How to make Marshmallow Eggs: A tutorial

When I was visiting my grandparents last week I got this recipe from my Grammy for how to make homemade chocolate-covered marshmallow Easter eggs. She had gotten the recipe from an older woman at church a long time ago and has made it herself. She even gave me her plastic egg molds so I would have everything I needed.

Step 1: Prepare your molds.

The molds for these eggs are made by using a pan of flour and then pressing half of a plastic egg into the flour to make an impression. I've seen this same technique used on "Unwrapped" only the big companies use cornstarch. The marshmallow won't stick to the flour so you have no clean-up; just brush any stray flour off the eggs after they've set up and you're ready to dip them in chocolate.

Step 2: Make syrup
Begin by blooming gelatin in water and setting aside. Next, boil sugar and water together until it hits soft ball stage. Don't forget (like I did) to wash down the sides of the pan with a wet brush to eliminate any sugar crystals in the syrup.

Step 3: Whipping

Add gelatin, salt and vanilla to sugar syrup. Add just a touch of pink food coloring to tint the marshies a lovely shade of blush to coordinate with the brown chocolate. Transfer to the bowl of your trusty KitchenAid mixer (Hi Ruby, you love, you!) and start beating on High. Mixture will turn opaque and glossy when it is ready.

Step 4: Pouring into molds

Spray a rubber spatula with cooking spray to combat some of the stickiness. Scoop spoonfuls of the marshmallow mixture into the flour egg molds. Get strings of marshmallow stuck to your fingers, the spatula, the bowl, the marshmallows already in the flour and everything else you touch. Laugh hysterically as you make your kitchen and your hands into the stringiest, stickiest mess ever, while only managing to make sad little plops of marshmallow that don't remotely resemble eggs. Dump the sticky pans in the sink and resolve to let Mr. Stover handle the chocolate-covered-marshmallow-egg-making business from now on.

Seriously, what was I thinking? I've made marshmallows before so I well know how sticky they are when you are trying to get them into the pan, but for some reason I thought I could manage this. "Homemade chocolate-covered marshmallow eggs, how charming and old-fashioned! I can make some for the neighbors and they'll be so impressed. I am SO domestic." Riiiight. Actually, I am now reminded of the fact that several years ago Martha Stewart Living had an article in an April issue on how to make your own Peeps. I remember reading it and thinking, "what kind of freaky overachieving-Martha-lover makes their own Peeps, for crying out loud?" And now I think we all know the answer to that: People who have clearly lost their minds. People much like myself.