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for the hot chocolate
- 1 quart milk
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 dash salt
- In a large, heavy saucepan, heat all the ingredients over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until just simmering.
- Continue to simmer, stirring constantly, until the sugar has dissolved.
- Turn off the heat and whip for just under a minute with a wire whisk until frothy.
for the marshmallows
- 3 packages (3/4 ounces) unflavored gelatin
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 dash salt
- 2/3 cup light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- In a bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over 3/4 cup water. Let it sit until all the water has been absorbed, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, line a 9-by-13-inch pan with nonstick foil or parchment.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, stir the sugar, salt, and corn syrup into 1/4 cup water for a few minutes until the sugar dissolves.
- Increase heat to high, attach a candy thermometer to the pan, and boil until the mixture reaches 220° F.
- Quickly stir in the vanilla.
- Immediately pour the syrup mixture over the gelatin mixture, whisking constantly until the result is light and fluffy and has tripled in size.
- Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and let cool at room temperature.
- Meanwhile, combine the powdered sugar and cornstarch and sprinkle it onto a cutting board. When the marshmallow mixture is cool, turn it out of the pan onto the board.
- Dip cookie cutters into the mixture and cut out shapes.
