Marina Eats: Choco Pretzel Mallows with Ojisan to Marshmallow

Happy Valentine’s Day! Today’s the day of love, and what better way to celebrate it than with this season’s Ojisan to Marshmallow? This 12-episode series, each a short three minutes in length, follows Wakabayashi Iori and her affections for coworker Hige Habahiro, a large man who has eyes for nothing but his favorite brand of marshmallows. A delightful extra to the anime is the inclusion of simple, 34-second-long recipe instructions after the ending credits of most episodes. They’re the kind of treats that people of all ages with very limited equipment can make, like marshmallows on toast and marshmallow apple pie.

Taking inspiration from these recipes, I present to you chocolate marshmallows dipped in dark-chocolate and sprinkled with crushed pretzels! Props to Dessert for Two for the main recipe, which is super easy. I encourage you to give it a try!

Ingredients

Tools

• 9×5 loaf pan
• Medium sauce pan
• Medium mixing bowl, preferably stainless steel
• Hand mixer
• Small, microwavable dish

Main

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup light (clear) corn syrup
• Pinch of salt
• 6 Tbspns. cool water, divided use
• 1 packet (2 1/2 tsp.) unflavored gelatin
• 2 Tbspns. dark chocolate powder (or milk/semi-sweet if dark is unavailable)
• 1/2 tspn. vanilla extract

Dip

• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 tspns. coconut oil

Optional Toppings

• Pretzel sticks, crushed
• Sea salt

Instructions

1. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper or foil. Spray with cooking spray.
2. In a medium sauce pan, add the granulated sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 2 tablespoons of water. Clip on a candy thermometer (I used a meat thermometer), and turn the heat to medium-high. Bring the mixture to a boil without stirring, and continue to cook until it reaches 238-degrees Fahrenheit.
   
3. Meanwhile, add another 2 tablespoons of the water to a medium bowl, and sprinkle the gelatin on top. Let sit to dissolve for 5 minutes.
   
4. Next, in a small dish, add the last 2 tablespoons of water and microwave for 25 seconds, until hot. Remove from the microwave carefully, and then whisk in the cocoa powder.
5. Stir the cocoa powder and water mixture into the gelatin.
6. Once the hot sugar is at the proper temperature, begin to slowly stream it into the gelatin mixture while continuously beating with a hand mixer on medium-high.
   NOTE: Be careful not to pour the hot molten sugar near the sides of the bowl because it will stick and harden immediately.
7. Beat the mixture for 10 minutes, until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla last.
8. Pour the mixture into the loaf pan, and let set for at least 3 hours.
   NOTE: Pour quickly with the assistance of a spatula. If you take too long pouring, the mixture will cool and stick to the bowl.
9. To serve, lift the parchment paper or foil out of the pan, and cut the marshmallows into squares with a well-greased knife. Grease the knife between each cut. If the marshmallows are too sticky, roll them in extra cocoa powder.
10. If dunking in chocolate, place the marshmallows in the freezer for 5 minutes.
11. Combine the chocolate chips and coconut oil in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on medium heat in 30 second pulses until melted, stirring between each pulse. Stir until chocolate is evenly melted and smooth.
12. Remove the marshmallows from the freezer, and dunk half of each marshmallow in the melted chocolate.
13. Before the chocolate hardens, sprinkle the crushed pretzel pieces on each marshmallow.
    
14. Place each marshmallow back on the sheet, and refrigerate until the chocolate sets, about 5 minutes.
15. Plate and serve with some coffee or hot chocolate!
    

While I am not a frequent eater of sweets, this recipe turned out much more enjoyable than I expected. The dark chocolate dip and pretzels helped a great deal in cutting the overly sweet chocolate marshmallow. I’d like to try it next time with a bit of sea salt sprinkled on top. If you give this a try, let me know how your mallows turn out!