Caramel Marshamallow

[Sebastian]

http://www.vosgeschocolate.com/product/car.../caramel_toffee

How do you think they manage to get what appears to be a VERY soft caramel atop a marshmallow, cut it, and get it to maintain it's shape long enough to enrobe that baby? It looks fantastically delicious, wanna try making it 8-)

[Desiderio]

If I was you I would try to make one of the marshmallows recepies here on the forum and Kerry soft caramel, layered the caramel on top of the marshmallow after has set, wait for the caramel to set as well, cut with a well oiled knife and dip, I am pretty sure the caramel will keep the shape and be soft at the same time, doesnt seem too hard, just little bit sticky

[JeanneCake]

a fairly thick caramel sauce with the toffee bits would firm up a lot on chilling, right? If you were to pour it onto a silpat, chill, flip it onto a sprayed (buttered) parchment, peel back the silpat and then cut into rounds, chill again and then top the marshmallows? Was it Lior or Desiderio who made those wonderful caramel wrapped marshmallows, I can't remember. That caramel sheet didn't really spread once it was applied to the marshmallow so maybe that formula is the right one for making the rounds to top the marshmallows.

[Kerry Beal]

That caramel looks almost pudding like doesn't it? I wonder if it has some pectin in it like the caramels you can cut with the guitar.

Here is a caramel that cuts that way.

[CaliPoutine]

See's makes a similar candy called ScotchMallow. I love them!!!

[Desiderio]

That caramel looks almost pudding like doesn't it?  I wonder if it has some pectin in it like the caramels you can cut with the guitar.

Here is a caramel that cuts that way.

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I wanted t try this recipe for the longest time, maybe its time for an esperiment :-)

[Lior]

What if marshmellows were piped into a chocolate shell? Then caramel piped on top? DId anyone try this?

[Sebastian]

I tried to find an ingredient listing for them to see if they had any unique ingredients in it, but wasn't successful.

[Kerry Beal]

I tried to find an ingredient listing for them to see if they had any unique ingredients in it, but wasn't successful.

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You are going to have to buy some - or at least get a package to read the ingredients.

[Badiane]

It looks like firm marshmallow topped with a soft dark sea salt caramel. Then enrobed, then with the toffee crumbles on top.

Personally, I would make the marshmallows in one pan, make the caramel in another. When the caramel is cooled and set but not cured, invert it onto the marshmallow layer. Leave it at room temperature, covered with a cloth, for 24 hours for it to cure. Then invert and cut marshmallow side up with a hot knife. Enrobe right away to prevent spreadage. But that's just me.

This is slightly evil, but when I want an ingredient list and actually have to ask the company, I simply write them and tell them that I had an allergic reaction to something in the product, and since I have never had a reaction to the obvious at first glance ingredients (like chocolate and sugar and milk etc) perhaps they would be so kind as to prevent my suffering in the future by revealing the not so obvious ingredients. You would be amazed at how willing they are to cough up those lists.

[ejw50]

I love their BACON bar

[Trishiad]

Based on the sideview of the finished confection, I would say it is layered, then sliced, then dipped or enrobed. The thick chocolate on the top leads me to believe that it might actually be hand dipped.

I have made something similar for a family member who adores See's Scotchmallow. I make the caramel first and after it cools, I cast the marshmallow right on top. Thin coating of chocolate, flip it, slice it, dip it. The caramel begins to bulge just a bit as it's waiting to be dipped. And sometimes you can see an indentation where the two layers meet. I noticed both in the Vosges product.

I once added a layer of peanut butter ganache and crispies too. Big seller!

[Kerry Beal]

My friend Rob just got back from Chicago - and he was in Vosges. I asked him if he'd seen the marshmallows and he said it looked just like my caramel on top of a marshmallow - so maybe the pictures used on the website are doctored to make the caramel look more appealing.

[tammylc]

I am in Chicago today, and happened across a Vosges shop. So of course I had to take one for the team, and get a caramel marshmallow for you all. It's in my bag - I'm going to eat it when I get home tonight so I can properly document it with a photograph so we can compare.

The ingredient list doesn't have any ingredients that aren't standard to marshmallows or caramel. It (and other items I looked at) do specify "wheat glucose syrup" which I thought was interesting.

[prairiegirl]

hey, for the link that Kerry provided, can apple pectin be used instead of the X58?

[Kerry Beal]

hey, for the link that Kerry provided, can apple pectin be used instead of the X58?

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I don't think so - it's a pectin that requires calcium to firm up.

