Chocolate Marshmallow Bunnies Food

CHOCOLATE MARSHMALLOW BUNNIES

Steps:

• Lightly spray the inside of an 9″x13″ pan with cooking spray. Generously coat with powdered sugar and set aside.
• Pour 1/3 cup of the water into the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and stir briefly to incorporate. Let stand for about 10 minutes, or until the gelatin has softened.
• In a saucepan, off the heat, combine the remaining 1/3 cup of water and the granulated sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Place the pan over medium-high heat. Clip a candy thermometer on the inside of the pan, making sure it doesn't touch the bottom. Cook the mixture without stirring until it reaches 240°. Brush down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush, dipped in water, to gently wipe away any sugar crystals.
• With your mixer on low speed, very carefully add the hot syrup to the softened gelatin. Add the vanilla and increase the speed to medium-high. The mixture will start out clear, but quickly turns very white. Beat for about 8 minutes, or until the marshmallow gets very thick and sticky, and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl, in string-like pieces. This will really give your mixer a workout. (Just ask my aunt, Patsy!)
• Spread the mixture into the prepared pan using a lightly oiled spatula. With wet hands, press the batter evenly into the corners of the pan. Just keep rewetting your hands to help with the stickiness. Set aside for at least 1 hour, or until the mixture is firm and cool.
• Run a wet knife around the edge of the cooled pan to loosen the marshmallow. Remove the marshmallow from the pan, onto a sheet of parchment paper.
• Dip your bunny cookie cutter (mine is from this Easter set) into a shallow bowl of water and then cut the marshmallow into bunny shapes. This is a sticky job, but just have patience. It's worth it! It helps to dip the cutter into the water after each cut.
• In a small, but somewhat deep, microwave-safe bowl, melt about 14 ounces of the chocolate in 30 second increments, stirring after each increment. Be very careful to not get the chocolate too hot. When the chocolate is almost all melted, stir by hand until it is completely smooth. Then add the remaining 2 ounces of chopped chocolate and stir again until completely smooth. This will help to cool down the chocolate. Stir in the shortening until completely incorporated. This will help to thin out the chocolate.
• Place a marshmallow bunny on the tongs of a fork and dip the bunny into the melted chocolate. If needed, use a second fork to help guide the marshmallow in and out of the chocolate. Allow excess chocolate to drip off, while lightly tapping the underside of your fork against the rim of your chocolate filled bowl.
• Then slide the fork out of the bowl, scraping the underside of the tongs along the bowl's rim. This will scrape off any remaining excess chocolate, so you don't have a pool of chocolate form around your bunny as it cools.
• Set the chocolate covered bunny on wax paper to cool and completely set up on your kitchen counter. After about an hour, they should be dry to the touch and ready to decorate.
• Please visit my very talented friend, Amanda, from i am baker for her glaze icing recipe and tutorial. She's just so great at using this stuff, and really is your best teacher! Be sure to check out all her awesome decorated cookies and cakes while you're over there!

MARSHMALLOW CHICKS AND BUNNIES

Steps:

