During the last month or so of pregnancy I was craving marshmallows. But not the flavored air you buy at the store. I wanted homemade but I was too tired/lazy to make them. So I didn’t have any. Sad to not indulge in a craving during pregnancy, very sad.

The craving returned. Or maybe it never left.

Sunday morning I found myself with a husband watching the Chelsea/Liverpool game (freaking Torres, Liverpool showed him!) and a sleeping baby. Which left me with nothing to do. Ok, not nothing. Sure, I could clean the toilets or something, lame. Instead I had a quick urge to make something and I wanted to jump on this urge before my tiredness kicked in and I plopped on the couch and couldn’t get up. It’s no joke when they say you won’t get any sleep for the first, however many months, of the babies life.

Once you make homemade marshmallows, you will never be satisfied with the store bought fluffed air again. Did you know marshmallows can actually have flavor and satisfy a sweet tooth? Yep, they sure can! It is probably a bad thing that I made these while trying to loose the baby weight. I can. not. stop. eating. them. They are the perfect amount of chocolate and the vanilla really adds a depth of flavor. Use a good vanilla, not a ghetto imitation vanilla because it really makes a huge difference in these. 20 minutes of preparation and 8 hours of down time, and voila!, you have yourself some tasty marshmallows.

Recipe Modified from Ina Garten
3 packages unflavored gelatin
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup cocoa powder, divided
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Combine the gelatin and 1/2 cup of cold water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and allow to sit while you make the syrup.

Meanwhile, combine the sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Raise the heat to high and cook until the syrup reaches 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat.

With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the sugar syrup into the dissolved gelatin. Put the mixer on high speed and whip until the mixture is very thick, about 15 minutes. Add the vanilla and 2 tbsp cocoa powder and mix thoroughly.

Generously dust confectioners sugar around the bottom and sides of an 8 by 12-inch nonmetal pan then dust with 1/ of the remaining cocoa powder to evenly coat the bottom of the pan.. Pour in the marshmallow batter and smooth the top of the mixture with damp hands. Sprinkle on the remaining cocoa powder and a dusting of confectioners sugar (enough to coat the top). Allow to dry uncovered at room temperature overnight (about 8 hours)

Remove the marshmallows from the pan and cut into squares. Roll the sides of each piece carefully in confectioners’ sugar. Store uncovered at room temperature.