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Homemade Chocolate-Covered Marshmallows

These homemade marshmallows give their store-bought counterparts a run for their money. Light as a cloud and dipped in bittersweet dark chocolate, they're infinitely customisable and the perfect make-ahead treat.
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Setting Time: 6 hours
Total Time: 7 hours
Author: Emily
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 36 Marshmallows

* Please note: all cup measurements are approximate and based on Australian standard cups (250ml). For best results, weigh your ingredients with a kitchen scale.

Equipment

  • 20 x 20 cm baking dish
  • pastry brush
  • small saucepan
  • candy thermometer
  • hand mixer, or stand mixer with the whisk attachment

Ingredients
 

For the marshmallows

  • 125 ml (½ cup) cold water
  • 7 tsp gelatine powder
  • 440 g (2 cups) granulated sugar
  • 175 g (½ cup) glucose syrup, see notes for subs
  • 125 ml (½ cup) water
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 2 tsp vanilla bean paste, or vanilla extract
  • vegetable oil for greasing

For the dusting powder

  • 60 g (⅜ cup) icing sugar
  • 40 g (¼ cup) cornflour

For the tempered chocolate

  • 540 g (19 oz) good quality dark chocolate, see notes

Instructions

Prepare the dusting powder

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the icing sugar and cornflour. Set aside.

Make the marshmallows

  • Lightly grease a 20 x 20 cm (8 x 8 in) square baking dish. Line all sides with parchment paper. Grease the paper with more oil and generously sift with the dusting powder.
  • In a large mixing bowl, add 125 ml (½ cup) of cold water and sprinkle over the gelatine powder. Mix until combined, and set aside to bloom — at least 10 minutes.
  • To make the sugar syrup, combine the granulated sugar, glucose syrup and water in a small saucepan. Stir together until sugar is moistened.
  • Set the saucepan over medium heat, and bring the mixture to a gentle boil. From this point onwards, DO NOT STIR. If necessary, gently swirl the pan to ensure even heat distribution. Check for sugar crystals clinging to the sides of the pan. You can swipe these away with a wet pastry brush.
  • Reduce heat to a low simmer, and clip a candy thermometer to the side of the saucepan. Ensure the tip is submerged in the sugar syrup but not touching the bottom of the saucepan. Continue simmering until your thermometer reads 116℃ or 240℉ (softball stage). Immediately remove saucepan from the heat, and set aside until bubbles have subsided — about 1 minute.
  • Coming back to your mixing bowl, use an electric mixer on medium speed to break up the bloomed gelatine (it will be chunky and rubbery in texture). While continuing to whisk, slowly pour the sugar syrup down the inner edge of the bowl. Whisk on medium speed for 4-5 minutes, or until the mixture has doubled in size. Turn mixers to high and continue to whisk for another 4-5 minutes, or until mixture is about 3 times its original volume. It should be white and fluffy and leave thick ribbons when the whisks are lifted.
  • Add salt, vanilla and any other desired colours/flavourings. Whisk until just combined and no streaks remain.
  • Working quickly, use a greased rubber spatula to scrape the marshmallow into your prepared baking dish (don't worry about getting every last bit). Use the spatula to even out the surface of the marshmallow the best you can. Generously sift with the dusting powder. Cover, and leave at room temperature to set for a minimum of 6 hours or overnight.
  • Sift a large cutting board with the dusting powder. Lift the marshmallow from the dish and gently peel away the baking paper. Using a greased knife or bench scraper, cut the marshmallow into cubes of your desired size. I like to make mine roughly 3 x 3 cm.

Temper the chocolate

  • Place ⅔ of the chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until fully melted and the temperature on a candy thermometer reads 45℃ (113℉).
  • Stir in the remaining ⅓ chocolate a few pieces at a time. Ensure each addition is fully melted before adding more.
  • Continue stirring until the chocolate cools to a temperature between 30℃ and 32℃ (86℉ and 90℉). The tempered chocolate should have a smooth, glossy appearance.

Dip the marshmallows

  • Before dipping the marshmallows, remove excess dusting powder with a dry pastry brush.
  • Use a fork to lower each marshmallow into the tempered chocolate, ensuring an even coating. Lift the fork and scrape the bottom against the side of the bowl to remove excess chocolate. Place the coated marshmallow onto a lined baking tray.
  • If the chocolate has been tempered properly, it should set at room temperature within 3-5 minutes. You can place the marshmallows in the refrigerator to help them set.

Notes

  1. Glucose syrup substitutions: glucose syrup (corn syrup in the US) can be found in the baking aisle of most supermarkets. Substitute with golden syrup. You can also use maple syrup or honey, just be aware that these will alter the colour and flavour of the marshmallows (not necessarily a bad thing!).
  2. Dark chocolate: it's important to use a good quality dark chocolate that you enjoy the taste of. If you're in Aus, I recommend Nestle Plaistowe 70% (more economical than Lindt and tastes just as good). Feel free to experiment with different cocoa percentages to suit your taste.
    This recipe calls for a generous amount of chocolate which is sufficient to fully coat about 36 marshmallows. However, sometimes I prefer to coat only half and enjoy the rest of the marshmallows plain or save them for hot chocolate. After all, chocolate is expensive these days!
  3. Leftover tempered chocolate: any leftover chocolate can be poured into a sandwich bag or spread over a lined baking sheet, then placed in the fridge to re-solifidy. You won't be able to temper this again, but it's perfectly good to use in other recipes that call for melted chocolate such as chocolate mousse.
  4. Storage instructions: the marshmallows can be made in advance and will keep for up to 3 weeks in an airtight container. I like to store them in the fridge to keep the chocolate extra crisp. Any uncoated marshmallows are best stored at room temperature. Toss them with a little extra dusting powder before storing to prevent them from sticking together.

Nutrition

Serving: 22g | Calories: 91kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 23mg | Potassium: 0.3mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 0.02mg
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