[Trishiad]

Tammy, the glucose sold for candy making is not corn syrup it is indeed derived from wheat. Many folks sub good ol' Karo but they're not actually the same.

I use a caramel with a lot of corn syrup and sugar, both milk and cream, butter, of course and even sweetened condensed milk and it's roughly the same texture as that Vosges creation.

[tammylc]

Tammy, the glucose sold for candy making is not corn syrup it is indeed derived from wheat.  Many folks sub good ol' Karo but they're not actually the same.

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I have glucose sold for candy making, and its only ingredient is corn syrup. Glucose can be either corn or wheat derived, and in this country, the economics of corn subsidies mean that corn derived glucose is far more prevalent.

Karo "Light Corn Syrup" is its own thing, with less water removed, and high-fructose corn syrup added, as well as salt and vanilla.

[Kerry Beal]

Of course as more and more corn gets used as fuel we'll probably see a shift to wheat as the price increases.

[sugarseattle]

i tried making these and had a little problem with the caramel leeking out of the chocolate after I dipped them. I did chill the caramel/marshmallow squares to cut them, then re-chilled them once they were cut. I am thinking the leaking might be because of the temperature difference of cold inside and warm outside. It could also have been the coating chocolate, but not sure. I also tried double dipping them, but the caramel kept oozing out!. I hope some day to be able to temper couverture...it tastes so much better!

Edited November 7, 2008 by sugarseattle (log)

[tammylc]

So there's an actual Vosges caramel marshmallow, with a bite taken out of it. You can see that the caramel isn't quite as runny as it appeared in the cover picture - it definitely holds its own when bitten into. However, having had this AND four of her "Exotic Caramels" I will note that her caramel tends to the soft side - it's only the slightest bit chewy. So I'm kinda curious how she gets such straight cuts and neat coating on her regular dipped caramels too. There wasn't an ingredient list on the single of the marshmallow that I took home, but her regular caramel ingredient list is sugar, cream, organic sweetened condensed milk, butter, wheat glucose syrup, vanilla bean paste (and then a bunch of additions and inclusions), and i expect these were the same.

One thing that eating these has made me feel better about is my own leaking caramels. 2 out of the 4 in the mini-box I ate had major leakage. If not caramel actually oozing out, then a significant amount of oily residue on the chocolate and the candy cup.

The marshmallow layer was actually quite chewy - when I make my homemade marshmallows they're much lighter. This was quite dense and had some decent resistance to it.

Tasty, though...

[John DePaula]

<snip>

I will note that her caramel tends to the soft side - it's only the slightest bit chewy. So I'm kinda curious how she gets such straight cuts and neat coating on her regular dipped caramels too.

<snip>

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Maybe they chill before cutting. Then while still cold, they could put a light coat (spray?) of chocolate on (like a crumb coat) and then when they warm up, dip for real. Just a guess...

[LizD518]

I have been thinking about making some sort of caramel-dipped marshmallows as a Christmas gift item, and have been reading up on a few of the threads here to get a sense of how difficult it might be. I have made marshmallows and I have made caramel - mostly as a sauce or brittle - but I'm not sure if the caramel can be used to enrobe something like a marshmallow the same way as chocolate can. Does anyone have suggestions or a recipe?

[CaliPoutine]

So there's an actual Vosges caramel marshmallow, with a bite taken out of it. You can see that the caramel isn't quite as runny as it appeared in the cover picture - it definitely holds its own when bitten into.  However, having had this AND four of her "Exotic Caramels" I will note that her caramel tends to the soft side - it's only the slightest bit chewy. So I'm kinda curious how she gets such straight cuts and neat coating on her regular dipped caramels too. There wasn't an ingredient list on the single of the marshmallow that I took home, but her regular caramel ingredient list is sugar, cream, organic sweetened condensed milk, butter, wheat glucose syrup, vanilla bean paste (and then a bunch of additions and inclusions), and i expect these were the same.

One thing that eating these has made me feel better about is my own leaking caramels. 2 out of the 4 in the mini-box I ate had major leakage. If not caramel actually oozing out, then a significant amount of oily residue on the chocolate and the candy cup.

The marshmallow layer was actually quite chewy - when I make my homemade marshmallows they're much lighter. This was quite dense and had some decent resistance to it.

Tasty, though...

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Have you tried See's Scotchmallow? If so, how does this compare?

[tammylc]

Have you tried See's Scotchmallow?  If so, how does this compare?

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I haven't. I'll try to get to Plum Market this weekend and get one to try. It's a hardship, but I've got to do my duty for the greater knowledge of the community.