Homemade Snowballs!

Snowballs have always been a favorite of mine ever since I was a child. It had actually been years since I have had a snowball and while on vacation in Florida I decided to buy a package of them and share one with my mom since they are her favorite. After just one bite we were both disappointed. The delicious sweet fluffy cake and marshmallow tasted like waxy dry cake with little flavor. I have been told quite a few times, "Louis you have spoiled me." People tell me this in relation to my cooking. If there is an option of cooking an item out of a box or package I am totally against it. I believe that the extra bit of effort results in a delicious irreplaceable flavor that beats out convenience any day of the week.

Well, cut to seven months later and the craving for snowballs struck again, but instead of opting for the dry, waxy pre-made version we decided to make our own combining a few trusted recipes. Have a look:

I started by baking some chocolate cupcakes. Actually, I was baking a chocolate cake and had extra batter that would not fit into the pans. I was able to get 10 extra cupcakes out of them. If you are looking to make these snowballs you can make an entire recipe of One-Bowl Chocolate cake and you'll have about 12 extra cupcakes to frost with whatever you choose. The cupcakes needed to be taken out of their paper liners and hollowed out. I used a melon baller and removed a portion of the cake to make room for the cream filling.


The cream filling consisted of two ingredients one jar of marshmallow fluff and one stick of unsalted butter. The filling was then piped into the hollowed out cupcakes and the cake "plug" that was previously removed from the cake is placed back over the filling to seal the bottom of the cupcakes. The cakes are then turned over with the hole on the bottom.


Now, time for homemade marshmallow. Marshmallows are actually very easy to make and require a few ingredients. We had to double the marshmallow recipe .

Making marshmallows is simple. You first start off by "blooming" or softening unflavored gelatin over cold water. Sugar and water is then cooked to the soft-ball stage of about 238˚F on a candy thermometer. The gelatin is then poured into a stand-mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and WHILE THE MIXER IS ON LOW the sugar and water mixture is SLOWLY POURED INTO THE MIXER in a steady stream. If you do this too fast or with your mixer on higher than the lowest setting you will send 238˚F scalding syrup flinging all over yourself. After a minute turn the mixer on high and let it go for 10 minutes.


We pulsed about 1 cup of flaked coconut in the food processor for about 10 seconds until it reached our desired consistency. Afterwards, we tinted the coconut with a bit of rosy pink gel food coloring by shaking it in a plastic Zip-loc bag. We also decided to use the same gel coloring (while it was mixing) to the marshmallow to make a pale pink. Using a large piping bag fitted with a large 1/2 inch tip we piped marshmallow around the cupcake to completely entomb the cake in marshmallow. They looked like tiny beehives! Make sure this is done on parchment paper and to be safe you can lightly spray it with nonstick cooking spray.


After we had all of the cakes covered with fluffy marshmallow we sprinkled with coconut. Both my mom and I were giddy while making these, haha!


We let them firm up for a few hours, but the temptation was awful. We had to try them and they were absolutely delicious. They were exactly the flavor and texture we were craving back on that trip when when we ate that pre-made sawdusty lump. My mom said it, "was the best and freshest snowball" she had ever had.


I must agree that they were decadent.

Recipes:
Marshmallow for Piping (x 2)

INGREDIENTS

Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

1 unflavored gelatin (2 1/2 teaspoons)
1/3 cup cold water, for gelatin, plus 1/4 cup for syrup
1 cup sugar
DIRECTIONS

In the bowl of an electric mixer, sprinkle gelatin over 1/3 cup cold water. Allow gelatin to soften, about 5 minutes.
In a small saucepan, combine 1/4 cup water and sugar, and stir over medium-high heat until sugar is dissolved. Stop stirring, and place a candy thermometer into sugar water; wipe sides of pan with a wet brush if sugar crystals have splattered up. Boil sugar until temperature reaches the soft-ball stage (238 degrees). Remove syrup from heat; add to softened gelatin. Using the whisk attachment of an electric mixer, hand-stir the mixture a few minutes to cool; place bowl on the mixer stand. Beat on medium high with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form and the marshmallow mixture holds shape, 8 to 10 minutes.
Transfer marshmallow mixture to a large (14-inch) pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch (No. 11 Ateco) tip, and use immediately.
First published Copyright 2009 Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. All rights reserved.


One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

Makes 18 to 24.

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons safflower oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners; set aside. Sift together cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add eggs, warm water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla, and mix until smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl to assure batter is well mixed.
Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake until tops spring back when touched, about 20 minutes, rotating pan once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.
First published Copyright 2009 Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. All rights reserved.