Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream with Bourbon Caramel Swirls + Praline Bits in PRETZEL CONES

Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream with Bourbon Caramel Swirls + Praline Bits in PRETZEL CONES

I feel like I have been so busy lately. Wedding planning has taken over my life... and to top all of that, I found out that I have Shingles again. I have literally had it twice in less than 10 months. Kill me now. What 25 year old has something that 60 year old's get? Me. That's who. But you know what cheers me up when I don't feel good? Ice cream. Cool, creamy, dreamy ice cream. And one of my favorite flavors has to be salted caramel. Matter of fact, triple the salted caramel ice cream. It starts off with a salted butter caramel custard base, and then cluttered with even more caramel-y goodness. I mean, who doesn't like praline? It's like crunchy caramel. It's perfection. The praline bits give the ice cream some crunch + texture, which I adore. And then there's the bourbon caramel sauce that is swirled in as well, which makes it even more luscious. I can't even tell you all the millions of reasons as to why you need to make this right-friggin'-now. Summer is coming to an end in about a month and you can't miss out on this treat before it starts to get cold. My favorite element of the whole dessert though... are these fabulous Pretzel Ice Cream Cones. You have to order them online, but trust me, they are so worth the purchase! Head over to Pennsylvania General Store to get you some gurrrllllll (or guys). When you open the packaging, the most intoxicating maple-like smell wafts through your nose. But then when you bite into it tastes like a LEGIT PRETZEL. No joking here. This has to be the most ingenious idea ever. So go buy some now because I'm pretty sure it would pair beautifully with any ice cream you have in your freezer!! Enjoy :)

For the Praline Bits:

½C Sugar

¾t Smoked Sea Salt (I prefer Maldon)

For the Bourbon Caramel Swirls:

1C Sugar + ¼C Water

½C Heavy Cream

1T Bourbon

Heavy Pinch of Smoked Sea Salt 

For the Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream Custard:

2C Whole Milk, Divided

1 ½C Sugar

4t Salted Butter

½t Smoked Sea Salt

1C Heavy Cream

5 Large Egg Yolks

1t Vanilla

1T Bourbon

Directions:

1. For the Praline Bits: Spread the sugar in an even layer in a medium-sized, unlined heavy saucepan; I use a 6-quart pan. Line a baking sheet with a silpat. Heat the sugar over medium heat until the edges begin to melt. Use a heatproof utensil to gently stir the liquefied sugar from the bottom and edges towards the center, stirring, until all the sugar is dissolved (or most of it-there may be some lumps, which will melt later). Continue to cook stirring infrequently until the caramel starts smoking and begins to smell like it’s just about to burn. It won’t take long. Without hesitation, sprinkle in the ¾ teaspoon salt without stirring (don’t even pause to scratch your nose), then pour the caramel onto the prepared baking sheet and lift up the baking sheet immediately, tilting and swirling it almost vertically to encourage the caramel to form as thin a layer as possible. Set aside to harden and cool.

2. For the Bourbon Caramel Sauce: Simmer sugar and ¼ cup water on medium heat, swirling pan (NOT stirring) for about 15 minutes, or until a deep amber color is reached. Then turn off burner, remove from heat and slowly add in cream while stirring. Add pinch of salt and bourbon and place back on still-warm burner for another minute while stirring. Transfer to a heat-safe dish or bottle and let cool. Store covered in the refrigerator, and bring to room temperature or heat in a warm water bath before using (if needed).

3. For the Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream: Make an ice bath by filling a large bowl about a third full with ice cubes and adding a cup or so of water so they’re floating. Nest a smaller metal bowl (at least 2 quarts) over the ice, pour 1 cup of the milk into the inner bowl, and rest a mesh strainer on top of it. Spread 1½ cups sugar in the saucepan in an even layer. Cook over moderate heat, until caramelized, using the same method described in the praline bit process. Once caramelized, remove from heat and stir in the butter and salt, until butter is melted, then gradually whisk in the cream, stirring as you go. The caramel may harden and seize, but return it to the heat and continue to stir over low heat until any hard caramel is melted. Stir in 1 cup of the milk. Whisk the yolks in a small bowl and gradually pour some of the warm caramel mixture over the yolks, stirring constantly. Scrape the warmed yolks back into the saucepan and cook the custard using a heatproof utensil, stirring constantly (scraping the bottom as you stir) until the mixture thickens. If using an instant-read thermometer, it should read 160-170 degrees Fahrenheit. Pour the custard through the strainer into the milk set over the ice bath, add the vanilla, then stir frequently until the mixture is cooled down. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or until thoroughly chilled. Freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

