Marshmallow Easter Eggs

You know the old saying "there's more than one way to skin a cat"? Well, I can't testify to the veracity of that (having never needed a skinned cat in my life) but I can tell you that there's more than one way to make an egg-shaped candy. If you plan in advance and don't mind spending a little money, you can buy egg-shaped candy molds, like you'd use to make Sugar Easter Eggs. If you're more of a do-it-yourselfer, you can use a hollowed-out egg shell, like with the Solid Chocolate Eggs I talked about a few days ago. Or maybe you're a minimalist, and like to use your hands to make egg shapes, like with these Chocolate-Peanut Butter Eggs. All good options! But I have a fourth trick you might not be familiar with: cornstarch.

Yes, plain old cornstarch.

In addition to making fondant less sticky and thickening soups and gravies, cornstarch makes an awesome candy mold. All you have to do is pack it in a pan, press your shape of choice into the starch, and pour in your candy filling. The cornstarch does a great job of holding the shape and making custom candy molds, and the best part is, you can re-use it endlessly, and then bake with it when you're done.

You can see a cornstarch mold in action in this recipe for Marshmallow Easter Eggs. I use a large soup spoon to make egg shapes in the starch, then pipe in some loose marshmallow filling. After a setting period, I have egg-shaped marshmallows--no fancy mold required. Check out the photo tutorial showing how to make these eggs for full details. This method also works really well with gummies, jellies, and other soft candies that are difficult to mold in traditional ways.

Get the recipe: Marshmallow Easter Eggs
Marshmallow Easter Eggs Photo Tutorial

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Marshmallow Easter Eggs Photo c2010 Elizabeth LaBau, licensed to About.com, Inc.

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Marshmallow Snowmen

Children will love making these cute snowmen! You can use any types of candy or decorative foods you have on hand. Assembling these snowmen would make a great activity for a holiday kid’s party.

Prep Time: 15?minutes

Total Time: 15?minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 bag large marshmallows
• 1 container chow mein noodles
• 1 package orange tic-tacs
• 1 package multi-colored tic-tacs
• 2 ounces melted chocolate
• Assorted small candies of your choice

Preparation:

1. “Glue” two marshmallows together by placing a small blob of melted chocolate on top of one of the marshmallows, and placing another marshmallow on top of the chocolate.

2. Repeat this procedure with a third marshmallow, so that you end up with three stacked marshmallows, stuck together with chocolate. This is your snowman body.

3. Give the snowman arms by sticking two chow mein noodles in the sides of the middle marshmallow. Pretzels would also work for this purpose.

4.Make buttons by pushing tic-tacs into the front of the middle marshmallow in a vertical line.

5. Use an orange tic-tac to represent the carrot nose: dab a small amount of chocolate in the front of the top marshmallow, and push the tic-tac slightly into the chocolate to get it to stick.

6. Finish decorating the face and body with whatever candy or decorations you have. Try adding sprinkles, red hots, or M&Ms, or drawing on your snowmen with icing or melted chocolate. Hair can be created using shredded wheat cereal, or you can make a hat using wafer candies. Let your creativity run wild!

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Frankenstein Marshmallow Pops

Frankenstein Marshmallow Pops are a monster of a Halloween candy! They couldn't be more simple: marshmallows are skewered on lollipop sticks, then decorated with candy coating to look like Frankenstein. They're super-easy, but something about the square head shape and little Frankenstein faces just kills me. These are fun novelty candies for a Halloween party or Halloween candy buffet.

Get the recipe: Frankenstein Marshmallow Pops

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Frankenstein Marshmallow Pops Photo c2011 Elizabeth LaBau, licensed to About.com, Inc.

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Marshmallow Candy Recipes

Marshmallows are a fluffy, light confection usually made from a boiled sugar syrup whipped with gelatin and egg whites. If you've never made homemade marshmallows, you are in for a treat. Freshly made marshmallows are soft, pillowy, and subtly fragrant, while most store-bought marshmallows are more like chewy cardboard. Best of all, you can customize your marshmallows in a variety of shapes, sizes, colors, and flavors. These marshmallow recipes will make you a believer--and if you are more interested in quick-and-easy candy, there are recipes using purchased marshmallows as well. Be sure to check out the step-by-step photo tutorial showing how to make marshmallows.

• Basic Marshmallows
• Chocolate-Dipped Marshmallows
• Chocolate Marshmallows
• Cinnamon Almond Marshmallows
• Coconut Marshmallow Fudge
• Coconut Marshmallows
• Decorative Marshmallows
• Fudge-Dipped Marshmallows (Video)
• Fudge-Dipped Mint Marshmallows
• Inside-Out S’mores
• Key Lime Pie S’mores Bites
• Lavender-Vanilla Bean Marshmallows
• Lemon Marshmallows
• Mango Marshmallows
• Marshmallow Caramels
• Marshmallow Caramel Puffs
• Marshmallow Chicks
• How to Make Marshmallow Chicks (Photo Tutorial)
• Marshmallow Eggs
• Marshmallow Fondant
• Marshmallow Fondant (Photo Tutorial)
• Marshmallow Pops
• Marshmallow Pops (Photo Tutorial)
• Marshmallow Snowmen
• Orange Marshmallows
• Peanut Marshmallows
• Pumpkin Marshmallows
• Raspberry Sherbet Marshmallows
• Red Hot Marshmallows
• Rocky Road Towers
• Rocky Road Candy
• S’mores Pops
• Strawberry Marshmallows
• Sweet Potato Marshmallows

View All Candy Recipes

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Toasted Marshmallow Truffles

I got the idea for these Toasted Marshmallow Truffles when reading a recipe for toasted marshmallow ice cream. Obviously, my mouth started watering as soon as I read those words, and I was immediately curious--how did they get the toasted marshmallow flavor into the ice cream? Some costly exotic extract? A fancy French flavor extrusion technique? Well, it turns out they simply stirred some toasted marshmallows into an ice cream base, and called it good. I thought to myself, "A monkey could do that! I am smarter than a monkey! I could do that too!"

