Today I’ve got #4 on my list of edible gifts this month.
Did you see this post last week? Well, I’ve brought you another variation on hot chocolate stir sticks this week.
Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate Sticks!
If peppermint is not your thing, give these sticks a try. I mean, who doesn’t like salted caramel? The ganache makes the hot chocolate base, the caramel melts into the chocolate, and the marshmallow foams and melts making a frothy mallow topping. These really are SO much fun at holiday parties! I like to have several kinds of hot chocolate sticks set out so that guests can choose the kind of hot chocolate they want, pop it in an empty mug and pour hot milk over it, stirring until it melts into a fabulous cup of cocoa.
Wrap these up in clear treat bags tied with twine or ribbon for a great gift! I know I will be giving these out this year!
Since the assembly process can seem a little daunting, I put together a little tutorial for you on how to do it:
Dust your work surface with a mixture of 1/2 cornstarch 1/2 powdered sugar, as well as a sharp knife. Invert your pan of marshmallows out onto the surface. Slice the marshmallows into 1 1/2″ wide strips. Then slice the strips into squares.
Skewer the marshmallows on wooden sticks so that about 1/2″ of the skewer sticks through the bottom of the marshmallow. Invert your pan of caramel onto a piece of parchment paper.
Cut off the ends of your caramel so that the sides are straight up and down. Place a marshmallow on top of the caramel to gauge how wide to cut your strips of caramel. Cut the caramel into strips with a sharp knife.
Cut the caramel strips into squares(they should be the same size as your marshmallows). Skewer the caramel onto the marshmallow stick. There should still be a small amount of stick poking through.
Invert your pan of ganache onto a piece of parchment. Line up your marshmallow caramel skewers, pressing the tip of the skewer into the ganache. Slice of the ends of the ganache with a hot knife so that the sides are even. Still using a hot knife, slice down the sides of each skewer, separating each cube from the block. Pat coarse salt onto the caramel and keep refrigerated.
To make the hot chocolate:
Fill a mug 3/4 full of steaming hot milk. Place the hot chocolate stick in the milk and allow to sit for a minute or two. Stir well.
- Nonstick Cooking Spray
- 1 C. Cold Water, divided
- 3 -1/4 oz. packets Unflavored Gelatin(3/4 oz. total or 3 packages at .25 oz. each)
- 2 C. Sugar
- ⅔ C. Light Corn Syrup
- ¼ t. Salt
- 2 t. Vanilla Extract
- ½ C. Powdered Sugar
- ½ C. Cornstarch
- Line 13x9x2-inch or 8x8 inch metal baking pan with foil.
- Coat foil lightly with nonstick spray.
- Pour ½ cup cold water into bowl of heavy-duty mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Sprinkle gelatin over water. Let stand until gelatin softens and absorbs water, at least 15 minutes.
- Combine 2 cups sugar, corn syrup, salt, and remaining ½ cup cold water in heavy medium saucepan.
- Stir over medium/low heat until sugar dissolves, brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush.
- Attach candy thermometer to side of pan. Increase heat and bring syrup to boil. Boil, without stirring, until syrup reaches 240°F, about 8 minutes.
- With mixer running at low speed, slowly pour hot syrup into gelatin mixture in thin stream down side of bowl (avoid pouring syrup onto whisk, as it may splash). Gradually increase speed to high and beat until mixture is very thick and stiff, about 15 minutes.
- Add vanilla and beat to blend, about 30 seconds longer.
- Scrape the marshmallow mixture into prepared pan.
- Smooth top with wet spatula(I use my fingers, dipped in a little water). Let stand uncovered at room temperature until firm, about 4 hours.
- Stir cornstarch and powdered sugar in small bowl to blend. Sift generous dusting of starch-sugar mixture onto work surface, forming rectangle slightly larger than 13x9 inches.
- Turn marshmallow slab out onto starch-sugar mixture; peel off foil. Sift more starch-sugar mixture over marshmallow slab. Coat large sharp knife (or cookie cutters) with nonstick spray.
- Cut marshmallows into squares. I cut them into squares that are about 1½"x1½".
- Toss each in remaining starch-sugar mixture to coat. Transfer marshmallows to rack, shaking off excess mixture.
