Marshmallow Recipes

I'm not sure who invented the s'more dessert or when.  What I do know is it's an abbreviation for "some more". 

It's our family's tradition to light a camp fire right after using our barbecue.  Since my childhood friend Alexia and her family are visiting from Paris, I wanted to give them the very American experience of molten marshmallows tucked with a piece of chocolate in between graham crackers. 

We had leftover marshmallows, so I made a variation, an "indoor" s'more, combining a vanilla cake, marshmallow, peanut butter, raspberry liqueur, chocolate and a few dried fruits.  My guests did, indeed, ask for some more! 

This week, I had the pleasure of spending the entire day with my husband's 9-year-old nephew.  Baby Aria found the cutest nickname for him: "Hashee".  He loves to bake, so we spent the day in the kitchen. 

First, we came up with a game plan.  Hashee loves peanut butter, so we baked peanut butter cookies.  We topped them with melty marshmallows and covered them with peanut crumb topping. 

I’m planning on baking a lot for the July 4th celebrations.  What kinds of cookies/pies/tarts/ do you enjoy most during this holiday? 

If like me, you sometimes run out of time but still want to serve quick and easy dessert, give this marshmallow treat a try.  I melted marshmallows into a creamy fluff and mixed with mascarpone cheese.  This recipe utilizes a great shortcut: a blend of lecithin, xanthan gum and lemon extract as a binder, but of course you could firm up the cream with a regular egg custard. 

I also made a delicious coulis de framboises ("raspberry sauce" in English) to brighten both the flavor and presentation of the dessert.  The raspberries I used tasted great but weren't that visually appealing anymore.  Sauces are always a great way to make use of the fruits in your kitchen that may have lost some of their sex appeal. 

The main reason I made this dessert is that I have been feeling bad for my husband Lulu, who's whining a bit about how healthy our meals have become.  It took me probably 20 minutes tops to assemble this beautiful dessert, so we both win!  He's got it tough, hasn't he? 

It may be a bit cliché, but I'm a chocolate addict.  I’m always trying to find new ways to use chocolate.  Growing up, there was Nutella on the table every day, and I thought it would be fun to come up with a decadent, chocolate-flavored breakfast treat for the holidays. 

This special breakfast combines French toast, chocolate and, since it's the holidays, marshmallows.  I took stale brioche, dipped it in chocolate flavored custard and seared it on the stove.  The garnish is made with marshmallow fluff and a drizzle of warm Nutella.  Who would say no to that? 

Speaking of chocolate, our friends from Romanicos are giving away $85 worth of their delicious handmade chocolates, called the “Cube Box”.  I had an opportunity to try the chocolates recently, and they are honestly some of the best I’ve had in the US.  I thought I could only get chocolates of this quality in France, so I was very pleasantly surprised.  My husband’s family was literally fighting over them, so I’m going to have to get more soon!  If you’d like to personalize the product for the holidays, check out Romanico’s Family Holiday Gifts.  You can have your holiday greeting cards printed directly on the box.  And of course, don’t forget to enter today’s giveaway for your chance to win! 

479° Popcorn is my favorite snack of the moment.  The packaging is fun and creative and needless to say this gourmet organic popcorn is awesome.  I could finish an entire bag on my own.  479° Popcorn is a San Francisco company that features a very interesting array of flavors such as Fleur de Sel Caramel, Alderwood Smoked Sea Salt, Black Truffle, Chipotle Caramel + Almonds, Ginger Sesame Caramel, Madras Curry Coconut + Cashews, Pimenton de la Vera and Vietnamese Cinnamon Sugar.  The design is so original it makes the perfect holiday gift box.  One of my husband's little sisters is obsessed with popcorn, and her birthday is coming up in a few weeks, so we're planning on buying her weight in 479° popcorn as a present.  OK, that's a bit of an exaggeration! 

I love experimenting with just about anything, so I created marshmallow treats with their Vietnamese Cinnamon Sugar-flavored popcorn.  I made a yogurt parfait and incorporated the sweet treats as a substitute for granola.  This recipe is flavored according to the season; I used mandarin wedges and orange and cranberry sauce.  You could adapt it with what you like of course.  You don't have to create these cups for breakfast or dessert (or whenever you eat parfaits); just savoring 479° Popcorn by itself is perfectly reasonable.