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Vanilla Bean Marshmallows

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Anything involving a candy thermometer is intimidating. I dipped my toe into the pool of candy-making with toffee, which I’ve now made several times. This holiday season wasn’t looking promising — I had planned on trying my hand at marshmallows for the first time but had just burned my first attempt at toffee. Was I doomed to melted sugar doom?

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Thankfully the hardest part of making these marshmallows was getting them out of the pan after they had cooled overnight. Well, that and cleaning the corn syrup-gelatin-covered dishes (note to self: clean right away when the sugar is still warm).

It was amazing watching the clear sugar mixture drizzle down the side of the bowl, soon to be steaming, frothy liquid and then fluffy, magical fluff. After waiting for the sugar syrup to come to 240°, these candies are actually done after 3-5 minutes of whisking. Just pour into a greased and powdered pan, top with more powder and wait overnight.

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The original recipe states to merely grease the pan that the marshmallow mixture goes into. On my second batch (this time absinthe marshmallows) I greased then sugared the pan with confectioner’s sugar. The removal of the marshmallows was much easier. I like to roll the cut edges in more confectioner’s sugar so they don’t stick together, then shake off the excess.

Homemade marshmallows are much softer, flavorful, and decadent. I’ve added them to coffee, cocoa, and lattes as well as plain. My brother picked up on the fact that I used vanilla paste instead of vanilla extract; he doesn’t like vanilla generally but approved of these. These are blank canvases for whatever flavor you’d like: coconut, cocoa, coffee, peppermint, or citrus. They also make great gifts since they travel and keep well.

White Bean Chicken Chili

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This chili is one of my favorite uses for rotisserie chicken whenever the local store is having a sale on it.Even though it has a lot of ingredients, it comes together very quickly once you have everything measured out.

It’s warm, spicy, and incredibly healthy. It tastes even better the next day after all of the spices have soaked into to the beans and chicken, intensifying. You could halve this recipe to yield a smaller amount, but this can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container. I like to top mine with some cheese, chia seeds, or non-fat yogurt as well as the cilantro, but you can dress it up with anything!

White Chicken Chili

Easy & Decadent Hot Cocoa Mix

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Each year during the holiday season, I prefer to give comestibles. These edible gifts have the bonus of not only not arriving with a price tag, but it’s a reflection of time and effort instead of just checking someone off of a gift list.

Hot chocolate and s’mores are some of my favorite things to consume. Nothing like sitting by a fire (or a video of a fireplace) and sipping cocoa or chomping on a burnt marshmallow. This recipe is incredibly easy and customize-able. I like to use higher-quality, locally made marshmallows, but you can also drink with mini-marshmallows. I filled each jar with 5 servings (180g) and the larger with 8 servings. Some have peppermint marshmallows from Bread Furst and some have vanilla marshmallows from Fleurir.

Here are some different packaging styles I’m gifting:

Quick & Healthy Energy Bites

These energy bites are super easy to whip up and are ready in about five minutes. I always have oats on hand and whenever I’m in the mood for something sweet but not too bad for you, we make these tasty “balls”.

The flax seed adds a great roasty toasty flavor, especially if you grind your own from flax seeds. If you don’t have peanut butter, you can substitute it with any other nut butter. Sometimes I like to throw in a tablespoon or two of spiced speculoos cookie butter too. Because I can’t leave anything *too* healthy.

Soft Pretzels

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I’ll be honest — soft pretzels are a guilty pleasure of mine. I have very fond memories of going shopping with my family and being rewarded at the end with a hot pretzel and lemonade. I also like getting the pretzel rolls to make mini-sandwiches with, but they’re a bit hard to find nearby me.

Making pretzels seemed daunting to me. They’re like bread and bagels mixed together, some mystery that makes them magically chewy yet snappy and soft.

It turns out that they’re not that hard to make! I was inspired by my Secret Recipe Club partner for this month, Nicole from Collie’s Kitchen. Nicole is a half-country/half-city girl that is a full-time college student and mother. I can’t even imagine how she does everything, including making these great soft pretzels!

I didn’t have milk powder or a bread machine, so I had to use a little improvisation with these pretzels. These turned out way better than I expected and I imagine that there will be more pretzels in my future (gotta use up that bread flour!). We might even make these pretzels a Memorial Day tradition; they taste great when smooshed around a local sausage, coleslaw, and grilled onions.

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