Special pink-sprinkled little cuties!
I’m making these bite-sized beauties in hopes my secret boyfriend Leo brings home an Oscar this Sunday.
Leo wasn’t my very first celebrity crush — that honor goes to Patrick Swayze in the Dirty Dancing era and a young Zack Morris with his giant cell phone. Still, through my tween years I lived inside Teen Beat and Bop magazines, and I wore out a VHS of Romeo + Juliet from watching it on repeat.
I even saw The Beach in theaters and occasionally tune in if I find it on cable — not because it’s great, but because I’m sentimental (and a terrible, honest critic).
Are you the type to throw an Academy Awards party? I wish I were that fun, but I’m usually an at-home, done-by-2pm-on-Sunday person. Sundays have given me the blues since I was about seven — but not this Sunday. This time we’re changing it.
Apparently this has been the year of champagne desserts: champagne caramels with potato chips for the Golden Globes, and now champagne marshmallows rolled in blood orange sugar for the Academy Awards. How is awards season almost over? How is it almost March? Let’s fix it with champagne and dessert.
I adore homemade marshmallows. Over the years I’ve made many flavors — chocolate-covered coconut, vanilla bean, beer, pistachio for savory s’mores, buttered popcorn — so why not one more? These mini champagne marshmallows are almost always something I make at home instead of buying. Store‑bought marshmallows no longer cut it for me; the homemade ones are a family favorite, especially when dipped in dark chocolate, flavored with champagne and dusted with citrusy pink sugar.
They’re simple to make, too. Prepare them ahead for parties, edible gifts or travel treats. Dip a corner in chocolate, sprinkle with blood orange sugar, then serve alongside champagne and extra salty snacks for a sweet-and-salty combo.
I haven’t seen as many nominated movies as I’d like, but I’ll make a few bites and pretend I know what’s happening. Eddie will probably crash early; I’ll stay glued to the TV until late. I’m thinking cheesy fontina arancini, a butternut squash–goat cheese dip, and a killer cheese plate to round things out. If only I had a Leo-shaped cookie cutter.
Chocolate Dipped Mini Champagne Marshmallows with Blood Orange Sugar
48
4 hrs
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Ingredients
- 2 packets of gelatin
- 8 tablespoons champagne
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup cold champagne
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- powdered sugar for sprinkling
- 8 ounces high-quality dark chocolate, melted
Blood Orange Sugar
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup coarse raw sugar
- 1 tablespoon blood orange juice
- 1 teaspoon blood orange zest
Instructions
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Place the gelatin in a small bowl and stir in the 8 tablespoons of champagne. Set aside. Spray an 8×8 pan with nonstick spray, then sprinkle powdered sugar in the pan, shaking to coat the surface evenly.
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In a small saucepan, combine the remaining champagne and granulated sugar. Heat over medium, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture becomes bubbly, about 3–4 minutes. Whisk in the gelatin mixture and bring to a boil. Remove immediately from heat and pour into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk. Let cool slightly, then add vanilla and salt. Beat on medium-high for 10–15 minutes, until the mixture is white, glossy and thick. Spread into the prepared 8×8 pan and, if desired, dust the top with powdered sugar. Let set for about 4 hours or overnight.
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Turn the marshmallow slab out of the pan and cut into small squares. You can toss the pieces lightly in sugar now, though the coating adheres best after chocolate is applied.
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Dip a corner of each marshmallow into melted dark chocolate and place on parchment to set. Before the chocolate fully hardens, sprinkle with the blood orange sugar so it sticks. Store in a sealed container; they stay fresh for several days.
Blood Orange Sugar
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Combine the sugars, blood orange juice and zest in a bowl and stir until evenly mixed. Spread the sugar on parchment and let it dry for about 30 minutes before using.
Notes
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Long live Leo.