Make Magic Happen

I don't enjoy coffee or any other caffeinated drinks but I love a nice hot cup of cocoa. At first I thought of drinking hot chocolate as something of a guilty pleasure but then I decided to embrace it and drink it often, especially in the long cold winter. I usually make it at home on the stove using an easy favorite recipe. A good cup of cocoa needs no embellishment though a dollop of whipped cream is always welcome and this time of year I often think of marshmallows. Once a year, usually around the holidays, I get an irresistible urge to make them.

Marshmallows require ingredients that I almost never use in anything else. Though they are probably harmless, I avoid recipes that call for gelatin or corn syrup. Homemade marshmallows are actually very tasty but I think the real reason I like making them is that these odd ingredients come together to make magic happen in a bowl. It always seems impossible that this sticky syrup and gelatin can be transformed into little puffs that bob around and melt slowly into a cup of cocoa. I always feel a bit nervous about whether it will work, but the recipe is actually quite foolproof. When it comes down to it, its just really fun to make marshmallows.

Marshmallows
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen and The Homemade Pantry by Alana Chernila.
It turns out that you can use light or dark corn syrup to make these (I used dark since I forgot to specify when Ray went to the store, it worked fine). The marshmallows will be off-white not white if you use dark corn syrup and have a hint of molasses. You can also add other flavors besides vanilla if you like that sort of thing. 

3 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon of other flavoring such as peppermint, almond, orange

Grease a 9 inch square pan with a neutral oil or butter.

In a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, pour 2/3 cup of water and sprinkle in the gelatin. Let that sit while you combine 1/2 cup water in a sauce pan with the sugar, corn syrup, salt and vanilla bean seeds, if using (if you are using extract you will add it later). Cook over medium high heat for 10-15 minutes until a candy thermometer reads 240 degrees F. Remove from heat. Begin beating the gelatin on low speed and pour in the hot sugar and syrup. Add the vanilla or other extract if you are using it. Increase the speed to high and beat for 10 to 15 minutes until the mixture becomes thick, white, and shiny.  

Pour the liquid marshmallow into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Let cool at room temperature for at least 12 hours. Cut into squares or rectangles of your desired size. Store in an airtight container for up to three weeks. 

Because it is Fun

I've never actually eaten a pop tart. The trademarked toaster pastries that come packaged in shiny foil always looked dry and unappealing, but since I haven't eaten one I can't really say how good they are. While I may not have any interest in the mass produced version, how could I ignore a recipe for making them at home? Last year, when I finally picked up a copy of The Homemade Pantry, I was thrilled to have so many recipes for foods to make instead of buy. But I found the book really hard to resist with its photo of the irresistible looking pastries on the cover. Although I had never longed for toaster pastries before, now I had to make them.



I got to the pie crust first. The perfect flaky, buttery crust that will continue to be my favorite, go-to crust for some time, I'm sure. When I finally got to making the pastries, nearly a year later, I was partly inspired by a batch of homemade cream cheese (recipe coming soon!) which, mixed with a quick raspberry jam seemed like just the right filling for these sweet little pockets. I can assure you that the flaky pastry wrapped around a creamy fruit filling exceeded my long awaited expectations of this recipe.

There are all kinds of practical and logical reasons for making a homemade version of something usually mass produced. It tastes better, it is healthier, you can learn a new process and take part in the transformation that happens with cooking. Sometimes, though, it is best to set the practical reason aside and make a recipe because it is fun. Then, these toaster pastries are just the thing.



Toaster Pastries
Adapted from The Homemade Pantry by Alana Chernila. The options for fillings are limited only by your ingredients and imagination. Jam, nutella, cinnamon sugar, ricotta and spinach, cheese and sauce are just a few ideas. I've included the quick raspberry jam recipe that I used. As you can see in the photos, my filling oozed out a little in the cooking process. I used a little more filling than the recipe calls for and may not have pinched the edges shut as tightly as necessary.  

Quick Raspberry Jam
2 cups raspberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup sugar

Place raspberries and sugar in a wide, shallow pan. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes until the raspberries and juice have thickened. Remove from heat and let cool.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Filling
1/2 cup raspberry jam
1/2 cup cream cheese

Mix the cream cheese and jam together to completely combine.

For the Pastries:
1 Pie Crust Recipe 
additional flour for the counter
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water
6 tablespoons filling of your choice

If baking right away, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the pie crust dough into two pieces. Lightly flour your work surface and roll out one piece of dough into a 9x12 inch rectangle, about 1/8 of an inch thick or a little thicker. Cut the rectangle into 6 equal pieces and place each one on the baking sheet. Repeat with the second half of the dough, taking care to make your six rectangles the same size and shape as the previous six. Brush each of the rectangles on the baking sheet with the beaten egg. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of filling into the middle of the six rectangles. Carefully lay another rectangle of dough on top of each one with filling. Carefully seal the edges by pressing them with the tines of a fork. Paint the top of each pastry with the beaten egg and poke several holes in them with the fork. 

Now, you can freeze the pastries on the baking sheet and move to an airtight container when frozen solid. Or you can immediately bake the pastries for 20-25 minutes or until they are golden brown on top. Let cool for at least 20 minutes before they are ready to serve.