Tipsy Elephant Marshmallows Recipes

Steps:

• Fill a medium saucepot with 1 inch of water and place over medium-low heat to bring the water to a simmer. Place the bittersweet and Mexican chocolate in a bowl that will fit over the top of the saucepot without touching the water. Melt the chocolate over the water, stirring occasionally, until smooth.
• Place the cream and salt in a saucepot over medium-high heat and bring to a bare simmer. Slowly whisk the warm cream, 1/2 cup at a time, into the chocolate until the dip has the consistency of chocolate sauce. Transfer to a serving bowl or fondue pot and cover to keep warm until ready to use. Serve with the marshmallows, sprinkles, nuts and fruit.

Steps:

• For the crust: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Pulse the flour, granulated sugar and salt in a food processor until mixed. Drizzle in the butter and 1/4 cup water and pulse until all the flour is moistened and the mixture looks crumbly. Turn the dough out onto a surface and knead it with your hands until it just comes together. Divide the mixture evenly into 12 balls. Put 1 dough ball into each cup in a nonstick muffin pan, then press the dough into the bottoms and up the sides of the cups, trying to keep the thickness as even as possible. Refrigerate the muffin pan until the dough is firm, about 30 minutes.
• For the filling: Whisk the pumpkin puree, half-and-half, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt, allspice and egg together in a large bowl until smooth.
• Fill the dough-lined muffin cups about two-thirds full with the pumpkin puree, then bake until the crust is light golden brown and the custard is set, about 35 minutes. Cool the tartlets in the pan for 15 minutes, then carefully remove each tartlet with an offset spatula. Finish cooling the tartlets completely on a rack.
• Top each tartlet with 5 or 6 mini marshmallows and lightly toast them with a creme brulee torch. (If you do not have a torch, you can set the tartlets on a baking pan and toast them under the oven broiler.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Bloom the gelatin in ice water until soft, about 5 minutes. Drain.
• In a heavy saucepan, cook the 2 cups water, honey, molasses, glucose, and sugar to 266 degrees F/130 degrees C. Before the sugars have reached their temperature, begin whipping the whites and salt in a mixer on medium-high speed, so that the whites are at soft peaks when the sugar is ready. Once the sugars are at temperature, slowly add the syrup to the whipped whites on high speed. When all the syrup is added, stop the machine, add the gelatin to the hot whites, and continue whipping until the mixture is fluffy and stiff.
• Meanwhile, warm the graham cracker crumbs on a parchment-lined baking sheet in the oven. Add the warmed crumbs to the whipped mixture and mix just until incorporated. Spread on a half baking sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Place a sheet of acetate to cover. Let it sit overnight. Wrap well in plastic wrap and let sit overnight at room temperature.
• To serve, remove from the pan and cut into 2-inch squares. Keep covered.

Steps:

• For the marshmallow fondant: Combine the marshmallows and 1 1/2 teaspoons water in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30-second intervals, stirring in between each, until melted and smooth, about 1 1/2 minutes.
• Add about three-quarters of the sifted confectioners' sugar into the marshmallow mixture and stir to combine. Once the mixture becomes too stiff to stir, grease your counter and hands with shortening (or wear greased plastic, disposable gloves) and dump the mixture onto the counter. Knead, adding the remaining quarter of confectioners' sugar, a little at a time, until the fondant is very smooth, not sticky and holds its shape into a ball without relaxing. Use right away or grease it lightly with additional shortening, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in an airtight plastic bag or container at room temperature for up to several days.
• Remove a 1-ounce piece from the fondant ball (about 2 tablespoons). Color the 1-ounce piece bright pink (about 3 drops), rolling and kneading to evenly incorporate the color. Work in a little confectioners? sugar if the moisture from the food coloring makes the fondant too soft. (Wear plastic, disposable gloves and wash your hands well between colors so as not to bleed colors.) Pull off an almond-sized piece from the large white piece of fondant and color dark black (about 2 drops), working in additional confectioners' sugar if needed. Color the remaining fondant bright blue (about 6 drops), working in additional confectioners' sugar if needed.
• For the elephant head, trunk, ears and legs: Divide the blue fondant into 6 pieces. Cut 1 piece in half. With greased hands, roll a half into a head with an elongated trunk and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Use a wooden skewer to poke 2 nostrils in the end of the trunk. Divide the remaining half into 4 pieces: roll 2 pieces into stubby legs. Press together to join in a "v" shape. Roll and flatten the other 2 pieces into large round ears, about 1 1/2-inches in diameter. Repeat with the remaining 5 pieces of blue fondant.
• For the inside of the ear: Divide the pink fondant into 12 pieces. Roll and flatten 2 pieces of pink fondant into rounds a little smaller than the blue ears and stick them in the middle of the blue ears. Repeat with the remaining 10 pieces.
• Build the elephants: Arrange a set of legs on the parchment, "v" point-up. Arrange the ears above the legs so that they are just barely touching. Rest the head on top of the ears and legs, pressing lightly to adhere. Drape the trunk over one of the legs. Use a 1/4-inch round pastry tip to make toe indentations in the tip of each leg. Roll 2 tiny black balls and press in to adhere.
• Repeat with the remaining fondant to make 5 more elephants.
• Let the elephants dry, uncovered, overnight.