The Real McCoy: S’mores from Scratch

In this first installment of The Real McCoy, Chef Phillip McCoy of 11th & Bay in Columbus, Ga, gives us his recipe for S’ mores made completely by hand.  ‘Tis the season for comfortable camping, and it’s time we all take our favorite campfire treat to the next level.

“When I told a friend I’d been making marshmallows, he looked at me funny and said, ‘Wow, you can make marshmallows, how about that!’  These scratch marshmallows bring a flavorful twist to the summer classic when toasted over a fire and applied to homemade graham crackers and good chocolate.  These are decidedly not vegan, as they contain honey and gelatin, which are extracted from animals. They are most certainly delicious, and their light, bouncy texture and spicy sweetness will surprise you. ” – Phill

Honey & Aleppo Marshmallows

Yield: About 28 oz
Shelf Life: 3 weeks
Store: resealable plastic bags

Ingredients

3 envelopes unflavored gelatin
½ cup ice cold water
½ cup regular water
1 ¾ cup sugar
1 cup honey
1/2 tsp (to taste) Aleppo chili, ground (you can substitute any ground chili pepper. Do not use “chili powder,” as it contains garlic and oregano and stuff.)
¼ tsp Kosher salt
¼ cup confectioners’ sugar 10x
¼ cup corn starch
[as needed] vegetable oil pan release spray

Method

1. Mix the unflavored gelatin with ½ cup ice cold water in the bowl of a stand mixer. Allow 15 minutes or so for the gelatin to “bloom,” and turn into a sort of mush that looks like Cream of Wheat.
2. Dig out a small saucepan and a candy thermometer. Use the saucepan to heat ½ cup of water, the sugar, honey, salt, and Aleppo chili to 240°F. It should take about 7 minutes, but you really should monitor temperature with the candy thermometer. Remove the syrup from heat.
3. Set the stand mixer on the lowest speed with the whisk attachment. Begin mixing the gelatin and gradually drizzle the hot syrup into the mixer bowl.
4. When all the syrup is in the bowl, kick the mixer speed up to high. Allow the marshmallow to whip on high speed for 12-15 minutes until the mixture is lukewarm and obviously marshmallow.

To make traditionally shaped marshmallows:

5. Spray a sheet pan with a very light coat of pan release. Sift equal parts confectioners’ sugar and corn starch together onto the coated pan. Flip the pan over and tap out the excess powder.
6. Load the marshmallow into a pastry bag (this is hard to do and usually messy) and cut the tip to the desired diameter of your marshmallows. Pipe straight tracks of fluff directly onto the powdered sheet pan. They should look like fat snakes.
7. Liberally dust the marshmallow snakes with confectioners’ sugar and cornstarch mix. Wrap and allow to rest at room temperature until the gelatin sets, about 4 hours.
8. Cut the snakes into marshmallows using a knife or a pair of scissors. Roll the marshmallows around in more confectioners’ sugar and cornstarch mix to finish.

To make awesome giant cube marshmallows:

 1. Apply a light coating of pan release spray to a deep casserole pan. Sift equal parts confectioners’ sugar and corn starch together onto the coated pan. Flip the pan over and tap out the excess powder.
2. Load the casserole pan with marshmallow fluff. Spread the top of the fluff smooth with a flat metal spatula or spreader that has been lightly sprayed with pan release. Liberally dust the top of the giant, casserole-shaped marshmallow with confectioners’ sugar and cornstarch mix. Wrap and allow to rest at room temperature until the gelatin sets, about 4 hours.
3. Gently separate the marshmallow from the casserole pan using a spatula (or your fingers) and flip it onto a cutting board.Cut the marshmallow into awesome giant cubes. Roll the awesome giant cube marshmallows around in more confectioners’ sugar and cornstarch mix to finish.

Marshmallow Toasting notes:

• Pointy bamboo skewers work well for skewering and toasting ‘mallows. Soak bamboo skewers in water for 20 minutes before use.
• The best part of the fire for toasting is a bed of glowing, orange coals, away from licking flames. There’s usually a “sweet spot” about 6-10 inches above the coals, and kind of off to one side.
• Rotate marshmallows slowly to get an even toast.

Yall enjoy!
-Phill