4. Assembling the Ice Cream: While the ice cream is churning, crumble the hardened caramel praline into very little bits, about the size of very large confetti (about ½-inch). As soon as the mixture is done churning, pour or scoop in one-third of the ice cream into a large container, and then spoon some of the bourbon caramel sauce on top of the ice cream. Using the spoon, smooth it out into any even layer and swirl it some for a pretty marbling effect. Scatter in more of the crushed praline during this layering process. Repeat this process until all of the ice cream and caramel sauce (and as much praline bits as you want) have been used. Once it has been assembled, store in the freezer until firm, at least 4 hours.

5. Enjoying your Masterpiece: To take the dessert to a’whole’nother level, scoop your salted butter caramel ice cream into a Pretzel Ice Cream Cone (by The Cone Guys) and enjoy this ultimate salty + sweet treat!

source: salted butter caramel ice cream.

Revamped : Christmas Pretzel Toffee with Milk Chocolate, Bittersweet Chocolate, Crunchy Toffee Chips, + Vanilla Bean Fleur de Sel

Christmas Pretzel Toffee with Milk Chocolate, Bittersweet Chocolate,
Crunchy Toffee Chips, + Vanilla Bean Fleur de Sel

A couple years ago, I made Salted Pretzel Toffee, and it was great. It had the slightest twist on the original classic, but I missed the texture of the crackers. While strolling through the grocery store yesterday, I saw Ritz Pretzel Crackers and my mind was blownnnnnn. And I feel like Christmas Toffee is a tradition in almost every household during the holidays. Everywhere I go, someone is making toffee. So I figured why not make another batch, but with these new crackers. Well, I took this version to a whole new level. It reaches a gratifying level of salty + sweet. The crackers are buttery, flaky, and have the slightest hint of salt. After I layer those into a pan, I boiled dark brown sugar, butter, and two vanilla beans to make my butterscotch sauce that covered the crackers and baked them just for a little bit, to make sure that it all set properly. On top of everything, I used one bag of high quality bittersweet chocolate + one bag of high quality milk chocolate. Once it melted, I spread it into a thin layer and generously topped it with crushed toffee bits and homemade vanilla bean fleur de sel!! This is what (Christmas) dreams are made of, people! It's so addicting that the whole bag will be gone within an hour. So why eat that boring old recipe, when you can have the gourmet edition. Oh and P.S. MERRY MERRY CHRISTMAS Y'ALL!! Enjoy :)

look at those toffee crunchy bits :)

For the Christmas Pretzel Toffee:

1 ½ Boxes of Ritz Pretzel Crackers (¾ of the crackers whole, ¼ of the crackers crushed)

4 Sticks of Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature

2C Dark Brown Sugar

2 Vanilla Beans, Split & Scraped for Seeds

½t Sea Salt

1 Bag of Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate Chips

1 Bag of Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Chips

1 Bag of Toffee Bits

Homemade Vanilla Bean Fleur de Sel, For Sprinkling

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2. For the Toffee: Line a baking sheet with a Silpat and arrange the whole crackers in an even layer, and then sprinkle the remaining crushed crackers into any cracks or holes, so that the whole tray is filled.

3. For the Butterscotch Caramel Sauce: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter, dark brown sugar, vanilla bean seeds, and salt together and boil until it turns a caramel color and is smooth in texture (whisking the entire time). This will take about 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and immediately pour the caramel over the crackers, covering them evenly.

4. Baking the Toffee: Put the baking sheet into the oven and bake for 5-10 minutes or until just bubbly, making sure to watch it very carefully. Remove from the oven and sprinkle both types of chocolate chips over the crackers. The chocolate should start to melt, but if isn’t melting fast enough, you can pop it back in the oven for another minute or two, and that should make it spreadable enough. When the chips have melted, spread them in an even layer over the top with a rubber spatula. Immediately sprinkle the bag of toffee bits and fleur de sel over the melted chocolate and just slightly press the bits into the chocolate, making sure that they will stick to the chocolate once everything has cooled & hardened.

5. Transfer the pan to the freezer for 20-30 minutes or until completely cold. Once cold, break them or cut them up into small squares or pieces and enjoy!