So I did.

Instead of making ice cream, I decided to do what I do best and make candy--specifically, Toasted Marshmallow Truffles. Real marshmallows are toasted under a broiler (or with a kitchen torch, if you're a pyromaniac like me fancy) and are then mixed into a white chocolate truffle base. After they're dipped, they're each topped with a miniature toasted marshmallow for decoration. These are a great way to add a little class to the familiar campfire favorite--just don't try sticking them between two graham crackers!

Get the recipe: Toasted Marshmallow Truffles

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Toasted Marshmallow Truffles Photo c2011 Elizabeth LaBau, licensed to About.com, Inc.

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Marshmallow Caramel Pops

If you have ever eaten a marshmallow and thought, "This is good, but I wish it was sweeter," then do I have a candy for you! For all those who scoff at moderation, I am pleased to introduce you to Marshmallow Caramel Pops, which are marshmallows coated in a layer of caramel, topped with chocolate, and then covered in sprinkles. Sounds insane? Well, I won't argue with you. This is a candy for a serious sweet tooth.

You can class these up by using homemade or gourmet marshmallows, homemade caramels, or good-quality bittersweet chocolate. But even if you choose to use storebought EVERYTHING and top them with some chopped candy bars or something, there is no judgement here. Just be sure to have a little broccoli afterwards. You know, for nutrition's sake.

Get the recipe: Marshmallow Caramel Pops

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Marshmallow Caramel Pops Photo c2011 Elizabeth LaBau, licensed to About.com, Inc.

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Marshmallow Pops

For easily printable instructions, please refer to the Marshmallow Pops recipe.

Marshmallow Pops are fun, whimsical, and make great gifts or party treats. Vanilla-scented marshmallows are coated with chocolate, cut into cute shapes, skewered on lollipop sticks, and decorated however you like. You can always substitute a different flavored extract to customize the taste of these Marshmallow Pops. This recipe yields about 2 dozen 2- or 3-inch pops.

Begin by gathering your ingredients and equipment. For this recipe, you will need:

• 1/4 cup corn starch
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 3 envelopes of unflavored gelatin (.75 oz)
• 3/4 cup water, divided use
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• ? tsp salt
• 12 oz chocolate-flavored candy coating (or tempered real chocolate)
• Stand mixer with whisk attachment
• Candy thermometer
• 2 or 3-inch cookie cutter of your choice
• Lollipop sticks

Combine the cornstarch and powdered sugar in a small bowl. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil and spraying the foil with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle some of the cornstarch mixture all over the baking sheet and set aside for now.

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Marshmallow Fondant

(c) 2008 Elizabeth LaBau, licensed to About.com, Inc.

Marshmallow Fondant is an easy fondant made of marshmallows, water, and powdered sugar. It’s simple to make, and many prefer the taste over regular fondant, since it tastes like very sweet marshmallows. You can use marshmallow fondant as you would regular fondant, to cover cakes, form shapes, and make candy. Be warned that it tends to get sticky in moist places, so it doesn’t hold up as well as regular fondant when placed over frosting and refrigerated for days. This recipe yields 1.5 lbs of fondant, and can easily be halved or doubled. Be sure to check out the photo tutorial showing how to make marshmallow fondant.

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces miniature marshmallows (4 cups not packed, or half of a 16-ounce bag)
• 1 pound powdered sugar (4 cups), plus extra for dusting
• 2 tbsp water
• Food coloring or flavored extracts, optional

Preparation:

1. Dust your counter or a large cutting board with powdered sugar. Place the marshmallows and the water in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute, until the marshmallows are puffy and expanded.

2. Stir the marshmallows with a rubber spatula until they are melted and smooth. If some unmelted marshmallow pieces remain, return to the microwave for 30-45 seconds, until the marshmallow mixture is entirely smooth and free of lumps. If you want colored or flavored fondant, you can add several drops of food coloring or extracts at this point and stir until incorporated. If you want to create multiple colors or flavors from one batch of fondant, do not add the colors or flavors now. Instead, refer to step 6 below for instructions.

3. Add the powdered sugar and begin to stir with the spatula. Stir until the sugar begins to incorporate and it becomes impossible to stir anymore.

4. Scrape the marshmallow-sugar mixture out onto the prepared work surface. It will be sticky and lumpy, with lots of sugar that has not been incorporated yet--this is normal. Dust your hands with powdered sugar, and begin to knead the fondant mixture like bread dough, working the sugar into the marshmallow with your hands.

5. Continue to knead the fondant until it smoothes out and loses its stickiness. Add more sugar if necessary, but stop adding sugar once it is smooth--too much sugar will make it stiff and difficult to work with. Once the fondant is a smooth ball, it is ready to be used. You can now roll it out, shape it, or wrap it in cling wrap to use later. Well-wrapped fondant can be stored in a cool room or in the refrigerator, and needs to be kneaded until supple before later use.

6. If you want to add coloring or flavoring to your fondant, flatten it into a round disc. You might want to wear gloves to avoid getting food coloring on your hands during this step. Add your desired amount of coloring or flavoring to the center of the disc, and fold the disc over on itself so that the color or flavor is enclosed in the center of the fondant ball.

7. Begin to knead the ball of fondant just like you did before. As you work it, you will begin to see streaks of color coming through from the center. Continue to knead until the streaks are gone and the fondant is a uniform color. Your fondant is now ready to be used or stored as outlined above.

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