If you saw my post from yesterday, you know that I've been having fun with Dandies Marshmallows. They're vegan, gluten-free, kosher, and non-GMO. What more could you want?!
I'm gearing up for Valentine's Day. Hubs and I really don't celebrate Valentine's Day per se, but we do celebrate February as LOVE MONTH, as we got married on Groundhog's Day! So romantic, I know ;-) In that way, we kind of celebrate sometime between the second and the fourteenth. We lump them into one big holiday.
Today's recipe is for chocolate candies with a marshmallow creme center -- and they're pink for Valentine's Day! I purchased these adorable candy molds at Hobby Lobby (I believe) and I bust them out for special occasions. You don't see me make too much candy on here because I don't often have the patience for the detail work, but these beauties are worth it! If you invest in a nice silicon mold (a mere few dollars) you too can make adorable chocolates for special occasions.
This is where the Dandies marshmallows come in. If you eat a vegetarian, vegan, or plant-based diet, you know how difficult it is to find vegan marshmallows. Dandies are the solution! They are delicious and their texture is perfect.
You can do a few things to decorate the tops of the candy: grab a dab of chocolate frosting (mine was in the freezer from my Vegan Chocolate Amaretto Macaron Recipe!) and attach some sprinkles, pomegranate arils, strawberry slices, or homemade marshmallow fondant hearts! The sky's the limit -- or you can leave them naked. They will still taste deelish.
Dandies Chocolate Marshmallow Cremes for Valentine's Day
For the chocolate***:
1 tsp coconut oil
1 c. vegan chocolate chips (I used Wegman's Semi-Sweet for this recipe)
For the marshmallow creme:
1 T. coconut oil
1 c. Dandies Marshmallows (small size)
2 T. water
1/2 tsp. vanilla-infused bourbon (learn more about infusing your own liquor for extracts!)
1 tsp. beet juice, or another natural food color
Other items: a 12 piece candy mold and toppings for your candies
***You can make your own delicious chocolate too. Find my recipe here.
Directions
In a double boiler over medium heat, melt the coconut oil for the chocolate. Once it is melted, add the chocolate chips and stir until the chips are completely melted. EASY!
Next, grab a spoon and spoon a dollop of chocolate into each chocolate mold. (This recipe should make at least 12 candies, depending on the size of your molds. My mold is small.) Your dollop should fill the mold about 1/3 of the way. Using a spoon, press the chocolate up and around the sides of your mold. You want to create a shell of chocolate around the outside of each mold.
When you're done, pop the mold into the freezer for about 20-30 minutes. You should still have some chocolate left over for the "bottoms" of the cremes.
After 15 or 20 minutes has elapsed, it's time to melt the marshmallows. In a double boiler over medium heat, combine the remaining marshmallow ingredients: oil, marshmallows, water, vanilla, and beet juice. Stir this mixture until all of the marshmallows are completely melted.
***Note*** Why use a double boiler? Personally, I get nervous about chocolate and marshmallows burning on the bottoms of pans. I would hate to waste ingredients on an easy oversight. You take your eyes away from the pots for one second...and poof! Everything is burned.
Once the marshmallows have cooled slightly, I scooped mine into a piping bag. Make sure it's cool enough to handle! Take the chocolate mold out of the freezer and pipe some marshmallow into the center of the candies. I used a toothpick to move the filling around a bit. Repeat this with all of the candies.
Using a spoon, scoop the remaining chocolate on top of the marshmallow fillings. Do your best to flatten out each chocolate. Place the chocolates back in the freezer for at least an hour.
After, feel free to decorate them! These cremes would make the perfect Valentine's Day gift for your sweetheart.
Cheers!
-Aileen
As you may know from my fondant post, Dandies provided me with marshmallows in exchange for my recipe development. Regardless, I stand behind the brand because of their natural ingredients and commitment to creating vegan options in the kitchen.