Salted Margarita Pie (in jars) with Pretzel Cookie Crust, Boozy White Chocolate-Key Lime Pie Filling, & Whipped Cream

Salted Margarita Pie (in jars) with Pretzel Cookie Crust, Boozy
White Chocolate-Key Lime Pie Filling, & Whipped Cream

Holy crap y'all, when did it get so hot outside? It's seriously hot as the dickens. But, you know what that means, SUMMER FOOD. Grilled burgers, fresh seafood, homemade ice cream + sorbet, fruity drinks, and key lime pie. I'm partial to my Deep Dish Key Lime Meringue Pie because it never disappoints. Well, here's an upgraded recipe of this summer dessert classic. Salted Margarita Pie is just the boozy sister of key lime pie with a couple unique twists. Instead of a boring 'ole graham crackers, a pretzel cookie crust is made and it certainly shines throughout the dish. I love its crumbly + crunchy texture and its' lightly salted flavor. It's so good that it makes you wonder why this crust isn't used for every pie you make. What makes this pie extra special is the filling... how can you go wrong with ingredients like white chocolate, freshly squeezed margarita mix, citrus zest, and booze? You can't. And guess what, it's made with not just one kind of booze, but TWO. Tequila and Cointreau spike this luscious custard and give it a margarita flair. I know that some of you are thinking that white chocolate sounds like an odd addition in a tart pie, but I think it balanced the strong taste of alcohol and citrus with its' sweetness and creamy finish. For a while now, I have been wanting to make a dessert in a mason jar because I love the retro vibe and easy portability. We actually made it for the Jimmy Buffet concert that we went to in February and it was the perfect treat to snack on, and it's actually quite simple! All you have to do is pack in the pretzel cookie crust and pour in an even layer of margarita pie filling and bake until it has just set. The jars of pie are finished with homemade whipped cream and a sprinkle of mixed citrus sea salt, which perfectly mimics the effortlessly wonderful salted rim of a margarita. So, you can't miss that step! This dessert would be awesome for a picnic or a day at the beach, that's for sure. All that's left for y'all to do is grab a spoon and start diggin' at it. Trust me, your mouth will be watering in anticipation, trying to get at the bottom layer of salty-pretzel-cookie-goodness!! Enjoy :)

Perfect Layering.

Homemade whipped cream with mixed citrus sea salt & fresh lime rounds...

The best part: Salty Pretzel Cookie Crust

Go on and get in there!

For the Pretzel Cookie Crust:

8T + 4T Unsalted Butter, 8T at Room Temperature & 4T Melted

1/3C + 1T Light Brown Sugar, Packed

3T Sugar

1 Egg Yolk

½C AP Flour

1½C Pretzels (crushed into the size of small peas or old-fashioned rolled oats)

1/8t Baking Powder

Pinch of Baking Soda

½t + ¼t Salt

For the White Chocolate Key Lime Pie Filling Spiked with Tequila & Cointreau:

2 14oz Cans of Sweetened, Condensed Milk

11oz Melted White Chocolate

6 Egg Yolks (you can save the egg whites and make a meringue topping if you like)

1C Homemade Margarita Mix (but freshly squeezed citrus juice would be fine)

3 Limes, Zested

4T High Quality Clear Tequila

2T Cointreau

Green Food Coloring (to your liking)

Homemade Mixed Citrus Sea Salt, small lemon pieces

For the Whipped Cream:

1C Heavy Whipping Cream

1T Sugar

1t Vanilla Extract

Freshly Grated Lime Zest & Mixed Citrus Sea Salt, For Garnishing

Directions:

1. For the Pretzel Cookie Crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with Pam. In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine 8T room temperature butter, 1/3C light brown sugar, and sugar in medium bowl. Beat the mixture until light and fluffy, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolk; beat until pale and fluffy. Add in the pretzel pieces, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and beat until well blended, about 1 minute. Turn the pretzel cookie mixture out onto prepared baking sheet; press out evenly to almost the edges of pan. Bake until light golden on top, 15-18 minutes. Transfer baking pan to rack and cool cookie completely. Using hands, crumble oat cookie into a food processor and process until it becomes wet sand, and then add melted butter, salt, and brown sugar. Pulse until mixture is moist enough to stick together. Transfer cookie crust mixture into mason jars. Using fingers, press mixture evenly into the bottom of the jars. Place pie dishes with crust on rimmed baking sheet.

