I know I’ve already expressed my strong disdain for chocolate covered strawberries in February, so I’ll cut to the chase and say these chocolate-covered raspberry marshmallows are my stand-in.
I love homemade marshmallows. Just the thought of them reminds me of my mother-in-law, Jane, listening to her mother-in-law suggest that she make homemade marshmallows among other putzy, time-consuming things not suited to the life of a busy mom! We get a good kick out of those stories! Though, to my grandmother-in-law’s credit, they actually are not that difficult to make! You just need some putzy-inclined tools.
Homemade marshmallows are also extremely versatile and fun to dress up. Extracts and food colorings allow you to make any kind of themed marshmallow imaginable. These are baby pink raspberry marshmallows covered in dark chocolate and raspberry vanilla. You could easily make mint green (or Bailey’s flavored…) chocolate covered marshmallows for St. Patrick’s Day! Or dark blue marshmallows with red and white chocolate drizzle for the Fourth of July! I’ve even heard of lilac-colored lavender-flavored marshmallows. Perfect for Easter! So many fun ways to play with the flavors and get the satisfying colors for our Instagramming world.
Guys, these are seriously a great substitute for chocolate covered strawberries and they have a much longer shelf life. You can make them for or with your Valentine for a fun date! (Be warned they have to dry out for a few hours before enjoying, though!)
I went the lazy route by drizzling the chocolate over the marshmallows at large, but you could definitely individually dunk them in dark chocolate and drizzle them with the white raspberry sauce. That is putzy. And it is a true labor of love if you do that; I’d like to see pictures of it if you do.
By the way, marshmallows go very well with pink champagne. Just saying.
What’s great about this recipe specifically is that while I’m posting it around Valentine’s Day, it can also work for anything pink-themed! Watching the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show with your girlfriends? Observing Breast Cancer Awareness Month at work? Hosting a bridal or baby shower? These raspberry pink marshmallows are the perfect little *extra* treat you can use to wow everyone!
You can also just stop at marshmallows sans chocolate drizzle. They are perfect on their own, too. Don’t mind me cleaning that whisk out with a spoon. Mmm.
Chocolate Covered Raspberry Marshmallows
Equipment
- Stand mixer with whisk attachment
- Candy thermometer
Ingredients
Marshmallows
- ½ cup Cornstarch
- ½ cup Powdered sugar
- 3 packets Knox unflavored gelatin
- ½ cup Ice cold water
- 1½ cups Sugar
- 1 cup Light corn syrup
- ¼ tsp Kosher salt
- ½ cup Water
- ½ tsp Raspberry extract
- ½ tsp Vanilla extract
- 2-3 drops Red food gel
Chocolate Streaks
- 10 oz Dark chocolate flavored melting discs Ghirardelli or Godiva
- 10 oz White vanilla flavored melting discs Ghirardelli
- 3 drops Red food gel
- ¼ tsp Raspberry extract
- ¼ cup Mini semi-sweet chocolate chips for garnish
Instructions
Marshmallows
- Spray a 9" x 9" pan with non-stick cooking spray. Coat the sprayed pan with powdered sugar and cornstarch. (*You can sift them together and sprinkle them all over the pan over the sink. That's easiest for cleanup!) Make sure the pan is completely coated with the powdered sugar and cornstarch mix as this prevents the marshmallows from sticking to the pan. Repeat the process of spraying with non-stick spray and coating with powdered sugar and cornstarch with a silicone spatula. Set pan and spatula aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 1/2 cup ice cold water with 3 packets of unflavored gelatin. Return bowl to stand mixer and secure into place. Insert the whisk attachment but do not turn on mixer.
- In a medium, heavy-bottomed sauce pot, combine sugar, corn syrup, 1/2 cup of (regular) water, and kosher salt. Turn heat to medium. Cover for 3-4 minutes. Remove lid and clip in candy thermometer. Bring to 240°F / 115°C. Then immediately remove from heat.
- Turn on the stand mixer speed to low with the whisk attachment inserted. Slowly drizzle in the hot sugar syrup down the side of the bowl. Once all of the syrup is in the stand mixer bowl, turn the speed up to medium-high for 12-15 minutes.
- In the final minute of high-speed whipping, add in the raspberry extract, vanilla extract, and red food coloring or gel.
- Using the powder-coated silicone spatula, transfer the marshmallow fluff into the prepared pan. Even the surface with the spatula so it is a flat as possible. Then sprinkle more cornstarch and powdered sugar over the top.
- Let the marshmallows rest in the pan for four hours.
- When ready to cut, invert them out of the pan onto a cutting board. Spray a knife with non-stick spray and coat with powdered sugar and cornstarch. Cut into 16 squares and then quarter each square. Each new side that is exposed after cutting will need to be sprinkled with powdered sugar and cornstarch.
- Line a large jelly roll pan with wax paper and place marshmallows about 1/4" apart from each other in rows.
Chocolate Streaks
- Melt dark chocolate discs and white vanilla discs in two separate bowls in 30-second increments.
- Once vanilla discs have melted, add in raspberry extract and red food coloring / gel.
- Using a drinking glass, open a quart-sized Ziplock bag and fold the zip top over the rim of the glass. Transfer the melted chocolate into the bag, pull out of the drinking glass, and seal. Repeat method for the pink raspberry melted discs.
- Snip a small hole in the corner of each bag. Pipe first the melted chocolate over the marshmallows, then the pink raspberry vanilla. Sprinkle mini chocolate chips over. Once the chocolate has hardened, you can enjoy!