• Spread 3/4 cup of the pink sanding sugar in the bottom of an 8-inch square pan. Line a rimmed baking sheet with wax paper and cover it sparsely with 1/3 cup of the yellow sanding sugar. Prepare a piping bag with a 1/2-inch pastry tip.
• Pour 2/3 cup of cold water into the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the powdered gelatin on top. Let sit for 5 minutes.
• Put the granulated sugar and 1/2 cup cold water in a small pot over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved, about 4 minutes. Attach a candy thermometer to the pot, bring the mixture to a boil and boil until the thermometer registers 238 degrees F, about 8 minutes. Brush the sides of the pot with a wet pastry brush if sugar crystals stick to the sides as the syrup boils.
• Carefully pour the hot sugar syrup into the bowl with the gelatin and whisk the mixture by hand for a few minutes to cool it slightly. Then, using the whisk attachment, whisk the mixture on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, 9 to 11 minutes. Add the vanilla and mix for another 30 seconds.
• Put half of the mixture (about 2 cups) into a large bowl. Add about 5 drops of pink gel food coloring and gently fold with a rubber spatula to combine and until no streaks remain. Scrape into the prepared 8-inch square pan and spread into a smooth, even layer. Let sit at least 4 hours, uncovered, so the marshmallow stiffens.
• Add about 5 drops yellow gel food coloring to the remaining marshmallow in the stand mixer, gently folding with a rubber spatula to combine. Transfer the yellow marshmallow to the prepared piping bag. Pipe a chick shape (about 2 1/2-inches long) on the prepared baking sheet by beginning piping close to you, pulling away from you to begin making the chick's body, then doubling back toward yourself. When you reach the end of the body nearest you, double back a bit to make the head, pulling away to create the beak. Repeat, keeping about an inch between the chicks. Let sit at least 4 hours, uncovered, so the marshmallow chicks stiffen.
• To coat the bunnies in sugar: Put the remaining 1/2 cup pink sanding sugar in a medium bowl. Heat a saucepan filled with a couple inches of water to just under a boil, then turn off the heat. Dip the unrimmed edge of a 2 1/2-inch bunny-shaped cookie cutter into the warm water, then press the cutter into one corner of the marshmallow, creating a bunny marshmallow. Nudge the cut bunny out of the cutter and into the bowl filled with pink sanding sugar. Toss the cut bunny with a fork until well covered with sanding sugar. Repeat, dipping the cutter into the warm water each time you cut a bunny.
• To coat the chicks in sugar: Put the remaining 1 cup yellow sanding sugar in a medium bowl. Use an offset spatula to remove 1 chick from the wax paper. Place the chick in the bowl filled with yellow sanding sugar. Toss the chick with a fork until well covered with sanding sugar. Repeat with the remaining chicks.
• To make eyes and a nose for the bunnies, dip a toothpick or pointed skewer into the black gel food coloring and place 2 dots on each face for the eyes and 1 dot centered below the eyes for the nose. To create eyes on the chicks, dip a toothpick or pointed skewer into the black gel food coloring and place 1 dot on each side of each chick's head. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

CHOCOLATE-COVERED MARSHMALLOW BUNNIES

Steps:

• Thread 2 large marshmallows onto each of 12 wooden skewers. Heat dipping chocolate as directed on package. Dip threaded marshmallows, 1 skewer at a time, into chocolate, turning to evenly coat both marshmallows. Let excess chocolate drip back into container. Place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet. Refrigerate 30 min. or until firm.
• Melt white chocolate as directed on package. Stir in food coloring; cool 10 min. Spoon chocolate into resealable plastic bag. Cut small piece off one bottom corner of bag; use to decorate bunnies as shown in photo.
• Press miniature marshmallows into backs for the bunnies' tails. Let stand until chocolate coating is firm.

CHOCOLATE MARSHMALLOW BROWNIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Grease a 13 by 9-inch baking pan.
• Melt the chocolate and butter in a 2-quart bowl in the microwave on high for 3 minutes, stirring every 20 to 30 seconds until the chocolate is completely melted (or use a double broiler method). Add the eggs, sugar, and vanilla and mix well with a spatula. Add the flour and stir to combine. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes.
• While the brownies are baking, make the frosting. Melt the chocolate and butter in a medium bowl in the microwave on high for 3 minutes stirring every 20 to 30 seconds until the chocolate is completely melted. Add the egg substitute, vanilla, and sugar and stir with a spoon until smooth. Stir in the marshmallows; they will soften but not melt completely. Spread the frosting over the warm brownies. The frosting will set up when the brownies are completely cooled. When cool, cut into 1 1/2-inch squares and store in the refrigerator in a plastic container with a snap-on lid.

MILK CHOCOLATE BUNNIES

Steps:

• Melt Velata Milk Chocolate in your Velata warmer. Put half of the chocolate into a plastic squeeze bottle. On a sheet of wax paper, squeeze out a small, thin chocolate circle (about half the size of a vanilla wafer cookie) to make a bunny head. Then add bunny ears on top and proceed to next step while chocolate is still melted.
• Using a fork, completely dip one vanilla wafer cookie into the dish of melted chocolate. Slide a fork along the edge of the dish to allow excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl. Place the chocolate covered cookie just below the bunny head to form the bunny's body.
• Roll each marshmallow between your finger and your thumb to form a rounded, fluffy bunny tail.
• Take the bunny tails and press them onto the bottom of the chocolate-covered cookie. Make 12 bunnies, then place baking sheet in the refrigerator for 15 minutes until the chocolate bunnies harden.
• Repeat process to make desired amount (24-36).
• Final number depends on cookie size, thickness of chocolate coating, and how many cookies are coated with chocolate.
• Gently peel bunnies away from waxed paper and enjoy!