2. For the Key Lime Pie Filling: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the condensed milk, melted white chocolate, egg yolks, key lime juice (or homemade margarita mix), tequila, and triple sec until well blended. And then add in the fresh lime zest (or lemon zest may substituted) & green food coloring (to you liking). Pour the margarita pie filling into the pretzel crust filled mason jars. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes (depending on your oven), or until the pie filling is set, but still jiggles slightly. Remove the pie from the oven and let the filling cool & set slightly. Cover with the lids and bands and refrigerate for at least two hours or until chilled & set.

3. For the Whipped Cream: Just before serving, whip cream until soft peaks form. Fold in sugar and vanilla, whipping until stiff peaks form. Garnish pie jars with whipped cream, freshly grated lime zest, and a sprinkle of homemade mixed citrus sea salt, if using. Serve immediately. This makes roughly six 12oz Salted Margarita Pie in Jars.

“Forrest Gump” Chocolate Tart on a Pretzel Cookie Crust, Salted Caramel, Chocolate Ganache, Vanilla Bean Fleur de Sel, & Gourmet Chocolate Truffles

“Forrest Gump” Chocolate Tart on a Pretzel Cookie Crust, Salted Caramel, Chocolate 

Ganache, Vanilla Bean Fleur de Sel, & Gourmet Chocolate Truffles

My momma always said, "Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." Don't y'all just love the movie, Forrest Gump? It's a Southern classic, and I don't know many people who didn't like it. It has everything that I love about the South... the charm, the scenery, the crazy people you can meet, and the home grown comfort feelin' you get when you watch it. If you haven't seen it, then you're crazy... and need to go and rent it right now!! I especially love that it is filmed partially in Savannah. I mean, the famous bench he sits on in the movie is just one block from my apartment. How cool is that? I think that's why I love Savannah so much, it's just a special city that will always hold a dear place in my heart. I could see myself living here forever, it's pretty much my soulmate. Anyway, on to the food. I have been wanting to make a salted caramel-chocolate ganache tart for a long time. It can honestly make any girl swoon. It's every thing we need to cheer us up or something decadent to enjoy with your loved ones. Well, when we were watching Forrest Gump the other week, I thought to myself, "Man, I wish I could turn a box of chocolates into a real dessert." So, why not combine the two for one monstrous, uber chocolate tart? And that's how the Forrest Gump Tart was born. I started off by making a sweet & salty pretzel cookie crust, and then topped it with a layer of salted caramel and chocolate ganache. After the tart has begin to set slightly, I pressed about 15-20 gourmet chocolate truffles into the ganache. We bought our truffles from our favorite chocolatier, Wright Square Cafe. We included a variety of different flavored chocolate truffles... dark, milk, caramel, coffee, white chocolate, espresso, etc. After the tart has been garnished with the chocolates, I also sprinkled some Vanilla Bean Fleur de Sel on top for an even more salty kick. Because we all know about my obsession with salt on desserts. It's seriously becoming unhealthy at this point. Lemme tell you, every single one of my friends raved about this dessert. I had four people immediately requesting that the recipe be posted on my blog. So, ask and you shall receive!! This would be a great dessert for a small dinner party with your couples friends, a girls night, or a home-cooked dinner date with your man. But, I especially think this would be absolutely perfect for a romantic Valentine's Day dinner. It's not the easiest dessert to make because I know some people struggle with making caramel, but I'm confident y'all can pull it off as well! It's also something you can assemble the morning of, and then just slice after dinner. Ladies, make sure to remember this tart in a couple weeks for Valentine's Day coming up, your man would love it!! Enjoy :)

The Perfect Sweet + Salty Dessert

For the Pretzel Cookie Crust:

8T + 4T Unsalted Butter, 8T at Room Temperature & 4T Melted

1/3C + 1T Light Brown Sugar, Packed

3T Sugar

1 Egg Yolk

½C AP Flour

1½C Pretzels (crushed into the size of small peas or old-fashioned rolled oats)

1/8t Baking Powder

Pinch of Baking Soda

½t + ¼t Salt

For the Salted Caramel Layer:

1 ½C Sugar

3T Light Corn Syrup

¼t Salt

6T Unsalted Butter

6T Heavy Cream

1T Crème Fraiche 

For the Chocolate Ganache Layer:

½C Heavy Cream

4oz Bittersweet Chocolate, Finely Chopped

For the Tart:

Prepared Pretzel Cookie Crust

Prepared Salted Caramel Layer

Vanilla Bean Fleur de Sel, For Sprinkling

Gourmet Chocolate Truffles, For Topping (we went to our local bakery and bought them)

