Sticky Sweet Easter Treats

I was doing a Google search this morning to find a tasty way to use up some extra marshmallows I still had from a recent campfire s'mores night and I'm not sure if it's because Easter is around the corner or not, but up popped this recipe, a dozen different ways mind you. Now I know what your thinking "Why not make rice crispy treats?" Don't get me wrong - I grew up with those crispy little cereal delights - but I was looking for something a little different. Something equally easy but a bit more interesting. So after doing a little more research, I found that this recipe has been called many things, from Marshmallow Delights to Resurrection Tombstones. It's been around forever and apparently was taught in early Home Economics classes (but not in any I ever took, darn it!) So with Easter morning quickly approaching, I decided this would be a great recipe my daughter could make for breakfast while I'm prepping the ham dinner. Why I had never heard of these sticky, sweet little treats until now is beyond me. Thanks to my trusty internet connection, I'm laden with many versions of this simple and sweet breakfast treat. It's kind of a cross between a cinnamon roll and a sticky caramel bun. My kids have grown to the point that sleeping in may take precedence over egg hunts, but when it comes to a sweet tooth, well, that's just something we never outgrow... I'm jus' sayin'!

Here's what you need: Feel free to double - I'm just giving the basic 8 because the typical crescent roll dough comes in quantities of 8

8 marshmallows
1 can of crescent roll dough
1/2 cube of melted butter (may need more or less)
2/3 cup of sugar
1 tbsp. of cinnamon
cooking spray
muffin tin

Preheat oven to 350

Mix your cinnamon and sugar in a bowl and set aside. Melt your butter in a bowl and set next to the cinnamon sugar bowl. Unroll all your crescent dough triangles. Spray 8 muffin tins with cooking spray. Now your ready. Take one marshmallow and dip in melted butter, then roll in cinnamon sugar. Place marshmallow on a triangle and carefully wrap it up so that no marshmallow is showing. Now dip that little bundle in the butter and roll it in the cinnamon sugar (hey... don't roll your eyes at me. This is a special treat, remember?) Place the little bundle in a muffin tin. Continue with the rest of them. Now, before you bake them, PLEASE put a cookie sheet under your muffin tins. You will thank me later when you don't have to scrub that sticky molten marshmallow off the bottom of your oven, like I'm about to go do. Bake for 13-16 minutes or until golden brown.
CAUTION... As delicious as they smell, you may feel tempted to want to pop these in your mouth immediately. DON'T... Unless you plan on spending Easter morning in the emergency room for severe sugar burns on fingers and mouth. Give it 15 minutes to cool. When you open the bundle you will notice the marshmallow has disappeared (hence the empty tomb) and a sticky sweet mess that will make you sing Hallaluia! will come flowing out. I certainly would suggest serving some of those hard boiled Easter eggs along side just to give some balance to the sweet.
Enjoy!

If you would like to share the Easter story through the symbolism in these delights, here's your breakdown, as taken from this delightful blog: http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2009/09/marshmallow-delights.html

• Large Marshmallows - body of Jesus
• Melted Butter - oils of embalming
• Cinnamon & Sugar Mix- spices used to annoint the body
• Crescent Roll - the wrapping of Jesus’ body or the tomb
• Oven – the tomb
• Cavity in Bun – the empty tomb or the empty cloths

Visions of Sugar Plums!

Ahhh, the visions of sugar plums danced through their heads. I totally get this. I sometimes find myself daydreaming about that very thing. During the holidays, I feel so justified when I bump up my baking a degree or two to a psychotic frenzy! Maybe it's because it's the one time of year when people allow themselves to indulge. Or maybe it's the thought of giving all those gifts of "food". Whatever the reason, I find myself entranced in the "spirit" of all things sweet and delicious. I have some stand-bys that are my "expected traditions" - baklava, truffles, salted caramels, and candied citrus peel. This year, I will have another one to add to that list.

Last year, I played around with making marshmallows. Before you get that wrinkled furrow on your forehead and that feeling of "Martha failure", just hear me out. This really is easy if you have two things. You need to have a good candy thermometer - without it, candy making is totally hit or miss. You will also need patience, this being of the utmost importance. If you're covered in these two areas then you're ready to begin. I cannot stress enough that when it comes to candy making, you need to read over the recipe several times before you start. Sometimes, it's not the ingredient that you discover you don't have on hand, but rather the utensil for the job.

I got this recipe from marthastewart.com and I plan on making several different flavors of these marshmallows this year for gift giving. Some of the flavors are Meyer Lemon (I have a tree in my backyard), Vanilla (the traditional flavor) and of course, these lovely peppermint swirls shown in the link. Give a bag of these with some homemade cocoa mix and I swear, you will be the hostess with the mostess! And when your recipients are sipping a steaming cup of cocoa with those marshmallows slowly melting and frothing up, I bet they, too, will be having visions of sugar plums! I'm jus' sayin'...

Peppermint Swirl Marshmallows


Makes sixteen 2-inch squares

* Vegetable-oil cooking spray
* 2 cups sugar
* 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
* 4 packages (1/4 ounce each) unflavored gelatin
* 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
* 2 large egg whites
* 2 teaspoons red food coloring

Directions

1. Coat an 8-inch square pan with cooking spray; line bottom with parchment paper. Coat the parchment with cooking spray, and set pan aside. Put sugar, corn syrup, and 3/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Stop stirring; let mixture come to a boil. Raise heat to medium-high; cook until mixture registers 260 degrees on a candy thermometer.

2. Meanwhile, sprinkle gelatin over 3/4 cup water in a heatproof bowl; let stand 5 minutes to soften. Set the bowl with the gelatin mixture over a pan of simmering water; whisk constantly until gelatin is dissolved. Remove from heat, and stir in extract; set aside.

3. Beat egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until stiff (but not dry) peaks form. Whisk gelatin mixture into sugar mixture; with mixer running, gradually add to egg whites. Mix on high speed until very thick, 12 to 15 minutes.

4. Pour mixture into lined pan. Working quickly, drop dots of red food coloring across surface of marshmallow. Using a toothpick, swirl food coloring into marshmallow to create a marbled effect. Let marshmallow stand, uncovered, at room temperature until firm, at least 3 hours or overnight. Cut into squares.