a 13x9x2 inch baking pan and dust all sides and bottom with powdered sugar.
  • In a bowl of a standing mixer, sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup of cold water and let it stand.
  • In a saucepan, heat the sugar, corn syrup, and second 1/2 cup of water, with salt.
  • Stir with a wooden spoon over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. 
  • Increase the heat to medium and boil without stirring until a candy thermometer measures 240 degrees F, or about 10 minutes.
  • Remove the pan from heat and pour over the gelatin, stirring until the gelatin is dissolved.
  • Beat with the stand mixer on high until white, thick, and nearly tripled in volume, about 6-10 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, beat the egg whites separately in a clean bowl until stiff peaks, and combine it with the sugar mixture, along with the whiskey/extract.
  • Pour the entire mix unto the baking pan and sift powdered sugar evenly over the top.
  • Chill the pan, uncovered, until firm (at least 3 hours).
  • Run a thin knife around the edge of the pan and invert into a cutting board that is covered in cornstarch or powdered sugar.
  • Cut into 1-inch cubes and roll each piece in sugar or cornstarch (or a mix of the two if you don't want them to get sweeter) and set aside.
Optional: Melt about 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips and dip one half of the marshmallows in them. Allow them to dry on parchment paper.

Second option: Torch them before eating!


Comments

  1. Oh, interesting. Your recipe has egg whites in it! The one I use doesn't. I'll have to do a taste comparison someday! :) I think I like the idea of not using egg whites for the sake of being able to keep them longer, but if I know they're going to be consumed soon, it might be worth it to try this version.

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  2. Those sound interesting. Now you can make adult Rice Krispy treats.

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  3. Really fun recipe. I've never made marshmallows, but your recipe looks terrific. Thanks for a fun idea.

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  4. Um, I am a BIG fan of adding alcohol to desserts. What a great idea! I bet I would REALLY like these!

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