Directions:

1. For the Pretzel Cookie Crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with Pam. In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine 8T room temperature butter, 1/3C light brown sugar, and sugar in medium bowl. Beat the mixture until light and fluffy, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolk; beat until pale and fluffy. Add in the pretzel pieces, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and beat until well blended, about 1 minute. Turn the pretzel cookie mixture out onto prepared baking sheet; press out evenly to almost the edges of pan. Bake until light golden on top, 15-18 minutes. Transfer baking pan to rack and cool cookie completely. Using hands, crumble oat cookie into a food processor and process until it becomes wet sand, and then add melted butter, salt, and brown sugar. Pulse until mixture is moist enough to stick together. Transfer cookie crust mixture to two 9-inch-diameter glass pie dishes. Using fingers, press mixture evenly onto bottom and up sides of pie dishes. Place pie dishes with crust on rimmed baking sheet.

2. For the Salted Caramel Layer: In a deep saucepan, whisk together the sugar, corn syrup, salt, and water and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook, without stirring, until the temperature reads 340 degrees. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter cream, and crème fraiche and whisk until smooth (the mixture will bubble up). Pour the tart into the prepared pretzel cooking crust. Let it cool to room temperature, and then refrigerate until firm, about 45 minutes to an hour.

3. For the Ganache Layer: Bring the cream to a boil in a deep pot over medium eat. Put the chocolate into a mixing bowl and pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Let it sit 1-2 minutes, and then stir slowly with a rubber spatula or a whisk. Pour the ganache evenly over the chilled salted caramel layer and refrigerate for roughly 15-30 minutes or until the chocolate has cooled some, but has enough give to gently push the gourmet chocolate truffles, so that they will adhere to the tart itself, instead of falling off. Once the truffles have been added, and then return the tart to refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or until all of the layers have set.

4. For Serving: Sprinkle the top of the tart with some vanilla bean fleur de sel, cut into slices, and enjoy while it is still chilled.

source: chocolate-salted caramel tart.

Pretzel Wrapped Sausages with Jalapeno-Beer-Cheddar Cheese Sauce

Pretzel Wrapped Sausages with Jalapeno-Beer-Cheddar Cheese Sauce

I haven't been able to post a tailgatin' recipe recently, but I'm back at it again. And these will be perfect for all the men & women at your parties :) Who doesn't love a good stadium dog? Or a good ole' salty pretzel? Or some of that store-bought nacho cheese? No one. We all love it. Especially while drinkin' at a football game. So why not make them at home and combine them all together? I was so excited when we made these because I knew that I could substitute beer brats for hotdogs, and lemme tell you, soooo much better. And when they are wrapped in soft, pillowy homemade pretzel dough, they are the perfect drunk/football/party food. You of course hav'ta dip them in the cheese sauce that is fully loaded with beer and jalapenos. This is the essential main course to any tailgatin' fiesta, people. And they are hand-held deliciousness!! Enjoy :)

For the Pretzel Wrapped Sausages:

8 Pre-Cooked Sausages, Hotdogs, or Brats

1 ½C Warm Water

1T Sugar

1 Package of Active Dry Yeast

4 ½C AP Flour

2t Salt

2oz Unsalted Butter, Melted & Cooled

For the Bath:

3 ½Q of Water

1C Baking Soda

1 Large Egg + 1T Water, Beaten

For the Topping:

Sea Salt

Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

For the Jalapeno-Beer-Cheddar Cheese Sauce:

12oz Beer

2C Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Shredded

1T AP Flour

8oz Cream Cheese, Room Temperature

1 Clove of Garlic, Minced

2T Candied Jalapenos, Minced

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

Directions:

1. For the Dough: Combine warm water and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Sprinkle the yeast on top of the water and set aside for 5 minutes, until mixture is foamy. Add the flour, salt, and melted butter. Using the dough hook, mix on low speed until well combined. Increase speed to medium and knead dough until it is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, creating a ball of dough around the dough hook, about 5 minutes. The dough will be soft, pliable, and just a bit sticky. Remove from bowl, form into a ball and place in an oiled bowl. Dust the top with flour, then cover with plastic and let sit in a warm place and allow the dough to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Place baking racks in the center and upper third of the oven. Preheat oven to 425° F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, and lightly brush the paper with oil (Don't skip the oiling, it’s important to brush the paper or the pretzels will stick).

