Marshmallow Snowmen

Let’s all sing together now shall we? “Do you wanna build a snowman…” or perhaps just the faces in this case. I was inspired to make these marshmallows after seeing a set at Williams-Sonoma during the Christmas holiday. I used my favorite recipe, Vanilla Marshmallows, from the Bouchon Bakery cookbook. For the lovable faces, I melted chocolate and whipped up a batch of royal icing.

Marshmallow Snowmen
Makes 25

What you’ll need:
Vanilla Marshmallows (the recipe is half way down the article)
1/4 cup melted chocolate (I used Guittard semi-sweet)
Royal Icing (1/3 batch)
1″ round cutter
Wilton #1 round tip

Notes:

Vanilla Marshmallows

• The recipe calls for using plastic wrap to line the pan which I found odd but after whipping your marshmallow in the mixer, it should be cool enough that it won’t melt the plastic. Also if you apply a generous layer of cornstarch and powdered sugar, it shouldn’t touch at all.
• I made these in between rain storms which is risky but I went for it. The marshmallow was a bit looser than I’d hoped but I poured it into the pan, let it settle out, sprinkled some of the remaining cornstarch and powdered sugar mixture on top, and let it sit, uncovered, overnight. The next day it was the perfect consistency for cutting.
• Dip the circle cutter into a bowl of the cornstarch and powdered sugar mixture after each cut-out so you have a clean cut each time. Then toss each snowman in the bowl to get the exposed sides coated.
• Brush off the excess coating with a pastry brush. The more cleanly you remove it the easier it will be to apply the face.

Chocolate (Eyes + Mouth)

• I melted the chocolate over a double boiler and then let it cool till it was not too hot to handle when placed in the piping bag.
• The chocolate will be pretty loose so I used the smallest round tip I had (Wilton #1) to account for a bit of spreading once I piped.

Royal Icing (Nose)

• Even with a 1/3 batch of icing, you’ll still have plenty leftover. I did the 1/3 calculation simply because it was the easiest to divide from the total of 3. I try not to make too much extra of components if they’re not needed so I try to break it down to as little as possible without disrupting the overall proportions.
• The consistency should be like paste in order for the nose to keep its shape. I recommend starting with 1 teaspoon of liquid when making the icing and adding additional teaspoons until you reach the right consistency.

Enjoy your homemade Olafs!