Ugh. Sorry?
Not really. We all know I’m anything but sorry.
Beer marshmallows are one of my favorite things, and I thought they could only get better by swapping beer for bourbon. So I made bourbon marshmallows.
I made them on a Friday and let them sit overnight. The next morning all I could think about was having one for breakfast—because if it were up to me, I’d eat sweets and dessert for every meal. Obviously, if that were the case, I wouldn’t fit through the door.
So.
Instead of simply eating a bourbon marshmallow for breakfast like a normal person, I toasted one and made a s’more. Since it was for breakfast, I added a slice of bacon.
I only fried a few slices, but before I could assemble my s’more someone else ate them all. Annoying. So I fried more.
First I made a plain bourbon s’more to test it out. Then came the bacon. I adore s’mores, love bourbon, and, well, bacon needs no explanation. The combination of bourbon marshmallow, chocolate, graham cracker and crisp bacon is, for my taste, about as good as it gets.
There are a few other guilty pleasures I enjoy—unexpected throwback songs on the radio, finding forgotten cookies in the freezer, bingeing a favorite show—but these bourbon bacon s’mores are right at the top of the list.
Bourbon Marshmallows
[adapted from beer marshmallows, which were adapted from the Smitten Kitchen marshmallow method]
Makes one 9×13 pan
Ingredients:
- 3 1/2 envelopes unflavored gelatin (such as Knox)
- 1/2 cup cold bourbon
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 large egg whites
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Preparation:
- Oil a 9 x 13 baking pan and dust with powdered sugar to coat; set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer (whisk attachment preferred), combine 1/2 cup cold water with the gelatin. Stir gently and let it sit while you make the sugar syrup.
- In a medium pot, combine the sugar, bourbon, corn syrup and salt. Heat over low, whisking until the sugar dissolves, about 3–5 minutes. Increase heat to medium and bring to a boil. Watch carefully so it doesn’t overflow. Let boil until it reaches 240°F (soft-ball stage), about 8–12 minutes. The mixture may look slightly brown; the marshmallows will still be white.
- With the mixer running on low, carefully pour the hot syrup into the gelatin. Once added, increase speed to high and whip for 6–8 minutes until the mixture is white, fluffy and much increased in volume.
- Separately, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks with a hand mixer. Fold the beaten egg whites and vanilla into the whipped sugar/gelatin mixture until just combined.
- Pour the marshmallow mixture into the prepared pan. It will be very sticky—use a nonstick-sprayed spatula to smooth the top. Dust with powdered sugar and let set for 3–5 hours until firm.
- When set, invert the pan onto a cutting board, release the marshmallow rectangle and cut into pieces the size you prefer.
To assemble s’mores, you’ll need graham crackers, chocolate bars and crispy bacon. Toast a bourbon marshmallow, sandwich it with chocolate and bacon between graham crackers, and enjoy.
There you go—now you know what to make this weekend.