2. For the Pretzel Wrapped Sausages: Combine water and baking soda in a large pot and bring to a boil. While the water comes to a boil, turn the dough out onto a clean, lightly oiled work surface. Divide the dough into eight even pieces (one per sausage). You want to make a rope with each piece of dough. Start with the fingers of both hands in the center of the dough, and roll, moving your hands outward as you go. Roll the dough along the oiled surface until you have about a 24" (for whole dogs) piece of rope. Starting at one end, roll the dough around a hot dog gently (without stretching too much), pinching and sealing each end well. When water has come to a boil, gently lower a few of the dough-wrapped dogs into the boiling water and allow it to boil for 30 seconds. Using a skimmer (flat, slotted spatula), carefully remove them and place on the oiled parchment. Brush with the egg wash and sprinkle each with some salt and pepper. Bake in the preheat oven until they reach a deep, golden brown color, about 12-15 minutes. While they cook, prepare the cheese sauce.

3. For the Jalapeno-Beer-Cheddar Cheese Sauce: Add the beer to a saucepan over medium heat and bring it to a boil. While you are waiting, toss the shredded cheese with the flour. Once the beer is simmering, whisk in the cheese and all of the remaining ingredients. Whisk until all the cheese has melted and you have a smooth, creamy sauce. Keep warm until ready to serve.

4. Serve the pretzel wrapped sausages on a platter with the Jalapeno-Beer-Cheddar Cheese Sauce for dipping.

source: spicy beer cheese sauce. pretzel dogs.

Dark Chocolate Covered Stout Marshmallows with Caramel & Crushed Peanut Butter Pretzel Topping

Dark Chocolate Covered Stout Marshmallows with Caramel & Crushed Peanut Butter Pretzel Topping

It's my midterm week, and it's absolutely dreadful. I feel like every single teacher has assigned five projects for me to complete before Thursday. Ugh, c'est la vie. But luckily enough for me, I get to head up to our family mountain house for an extra-long weekend. We're bringing friends with us and it will be filled with cookouts, hiking, drinking, and bonfires. This of course calls for homemade marshmallows for some daggum s'mores. I always make Vanilla Bean Marshmallows, but this time I decided I would also make some beer marshmallows for some variety. I know, beer flavored 'mallows? Are you in heaven yet? They do exist and they are utterly delicious. The ones we will be using for s'mores will be plain, but I ended up making a batch of some geeked out beer marshmallows that would knock anyone's socks off!! I topped the pillowy squares with a homemade layer of chewy caramel, and then dipped them into tempered dark chocolate, so that they were completely coated. While the chocolate was still soft, I garnished them with crushed peanut butter pretzels, a drizzle of white chocolate, and a sprinkle of vanilla bean fleur de sel. And then, I went all crazy and added some potato chips to a few, and they were awesome!! I will leave it up to you with how over-the-top you want to make yours... I mean you could easily just make the beer marshmallows and call it a day. I won't hate!! Anyway, we will be enjoying these this weekend, so I'll make sure to come back and post some of the pictures of these epic s'mores, just you wait!! Enjoy :)

Crushed Pretzels & Salty Potato Chips... The perfect marshmallow topping. 

For some variety, I made some white chocolate covered marshmallows... 

And then drizzled them with dark chocolate :) 

This is one big bite... Do you see the caramel layer??

For the Beer Marshmallows:

3 ½ Envelopes Unflavored Gelatin

1C Chocolate Stout Beer, Divided (It needs to be cold and flat for this recipe)

2C Sugar

½C Dark Corn Syrup

¼t Salt

2 Large Egg Whites

1T Vanilla

For the Caramel Layer:

2C Sugar

2C Heavy Cream

1C Light Corn Syrup

½t Salt (plus a little extra for sprinkling the top of the finished caramel)

4½T Unsalted Butter

For the Dark Chocolate Coating:

10oz 70% Bittersweet Chocolate, Coarsely Chopped

Peanut Butter Pretzels, Roughly Chopped For Garnishing

Fleur de Sel, For Sprinkling (optional)

For the Marshmallows:

Prepared Beer Marshmallows

Dark Chocolate Coating 

Melted White Chocolate, Optional

Vanilla Bean Fleur de Sel, For Sprinkling (optional)

Peanut Butter Pretzels, Roughly Chopped For Garnishing (or potato chips can be substituted)

Directions:

1. To flatten the beer, take the cap off the bottle and leave open overnight, or pour beer into a bowl and whisk vigorously to remove some carbonation… just make sure it is cold.

