it’s easter chocolate season!!! i know easter may look a little different this year, but that doesn’t mean we can’t indulge & gift our favourite chocolate. this year i am putting together individual easter baskets for my family. it is something that can easily be delivered or dropped off on the porch. in each basket i am including a bottle of wine, homemade bunny marshmallows (recipe below) & a variety of ghirardelli’s easter chocolate! milk chocolate + caramel is my absolute favourite combination & ghirardelli offers two cute easter inspired shapes: milk + caramel bunnies & milk + caramel eggs. i filled each basket with a combination of the two (which add vibrant spring colour to the basket), as well as “noe” the milk chocolate bunny to keep with the easter tradition of a hollow chocolate shaped bunny! although we may not be able to celebrate by gathering around the table together, we can still bring joy to each other. just pour yourself a glass of wine & indulge in the caramel bunnies + eggs. this basket will be sure to brighten your family’s day!
now let’s talk about those bunny marshmallows. i always like to add a little homemade touch around the holidays, so i made a batch of fresh marshmallows to include in each basket. a little messy to make, but the end product is worth the effort! just be sure to grease the pan & parchment well to avoid the marshmallows from sticking. i used a bunny shape cookie cutter & drew on little faces with an edible marker, but feel free to use whatever shape you have on hand! if you want to keep things extra simple, cut them in squares & package them in little baggies.
ingredients
- 1/2 cup + 1/2 cup water
- 3/4 ounces gelatin (3 packets)
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup white corn syrup
- 1 pinch fine salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- red or pink food colouring
- 1/2 cup corn starch
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
directions
- line a 12 inch by 9 inch baking dish with parchment paper & grease well with oil.
- in the bowl of a stand mixer add 1/2 cup of water. sprinkle in the gelatin & stir to combine. let stand until the gelatin softens, about 10 minutes.
- in a sauce pan over medium heat add the remaining water. stir in sugar, corn syrup & salt. continue stirring until sugar dissolves.
- increase heat to medium high & bring to a boil. continue boiling (do not stir) until temperature reaches 230-250 degrees, about 6 minutes. remove from heat.
- using the whisk stand mixer attachment, turn the mixer on low speed & slowly pour in the boiling hot syrup. once syrup is mixed evenly with the gelatin, add vanilla & increase speed to high.
- beat until mixture is thick & fluffy, about 10 minutes. immediately pour into the prepared baking dish & smooth to flatten with an offset spatula. let stand at room temperature until firm, about 4 hours.
- in a small mixing bowl sift together the corn starch & powdered sugar. generously sift over the marshmallows before slicing.
- slice marshmallows into even squares or use a bunny cookie cutter to cut into shapes. using an edible marker, draw on face if desired!
