“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” - F. Scott Fitzgerald
Can we just take a moment to appreciate the fact that today is September 22nd? We have once again reached that glorious autumnal equinox and I am screaming for joy because my favorite season has returned.
These marshmallows are my ode to fall. They perfectly encompass my feelings towards this season. They are a reinvented version of the familiar flavors of autumn.
These marshmallows are spiced up, flavored with pumpkin, and impaled before their visit to the chocolate spa. They are then dipped in crushed graham crackers. It's a faux-smore kind of situation. No fire required.
Our chocolate is spiked with coconut oil. Coconut oil is a solid at room temperature and this quality allows our chocolate to set up like a charm. Kitchen magic.
Marshmallows are one of my favorite things to make, and they are so easy!
Typically, we use light corn syrup for marshmallows, but I traded it in for the dark syrup in this recipe, as to keep with our rich, autumn flavors.
These marshmallows happen to taste like pumpkin pie. If you have ever dreamed about combining pumpkin pie and smores then these are totally for you.
Thank you Autumn for returning to us. Happy first day of Fall!
Sincerely,
Pedantic Foodie
(Okay, so technically it will not be Autumn on the Northern Hemisphere until 10:29pm, but who cares? All you technical people can just leave me and my pumpkin spice latte alone. Eat a marshmallow for goodness sakes. Thanks, bye.)
Chocolate-Dipped Pumpkin Marshmallows
recipe adapted from Alton Brown
for the marshmallows
- 3 packages unflavored gelatin
- 1 cup ice water, divided
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup dark corn syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
- nonstick spray
chocolate and assembly
- 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate, chopped
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 10 graham crackers, crushed
- wooden popsicle sticks
Coat a 9x13 pan with nonstick spray and generally dust liberally with confectioner’s sugar.
In the bowl of your stand mixer combine 1/2 cup ice water with gelatin.
In a small saucepan combine remaining water, granulated sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Cover and place over medium heat - cook for 3-4 minutes. Uncover and attach a candy thermometer. Cook for 7-8 minutes, until the syrup reaches 240 degrees F. Remove from heat.
Turn the mixer on low speed and pour the syrup into the gelatin mixture. Once all the syrup is added increase the speed to high. Beat for 13 minutes, until the mixture is very thick and fluffy. In the last minute of beating, add spices, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree.
Pour the marshmallow into the prepared pan and dust the top liberally with confectioner’s sugar.
Allow the marshmallow to sit for 3 hours before removing from the pan. Turn the marshmallow out unto a cutting board dusted with confectioner’s sugar and use a greased pizza cutter to cut into 1-inch squares. Once the marshmallows are cut dust all edges with remaining sugar.
In a small bowl combine chopped chocolate and coconut oil. Microwave for 30 second increments, stirring in between each heating cycle, until the chocolate is melted.
Skewer the marshmallows with the popsicle sticks. Dip the bottom half of each marshmallow into the chocolate and roll in graham cracker crumbs.
Place the marshmallows on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and transfer to the freezer. Freeze for 7-10 minutes. This shocks the chocolate and helps it set up quickly.
To store, lay the pops out side by side and cover tightly with plastic wrap. They will remain fresh for about 3 days. Undipped marshmallows can be stored in airtight containers for up to a week.
Enjoy!