2.  For the Marshmallows: Oil bottom and sides of a 13x9 rectangular metal baking pan and dust bottom and sides with some confectioners’ sugar. In bowl of a standing electric mixer or in a large bowl sprinkle gelatin over ½C cold beer, and let stand to soften. In a 3-quart heavy saucepan cook granulated sugar, corn syrup, second ½C of cold beer, and salt over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to moderate and boil mixture, without stirring, until a candy or digital thermometer registers 240°F, about 12 minutes. Remove pan from heat and pour sugar mixture over gelatin mixture, stirring until gelatin is dissolved.With standing or a hand-held electric mixer beat mixture on high speed until fluffy, thick, and nearly tripled in volume, about six minutes if using standing mixer or about 10 minutes if using hand-held mixer. In separate medium bowl with cleaned beaters beat egg whites (or reconstituted powdered whites) until they just hold stiff peaks. Beat whites and vanilla (or your choice of flavoring) into sugar mixture until just combined. Pour mixture into baking pan and don’t fret if you don’t get it all out (learning from my mess of a first round). Sift ¼C confectioners sugar evenly over top. Chill marshmallow, uncovered, until firm, at least three hours, and up to one day.

3. Run a thin knife around edges of pan and invert pan onto a large cutting board. Lifting up one corner of inverted pan, with fingers loosen marshmallow and ease onto cutting board. With a large knife trim edges of marshmallow and cut marshmallow into roughly one-inch cubes. (An oiled pizza cutter works well here too.) Sift remaining confectioners’ sugar back into your now-empty baking pan, and roll the marshmallows through it, on all six sides, before shaking off the excess and packing them away.

4. For the Caramel Wrapping: Lightly butter an 18" X 13" sheet pan. In a large heavy sauce pan (the caramel will more than triple in volume, so you need plenty of space) over medium heat combine sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 1C heavy cream. Stirring constantly with a silicon spatula or wooden spoon, bring the mixture to a boil. This will take some time. It is important that you don't turn up the heat because candy requires patience. Once the mixture boils add the remaining 1C cream in a slow trickle so that you do not cool your caramel mixture and it continues to boil uninterrupted. Reduce heat to medium-low and allow it to boil for 5-6 minutes without stirring. Add butter one tablespoon at a time, stirring after each melts. Clip on your candy thermometer and allow to boil over medium-low heat until the mixture just hits 250°F (or the Firm Ball stage) stirring occasionally. This should take about 30-40 minutes; if your temperature is climbing too quickly you might need to reduce heat all the way to low. By the same token, if you're not hitting 250°F by 40 minutes you might want to increase the heat a bit. Once you've hit the right temperature, quickly remove from heat and pour into your prepared pan or onto the greased stone slab, spreading it out in an even layer. To prevent any crystallization, don't scrape the pan as you pour, just allow what clings to the pan to remain in it (you can scrape it into a smaller dish and eat it later, odds are it won't be crystallized). Allow your molten caramel to cool to room temperature. Once it has cooled, invert the caramel out of the pan onto a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut the caramel into squares (exactly the same size as your marshmallows) and place a caramel square on top of a marshmallows until all of them have been covered. Let the caramel sit on the marshmallows in the refrigerator for about an hour (this will help the caramel stick to the marshmallows). After they have chilled, begin to cover them in chocolate. 

5. For the Dark Chocolate Coating: Melt ¾ of the chopped chocolate in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Remove the bowl from the pan and add the remaining chocolate, stirring until smooth. Cool the chocolate until a thermometer inserted at least ½inch into the chocolate registers 80 degrees. Return the water in the pan to a boil and remove it from heat. Set the bowl with cooled chocolate over the pan and reheat, stirring, until the thermometer registers 88-91 degrees as necessary. Remove the bowl from the pan. Stick a marshmallow on a fork or skewer and submerge in the melted chocolate, letting the excess drip off and scraping the back of the fork against the rim of the bowl if necessary.  Place the coated marshmallow onto a parchment lined baking sheet to stand until the chocolate is set, about 1 hour. Make sure to top the marshmallows with crushed pretzels and a sprinkle of fleur de sel while the chocolate is still soft. Repeat with the remaining marshmallows until all of them have been coated with chocolate.

source: caramel wrapped marshmallows. beer marshmallows.