- Store the marshmallows in an air-tight container.
Click here to go to my recipe for Microwave caramel and click here for my recipe for Chocolate Ganache.
Ok… Just tried these. A..ma..zing. Seriously soo good. 🙂
I’m so glad you liked them!
Stephanie, Lauren and I shared a large mug of that delicious hot chocolate. It was
the best I’ve ever had–honest!!!
I’m so happy you all liked it!! Thanks for letting me know!
i would love this for my cocoa!
Hmmm… I can’t get the gelatin to absorb in that much water. I end up with a nicely absorbed blob on the bottom with a lot of powder of the top. And ideas? 3.25 oz of gelatin (aka 13 packets), right?
… and I figured it out! Thanks!
Eryn, oh no! It’s actually 3 1/4 oz packets of gelatin per recipe, or 3/4 oz. total(.25 oz per packet). I can see how that could have been confusing, though. I just edited the recipe and tried to make it super clear. Hopefully it is easier to understand now! 🙂
Hopefully you can shake off the gelatin that didn’t absorb and re-use it! If you don’t have a scale, you need 2 1/4 t. of gelatin to weigh .25 of an ounce, or 2 T. + 3/4 t. gelatin for 1 recipe of marshmallows. Hope that helps!
This looks great! I may have missed something in the post, but did you buy the salted caramel or make it yourself?
Thanks Kaitlin! I made the caramel, there is a link for the recipe right at the bottom of the recipe =)
How long and how can these be stored? Thanks!
I would wrap them up individually in plastic wrap and store them in the fridge. They should store for at least 2 weeks 🙂
Hi, can you tell me what size pan to use for the caramel? Thanks! Can’t wait to make these!
Do you have a substitute for corn syrup in the caramel recipe used for these sticks? Thanks.
Hi Emmy, I don’t, but I’m sure there are other recipes out there that don’t use corn syrup. Happy Holidays!
Hiya! Can you tell me approximately how many pops a 9×13 pan of each of these pieces makes? The marshmallow recipe says 20-30 squares, but I’m trying to figure out if I need to be doubling my recipe to make enough for 24. Thanks!
And another quick question! Your ganache recipe appears to fill up an 8×8 pan, not a 9×13. Do you double it?
Hi Tiffany! How many pops you get really just depends on how big you cut the squares. You would want to double the ganache recipe for 24 squares. Doubling the marshmallow recipe really just depends on if you want the marshmallows to be tall or not. If you want the marshmallows to be super tall, double the recipe and set it in a 9×13 pan.
Forgive my ignorance, but I’m trying to make these today and am wondering what size dish I should let the caramel cool in, and for how long? Thanks!
Hi Sarah! I let it cool in a parchment lined 9×13 pan until firm and set, about a few hours. =)
Ok, I have shared this recipe with a few friends because it is SO good! This is a MUCH better marshmallow recipe than I tried last year, planning to whip these suckers up with some Baileys next attempt. The ganache makes a delicious hot cocoa base and the marshmallows sweeten it just enough for the kids. For the adults, the soft caramel that melts is much better than the powdered mix I made last year that coated my entire kitchen with caramel dust. 🙂 Thank you for the inspiration!
I saw this question previously posted but didn’t see an answer. The recipe for the ganache is for an 8×8 pan. Do you use a 9×13 pan to have the same size as the caramel and marshmallows? And if so, do you need to adjust the amount of the recipe (i.e. double it)? Thanks!
Thank you for the Hot Chocolate recipes, can’t wait to make them for Christmas! I think I might have to make them and test them all beforehand 🙂
You’re welcome! Hope you like them 😉
Hello: Do you have the recipe for the marshmallows? These look really good and I’d like to make them. Thanks so much.
Gelatin is not vegan
Looks amazing! When you made your ganache from the posted recipe, did you use an 8×8 pan or a 9×13 pan?
Thanks Brooke! an 8×8 pan will give you a thicker layer of ganache, which is what I did for the sticks =)
This looks amazing! I love how you made the marshmallows from scratch! Yummy!!
Can I use the caramel recipe you have posted on the stove rather than using a microwave?
I would imagine it would work fine 🙂