Happy Birthday, Mickey Mouse!
We'll see ya real soon because we're taking the grandkiddos to Walt Disney World!!
So last year all I wanted for Christmas was our first Disney annual passes. My sweet Santa came through once again and boy have we had a blast using them!
Can you guess what tops my list of must-dos every trip? Yep! I have to check out all the fun new treats created in the Disney candy kitchens.
I follow a lot of Disney vloggers so I already know which Christmas themed treats I wanna try and I'm going to be posting them right here at Sugartown Sweets so you can see all the festively sweet and sugary fun!
One of our favorite spots in all of WDW is, Karamell-Kuche (German for caramel kitchen), at EPCOT.
Everything in the shop is made using Werther's caramel!
Here I have recreated their caramel s'mores using my own homemade marshmallows and caramel recipes!
It sure was a fun way to gear up for our trip to see the Mouse!
Of course you can use store-bought marshmallows and Werther's caramels, but if you have the time and don't mind getting a little sticky, get the family together for some fun in your own candy kitchen!
For our marshmallows, we need: sugar, water, corn syrup, unflavored gelatin, and salt.
For the s'mores we will also use:
48 graham cracker squares, caramel, and 3 ten ounce bags Ghirardelli chocolate wafers.
Pour gelatin over cold water in mixer bowl with whisk attachment and set aside.
Combine sugar, hot water, corn syrup, and salt in heavy bottomed 4 quart saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved, attach candy thermometer, and continue cooking without stirring until mixture reaches 235 degrees (soft-ball stage)
Remove from heat.
Slowly pour hot sugar mixture into mixer bowl with gelatin mixture mixing on low speed.
When fully combined, add vanilla and turn mixer to high speed. Whisk for 10 minutes.
Prepare 3 cups fitted with decorator bags. Fold the tops of bags over cup edges and fill bags with marshmallow mixture. Cut tips off bags to pipe.
Pipe marshmallow onto 24 graham cracker squares.
Let marshmallow set for 2-3 hours before popping into broiler for a couple of minutes to toast.
Make caramel or melt down Werther's chewy caramels to top marshmallows. If making your own, let cool down a bit first. Here is my caramel recipe.
Pour remaining caramel into lightly greased, parchment lined pan to set. Cut into squares to use later for drizzling onto s'mores.
Oh my word. Open-faced s'mores!
Top treats with remaining graham squares.
Melt chocolate in microwave in 30 second increments on 50% power stirring each time until melted and smooth. Dip s'mores into melted chocolate and place on parchment lined pan until set.
Melt down about 9 caramel squares in microwave in 30 second increments until fully melted. Drizzle onto s'mores and let set.
If you're using store-bought caramels, I used about a cup of melted caramel.
C.A.R.A.M.E.L.
Time to taste!!
Oh y'all, I ain't gonna brag..well wait!
Yes I am!!
Hubby really loved these and scarfed down two as soon as he walked in the door!
They're a hit!
Vanilla Marshmallows
2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
Sprinkle gelatin over cold water in mixer bowl with whisk attachment and set aside.
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a heavy bottomed, 4 quart saucepan, combine sugar, hot water, corn syrup, and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Attach candy thermometer and continue cooking without stirring until mixture reaches softball stage-235 degrees.
Remove from heat. Slowly pour hot sugar mixture into mixer bowl with gelatin mixture. Whisk on low speed until all combined. Add vanilla, turn mixer on high speed and continue mixing for 10 minutes.
If you simply want to eat these "out of hand", pour the mixture into a pan lined with parchment sprayed with non-stick spray. Let set and cut.
Since we are piping these onto graham crackers for our s'mores, I set up 3 cups with decorator bags folding the top edges over the top of the cups. Then I filled each one with marshmallow mixture and snipped the tip off each bag to pipe.
With 24 graham cracker squares lined up on a parchment lined pan, pipe marshmallow onto each cracker. Let sit 2 -3 hours before popping into oven on broil for a couple of minutes to toast the marshmallow.
I piped the remaining marshmallow into my silicone mold pan lightly sprayed with non-stick spray.
Caramel
Now we can top each treat with a dollop of caramel and top with remaining graham cracker squares.
You can melt down caramels for this step or you can make your own. Here is my caramel recipe I posted last month to make caramel apples. It's my family's favorite!
If you do make your own, let it cool down a bit before you dollop! When cool, dollop caramel onto marshmallow and top with another cracker.
Pour the remaining caramel into a lightly greased, parchment lined pan.
You can cut these into squares later and melt down to drizzle on top of the s'mores.
Dipping Chocolate
3 ten ounce bags Ghirardelli chocolate wafers
Melt chocolate in microwave in 30 second increments on 50% power stirring each time until melted and smooth.
Dip each s'more in chocolate and place on parchment lined pan to set.
Caramel Drizzle
Now that our s'mores are ready for their caramel drizzle, melt a few squares of caramels (I used about 9) in microwave in 30 second increments until melted. I added just a smidge (teaspoon or so) of cream to make it more "drizzly".😊
I made 20 s'mores and used a little less than a cup of caramel for my drizzle.
Drizzle away!
Hope you enjoy your Chocolate Covered Caramel S'mores!
Ok! Disney, here we come!
John 3:16
'til we sweet again! Karen 💗
