S'mores
S'mores: not just for summer campfires! Especially not when they are made with homemade amaretto marshmallows and graham crackers!
The morning Nemo struck, I was making a last minute run to the stores to make sure I had all necessary baking supplies (the important things, right?), and I realized as I was checking out at BJ's (the equivalent of Sam's Club/Costco), I had forgotten graham crackers. Kind of a necessity when I was planning on making some homemade marshmallows and already had some chocolate bars. So I decided to run by the regular grocery store to grab some, along with some sage and a bottle of wine (the important things, remember?). However, it was a mad house! I don't even think it was that bad when people were preparing for Hurricane Sandy. Needless to say, I decided I could make do without my three items, rather than wait in line for half an hour when the snow already started and I wanted to make sure I got a parking spot at home.
So my only other option was homemade graham crackers. I was a bit apprehensive, but they turned out easier than I thought. Overall, they made for some seriously tasty s'mores! Marshmallow Difficulty: Easy. Rating: AB's is better, but still tasty. Graham Cracker Difficulty: Easy once you modify the directions. Rating: Better than the real thing.
Amaretto Marshmallows
Ingredients
1 cup powdered sugar
2/3 cup cornstarch
5 teaspoons (2.5 packets) unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
2 tablespoons Disaronno
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup, divided
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons Disaronno
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Combine powdered sugar and cornstarch to make coating. Lightly spray an 8x8 pan with cooking spray, then generously dust with coating. Set aside, retaining remaining coating.
Whisk the gelatin, 1/2 cup water, and 2 tablespoons Disaronno in a small, microwave safe bowl. Set aside and let rest at least 10 minutes.
In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, 1/4 cup corn syrup, 1/4 cup water, 2 tablespoons Disaronno, and salt. Attach a candy thermometer and place over medium-high heat. Boil, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F.
When the syrup is nearly to temperature, microwave the gelatin bloom for 30 seconds to melt. Pour into bowl of stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, and turn mixer on low.
Once the syrup has reached 240, remove from heat and slowly pour it into the bowl of the running stand mixer. Once it has been added, increase the speed to medium and continue to whisk for five minutes. Increase the speed to medium high and beat for three more minutes. Add the almond extract, then beat at the highest speed for two minutes, until the mixture is fluffy and glossy.
Pour mixture into prepared pan, smoothing the top with a lightly greased spatula. Dust with more coating. Let set for about six hours in a cool, dry place.
Once the marshmallows have set, run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen, then invert them onto a surface dusted with more coating. Cut into desired sizes/shapes, and dust the cut edges with more coating.
Whole Wheat Graham Crackers
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup honey
Mix together flour, baking soda, and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the remaining ingredients, beating with a paddle attachment until well combined. Add in the flour mixture, one half at a time, until well combined. Shape dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and let rest for 30 minutes. [NOTE: Original recipe said to refrigerate the dough for the 30 minutes, but I found that made the dough impossible to roll out until it returned to room temperature.]
Preheat the oven to 350. After dough has rested, roll out on a lightly floured surface until you have a rectangle approximately 1/8" thick. Cut into squares of desired size. Transfer to a parchment/mat lined baking sheet, spacing them 1" apart. If you want the look of a traditional cracker, score down the middle and use a fork to perforate the top. Freeze baking sheets for 10 minutes to chill the cookies. Bake the graham crackers for 13-14 minutes, rotating pans halfway through, until they are lightly browned around the edges. Allow the graham crackers to cool completely on the pans.
The morning Nemo struck, I was making a last minute run to the stores to make sure I had all necessary baking supplies (the important things, right?), and I realized as I was checking out at BJ's (the equivalent of Sam's Club/Costco), I had forgotten graham crackers. Kind of a necessity when I was planning on making some homemade marshmallows and already had some chocolate bars. So I decided to run by the regular grocery store to grab some, along with some sage and a bottle of wine (the important things, remember?). However, it was a mad house! I don't even think it was that bad when people were preparing for Hurricane Sandy. Needless to say, I decided I could make do without my three items, rather than wait in line for half an hour when the snow already started and I wanted to make sure I got a parking spot at home.
So my only other option was homemade graham crackers. I was a bit apprehensive, but they turned out easier than I thought. Overall, they made for some seriously tasty s'mores! Marshmallow Difficulty: Easy. Rating: AB's is better, but still tasty. Graham Cracker Difficulty: Easy once you modify the directions. Rating: Better than the real thing.
 | ||
| Okay, so I was a little impatient... Non-fully set marshmallows get super melty when toasted. |
Amaretto Marshmallows
Ingredients
1 cup powdered sugar
2/3 cup cornstarch
5 teaspoons (2.5 packets) unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
2 tablespoons Disaronno
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup, divided
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons Disaronno
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Combine powdered sugar and cornstarch to make coating. Lightly spray an 8x8 pan with cooking spray, then generously dust with coating. Set aside, retaining remaining coating.
Whisk the gelatin, 1/2 cup water, and 2 tablespoons Disaronno in a small, microwave safe bowl. Set aside and let rest at least 10 minutes.
In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, 1/4 cup corn syrup, 1/4 cup water, 2 tablespoons Disaronno, and salt. Attach a candy thermometer and place over medium-high heat. Boil, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F.
When the syrup is nearly to temperature, microwave the gelatin bloom for 30 seconds to melt. Pour into bowl of stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, and turn mixer on low.
Once the syrup has reached 240, remove from heat and slowly pour it into the bowl of the running stand mixer. Once it has been added, increase the speed to medium and continue to whisk for five minutes. Increase the speed to medium high and beat for three more minutes. Add the almond extract, then beat at the highest speed for two minutes, until the mixture is fluffy and glossy.
Pour mixture into prepared pan, smoothing the top with a lightly greased spatula. Dust with more coating. Let set for about six hours in a cool, dry place.
Once the marshmallows have set, run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen, then invert them onto a surface dusted with more coating. Cut into desired sizes/shapes, and dust the cut edges with more coating.
Whole Wheat Graham Crackers
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup honey
Mix together flour, baking soda, and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the remaining ingredients, beating with a paddle attachment until well combined. Add in the flour mixture, one half at a time, until well combined. Shape dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and let rest for 30 minutes. [NOTE: Original recipe said to refrigerate the dough for the 30 minutes, but I found that made the dough impossible to roll out until it returned to room temperature.]
Preheat the oven to 350. After dough has rested, roll out on a lightly floured surface until you have a rectangle approximately 1/8" thick. Cut into squares of desired size. Transfer to a parchment/mat lined baking sheet, spacing them 1" apart. If you want the look of a traditional cracker, score down the middle and use a fork to perforate the top. Freeze baking sheets for 10 minutes to chill the cookies. Bake the graham crackers for 13-14 minutes, rotating pans halfway through, until they are lightly browned around the edges. Allow the graham crackers to cool completely on the pans.
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