Chocolate-Coconut Mallows

It’s that time of the week again!

Coconut is one of my favorite things ever, and I always say I’ll take it any way it comes. I like to eat it, smell it, drink it…I especially like to see them in trees because that means I’m somewhere tropical. And I will definitely take it in shaved, toasted form on marshmallows, covered in chocolate. Don’t have to twist my arm on that one.

So, if you’re in the mood for marshmallows, and also want a taste of island flavor, this is the Marshmallow Monday for you.

Enjoy!
M

Chocolate-Dipped Marshmallows with Toasted Coconut
Dessert | Gluten-Free
Prep time: 1 hour | Ready in: 7 hours

Ingredients:

• Cooking spray
• 3 packages unflavored gelatin (vegetarian substitutions)
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 cups dark chocolate chips
• 1 cup coconut flakes
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Cooking tools:

• A candy thermometer
• Tin foil
• 9×13-inch cake or jelly roll pan

Directions—toasting the coconut:

1. Sprinkle coconut flakes on a cake or jelly roll pan lined with tin foil.
2. Turn on your oven’s broiler and place pan on the top rack. Keep the oven door open a little and watch the coconut the whole time.
3. Remove the pan when the coconut starts to turn golden brown—this should only take a couple of minutes. Set toasted coconut aside for now.
   

Directions—making the marshmallows:

1. Line the inside of the pan with tin foil, then coat well with cooking spray.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine a 1/2 of a cup of cold water with the packets of gelatin and allow to sit until gelatin forms, about 15 minutes.
3. In a medium saucepan on medium heat, combine the sugar and 1/2 of a cup of water, then stir until sugar has dissolved—about 3 to 5 minutes. Increase heat to bring mixture to a low boil, and continue to boil until the temperature reaches 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer—about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Slowly pour sugar mixture into the bowl with the gelatin, simultaneously using a mixer on low. Gradually increase speed to high and continue whipping until the mix is very thick, about 10 to 15 minutes—imagine the consistency of pourable taffy.
5. Pour the mixture into the tin foil-lined pan, smoothing the surface with a spatula. (Spray spatula with cooking spray as needed to keep it from sticking.)
6. Sprinkle toasted coconut on the top.
7. Let the marshmallow sit for about 6 hours, uncovered, until completely set.
8. Prepare a surface larger than the marshmallow slab with powdered sugar.
9. Carefully lift out the marshmallow slab by the tin foil and set it on your counter top (not on the powdered sugar—not quite yet). Pull tin foil away from the sides, then slip one hand underneath and pull loose any parts of the marshmallow that are still sticking to the tin foil (if you greased it well, there shouldn’t be too many). Now, slip both hands under the marshmallow slab to lift it from the tin foil, and place on top of the powdered sugar-covered surface. It takes a little coordination, but you can do it!
10. Cut marshmallows in whatever shapes you’d like. (It helps to continually coat the knife or cookie cutters with powdered sugar to keep them from sticking. A pizza wheel is great if you’re just cutting into squares or rectangles.)
    
11. Dust the sides of the marshmallow pieces with powdered sugar. (Except for the top with the coconut.)

Directions—dipping in chocolate:

1. Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper on top.
2. Over high heat, bring 2 to 3 inches of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat to low and place a bowl in the saucepan. Be sure the water doesn’t get displaced enough to spill over into the bowl.
3. Pour in chocolate chips.
   
4. Stir until chocolate is completely melted.
   
5. Dip ends of marshmallows into chocolate.
   
6. Allow excess chocolate to drip off, then place on the cookie sheet.
   
7. Once all marshmallows have been dipped, refrigerate until chocolate has set, about 10 to 15 minutes.