Chocolate-Dipped Peppermint Marshmallows

When it comes to making candies at home, fudge, chocolates, and truffles are often the recipes that come to mind first. Marshmallows might not occur to you as a do-it-yourself project, but they are relatively easy. With the right recipe and tools, they are well within the scope of the avid home cook with a sense of adventure.

Click here to see the Chocolate-Dipped Peppermint Marshmallows Recipe

Basic marshmallows are made from a combination of meringue, softened gelatin, and cooked sugar syrup. All three components have to be carried out with precision, but none are particularly difficult. Read the recipe through first so that you have a sense of the workflow — it's really all about timing.  

You will be rewarded with festive pink-colored, peppermint-flavored marshmallows dipped in glossy dark chocolate and sprinkled with crunchy peppermint candy. I chose to cut the marshmallows into small squares but you could use fancy cookie-cutters and create any shape you like. How about bells for Christmas or stars for New Year's Eve?

And feel free to play with other extracts, colors, and toppings. Once you get the basic marshmallow part down, there is no limit to your creativity. Try orange extract, orange coloring, and a dip in milk chocolate with candied orange peel on top. Or use lemon extract, yellow coloring, and dip in white chocolate and top with a sprinkle of edible yellow glitter. You get the idea — go wild.

For more holiday cheer, visit The Daily Meal's Ultimate Guide to Christmas!