Fly, Eagles, Fly

Whew.  I almost didn't make it to write this blog post.  Because I very nearly died of a stroke while watching the Super Bowl.  Really, you die-hard sports fans out there:  How the heck do you do it?? I could literally hear my heart thumping in my head -- every beat feeling more and more like someone was squeezing the very life out of me.  I was actually rocking back and forth on the couch by the end of the game; after which,  I had a tangible and throbbing headache from the stress.  The emotional toll was so much that I couldn't even stay up to watch This is Us!

AND I DON'T EVEN LIKE FOOTBALL.

Seriously, I usually watch the Super Bowl for the commercials and the food.  Mostly the food.  But this year. . .

The EAGLES 😇 

against 

The PATRIOTS 😈. 

I mean that whole 'scappy team, never won a superbowl before, Philly rivers running green' thing -- on its own. . . and then throw in the whole Brady-Trump Bromance (blech. . .). . . 

it was enough to make me temporarily ignore my usual bias against sports that knowingly cause traumatic brain injuries/encephalopathy/dementia/death, and go all fan-girl crazy for the Eagles!

All I have to say is "Thank God I survived."  

In honor of my temporary bout of insanity, I made these amazing marshmallows, which, regardless of whether you:

a)love the Eagles

b)love the Patriots (don't tell me if this is you, please) 

c) love only sports that don't leave their former players with brain damage

I guarantee -- you will LOVE these marshmallows.  

Caramel Marshmallows with White Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients

• 2 envelopes powdered gelatin
• 1/2 cup + 1/3 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup corn syrup
• 4 egg whites
• Pinch salt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup caramel sauce (jarred or homemade)
• 20 oz white chocolate
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 1 tbsp maple syrup

Cooking Directions

1. Spray a rimmed sheet pan with cooking spray, and then wipe the excess away so that no visible liquid remains or pools.
2. Pour the 1/2 cup of water into a shallow bowl (the shallower, the better) and sprinkle the gelatin over the water. Don't worry if some of the powder is visible, just poke at it with a spoon until the majority is submerged in water.
3. Heat the sugar, corn syrup and remaining 1/3 cup of water over medium-high heat.
4. When the syrup starts to bubble, start mixing the egg whites in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Start at medium speed.
5. When the eggs are frothy, add the salt, and turn the speed up to high. The meringue is done when the egg whites are thick and fluffy.
6. Continue to whip the eggs until the syrup mixture hits 245 degrees F
7. Take the syrup off of the heat, and slowly pour into the meringue mixture while the mixer is still going on medium.
8. The pot will still be warm, so at this time put the gelatin mixture in and stir until melted.
9. If there was any powder that didn't get wet, it will clump and not melt, so when the mixture is as liquid as possible, pour the gelatin mixture over a strainer into the meringue/syrup mixture.
10. Beat at high until the outside of the bowl is cool (around 5 minutes.)
11. Add the vanilla extract and beat for two more minutes.
12. Remove all but one cup of the marshmallow mixture into a large cold mixing bowl.
13. Beat the remaining one cup of marshmallow with the one cup of caramel. The resulting mixture will be runny.
14. Pour the caramel mixture into the marshmallow mixture and gently fold through.
15. Pour the whole thing into the prepared sheet pan and smooth with a knife or offset spatula.
16. Let sit overnight to dry.
17. Meanwhile, heat the heavy cream in a saucepan over medium high heat until warm.
18. Add the maple syrup and stir until dissolved.
19. Place the white chocolate in a bowl.
20. When the cream is vigorously bubbling at the edges, remove from heat and pour over the white chocolate.
21. Whisk until smooth, and then refrigerate overnight.
22. The next day, cut the marshmallows into strips using scissors, and then into square or rectangle pieces. You can also use a cutter, oiled, to make cylindrical or other shaped marshmallows.
23. Remove the white chocolate ganache from the fridge and beat for a very short amount of time, until lightened in color, but still runny.
24. Place the marshmallows on a wire rack, fitted over a cookie sheet.
25. Pour the ganache over the marshmallows. You could also just spread the ganache on the top of the marshmallows, or whip the ganache for about a minute until fluffy, and then pipe onto the marshmallows. If you whip the ganache, make sure to watch closely. The second it fluffs up, stop whipping, or the mixture will break.
26. Top with whatever decorations your heart desires.

Tips and Pointers:

As you can see here, there is definite powdered gelatin that didn't get appropriately covered with water.  It's not a huge deal.  (It's not optimal -- but it is fixable.)  As long as you strain these clumps out before adding to the meringue mixture, no one will be the wiser.  

This is how your meringue mixture should look before you add the sugar syrup.  If it's not this fluffy, keep mixing!  It's really important that the mixture is thick, thick, thick, so it holds up to the syrup, and you get those beautifully fluffy airy marshmallows (no stay-puff rubbery store marshmallows here!)

If you have the (not-so) wise idea to double the recipe: 

Be warned -- you will need TWO KitchenAid Mixers.  

After you add the sugar syrup, the marshmallow mixture will continue to expand!  

Doubling the recipe filled both a KitchenAid Artisan and a KitchenAid Pro mixing bowl.  

Be prepared. . . 

Drizzle in the caramel sauce slowly, so that it gets well incorporated into the marshmallow mixture.  This part of the mixture will be LIQUID.  That's okay; it will stabilize when mixed with the rest of the marshmallow.

After an overnight rest, you can coat the marshmallow with an even mix of powdered sugar and cornstarch, just to make it easier to work with -- but I use minimal coating.  My perfect marshmallows have no coating at all.  Just perfect gooey squares (or cylinders in this case.) 

When cutting shapes (as opposed to squares,) make very sure to coat the cutters either in oil, like the baking sheet, or in that 1:1 powdered sugar/cornstarch mixture, or else you will lose the pretty layers.

Either coat the marshmallows with the ganache, like indicated in the recipe, or simply spoon a small amount on top of each marshmallow.  Let your artistry run wild.  I'm in love with this ganache -- so much so that I actually ate the left over ganache out of the bowl when I was done decorating. So yes, I would drench every possible surface with it; but, since I'm not sure everyone feels the same way, I aired on the side of restraint. (I at the leftovers out of the small bowl by the way, not the humongous mixing bowl. Which brings me to my next point.  This recipe make a TON of ganache.  So whip the leftovers, and freeze for up to three months.  It's perfect to defrost for your next celebration cake, or just to make a random March Monday night a special event.)

I topped with printed frosting sheets. 

(You know I don't have the artistry skills to hand paint these, right??) 

And voila!

Fly Eagles Fly! 

(Not sure why that one Eagle on the left is out of formation -- looks like he's about to go rogue and dive bomb someone. . . maybe Tom Brady on the last fumble?) 

😁 

Of note, I was too superstitious to eat one until the final buzzer had sounded. . . 

And what did it taste like?  

Well, what else, but the sweet, sweet taste of victory.