How to Make Christmas Candy Coated Gourmet Marshmallows on a Stick

Supervise children to ensure that they do not add too many marshmallows.

Replace the visions of sugarplums dancing in your party guests' heads with your gourmet marshmallows, or give them as gifts to special friends and loved ones. However you choose to distribute these treats, be sure to keep some for your own household. Encourage children to enter into the spirit of gift giving by letting them help pound the candies or select the sprinkles in which you will roll the marshmallows.

Things You'll Need

• Gourmet marshmallows
• Lollipop sticks
• Thin pretzel sticks
• Candy melts
• Sprinkles
• Colorful hard candies
• Mallet or rolling pin
• Waxed paper
• Styrofoam

Instructions

1. Place candies in large plastic zipper bags according to type, crush with a mallet or rolling pin, pour them into a bowl and set aside. Use several brightly colored types of hard candies, and include strong flavors such as mint and orange.

2. Pour the candy melts into the top portion of a tightly sealed, heated double boiler and allow the candy to melt. Allow approximately seven minutes per pound and do not allow steam to touch the chocolate.

3. Attach the marshmallows to either lollipop sticks or pretzel sticks. Pretzels are safer if small children will be eating the marshmallows.

4. Dip the marshmallows into the melted chocolate and roll in the crushed candies. For variety, dip the marshmallows in bowls of large sprinkles such as jimmies or cinnamon drops.

5. Place the marshmallows on a layer of waxed paper or press the empty ends of the sticks into Styrofoam to air dry. Styrofoam allows the marshmallow to retain its shape while drying but may fall over unless you weight it sufficiently.

Tips & Warnings

• Marshmallows dry more slowly on warm or humid days.

• Cellophane wrappers, available at chocolate supply shops and craft stores, are a nice touch if the marshmallows are a gift.

• Steam causes the chocolate to seize; the only solution once chocolate has seized is to add either paramount crystals or shortening.

References

• Ghirardelli: Chocolate Melting
• Better Homes and Gardens: Chocolate: Melt, Dip or Drizzle
• Baking Bites; Chocolate Covered Homemade Marshmallows; November 2008