I’ve had a Beatles song stuck in my head for weeks.
Oooh, I get by with a little help with my friends / Mmm, I’m gonna try with a little help from my friends / Oh, I get high with a little help with my friends / Yes I get by with a little help with my friends.
I sing both the Ringo Starr and John Lennon parts, duh.
I feel like With A Little Help From My Friends song is SO appropriate these days. My entire year has been a testament to hard work and great friendships. One of those soul-saving friendships this year has come from Matt Armendariz also known as Matt Bites. Matt is a majorly talented food photographer and author of a cookbook called On A Stick.
Speaking of Matt… Speaking of great friends… You best believe it’s time for a new Bonkers Awesome episode! Oh, if you’re the binge-watcher type, check out ulive.com for more episodes!
After you watch the video we should probably talk about Matt’s tiny dog and my aggressive bangs, right?
I’ve admired Matt’s (and his food-stylist husband Adam’s) food photography and styling skills for years. YEARS! Seriously. This was a total fan-girl moment for me. It’s just totally beyond that I got to spend the day in their studio styling food and getting photography tips.
I want to share my fan-girl freak out with you. I also think we should make Gingerbread spiced Marshmallows, s’mores-style, dipped in chocolate and crumbled gingersnap cookies. This is a good-time overload. I’m not even sorry.
Original photography shot with the Canon EOS 5D Mark III digital SLR. The filmmaker’s camera.
Let’s start by making the marshmallows!
For some reason, I always have to remind myself that marshmallows don’t involve beating egg whites until glossy white. Nope. No egg whites. Just good, old-fashioned sugar, corn syrup, and powdered gelatin.
We traditionally use light corn syrup for marshmallows. Since we’re adding a good dose of gingerbread spice to these special marshmallows, we’re also using dark corn syrup. It will add just the right amount of depth to the sweetness. Oh! Speaking of spices, we’re talking about lots of ground ginger, cinnamon, freshly grated nutmeg, and a pinch of ground cloves.
Marshmallows are really much easier than they might seem! I promise.
Get yourself a candy thermometer and boil a bit of sugar. Really the hardest part of making marshmallows is cleaning off the sticky whisk.
Corn syrup, sugar, and water are boiled down to soft-ball stage. That’s 240 degrees F. The hot syrup mixture is then whipped with dissolved gelatin. Whipped a ton. Whipped well. Eight whole minutes of whipping. Then? Marshmallows!
The gooey marshmallow matter is covered in powdered sugar and left to dry overnight. Drying time is essential. It makes the marshmallows sliceable.
After a night of rest the marshmallows are pillow-y soft. The insides have just a bit of golden color and they smell just like gingerbread spice.
Now it’s time to make these marshmallows extra special. Melted dark chocolate and crumbled gingersnap cookies! We’re making these holiday marshmallows as close to summer s’mores as we can. Just because.
And while we munch on our marshmallow treats, we can daydream about Matt’s prop room.
Normal. Totally normal.
Bonkers Awesome Gingerbread Spiced Marshmallows
makes about 24 marshmallows
adapted from On A Stick
For the Marshmallows:
1 cup cold water, divided
2 1/4-ounce packages unflavored gelatin
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup dark corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
pinch of ground cloves
1 cup powdered sugar, for coating the pan and topping the marshmallows
For the Topping:
8 ounces 60% dark chocolate
1/3 cup finely crumbled gingersnap cookie crumbs
To make the marshmallows, Spray an 8×8-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray and coat with the powdered sugar. Set aside.
Pour 1/2 cup cold water into the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a whisk attachment. Pour the two gelatin packs over the cold water and let sit for about 10 minutes.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring sugar, dark corn syrup, salt and the remaining cold water to a boil. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan and bring mixture up to 240 degrees F. There’s no need to stir the mixture, just let it get hot hot hot!
Candice @ The Savory and The Beautiful
Great post Joy! I especially loved the video. Oh how I wish I had room to collect props too.
Sevimin Askanasi
looks great, I love it
Kezia
Oh my, that prop room! *faints* And those marshmallows – I think it’s totally worth overcoming my fear of boiling sugar to make these. Sugar-induced bliss here I come!
Laura (Tutti Dolci)
Marshmallows dipped in chocolate = epic
Jessica (bakecetera)
i need these marshmallows in my life! i’m going to try this recipe with agar agar powder instead of gelatin. they look incredibly fluffy and delicious! (ps: awesome video AND bangs!)
Nicollette
Hi Jessica! I was wondering if you tried this recipe with the Agar Agar, and if so how did it turn out? I have been wanting to try agar agar instead of gelatin, but I have no idea how to measure it out in place of gelatin. Any tips?
Carrie @ poet in the pantry
Wow! What a prop room! Those marshmallows look fantastic–great holiday treat!
Carla Elliott
Oh goodness yes!! Can’t wait to pour hot sugar syrup into gelatine, cover the result in chocolate and roll in cookie crumbs. You have inspired me to get super creative. Thanks joy!!
Cassie
I made gingerbread marshmallows last year to go with homemade hot chocolate, and they were super popular. I substituted honey and molasses for the corn syrup, and they turned out great. Mine were tiny, though — your big, chocolate-dipped marshmallows look awesome!
Crystal Boggs
What camera did you and Matt use for this photo shoot?
joythebaker
Matt used a Canon 5d Mark III.
bec {daisy and the fox}
Ahh your so lucky!! that prop room looked like heaaaven :)
and recipe looks utterly awesome – a combo of all things good and totally christmas ready
thanks for the recipe and good luck with the cook book! :D
vanillasugarblog
Oh Joy that’s fun.
I LOVE Matt!
Lucky you!
Aimee Wimbush-Bourque
I’m totally making these with my little sister when she shows up for Christmas. YUM!
I’ve never met Matt, but he seems awesome!! I own On a Stick, too. It’s super fun.
Love the bangs, and your jeans too.
Warm Vanilla Sugar
Prop land is a freaking DREAM!! Super excited about this series joy! This first video is awesome!
Katie
Was literally JUST about to send tweet you to ask if you had a favorite candy thermometer. I need to make 8 dozen of some sort of holiday treat to contribute to holiday treat bags for the volunteers at the library where I work, and I was contemplating being brave and trying to make marshmallows for the first time everrrrr. And then you post this. Fate, Joy, fate!
Mary
Oh my goodness those marshmallows look amazing – fabulous Holiday flavors. Lovely post – that prop room also sent me into a swoon!
Mary