I am such a fan of homemade marshmallows! Once I finally took the plunge and realized how easy they actually are to make I’ve been making WAY too many variations ever since, because, duh, MARSHMALLOWS ARE GOOD! These are especially fun because we’re gonna combine them into s’mores. (!!!!!!) So if you love red wine and chocolate, or if you’re planning a backyard bonfire party anytime soon, get excited because these are pretty sweet (pun!).
We are working with Bota Box on this post, and I used their Merlot in the recipe I’m about to share. But you could use other red wines that you like (anything you like to drink can work here) like Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, or Zinfandel (those are a few of my favorites). I was really excited to get to work with Bota Box on a recipe for ABM because I was already a big fan of their wine.
The fact that the packaging is eco-friendly is an added bonus! I love that you can buy it in a variety of sizes, it’s awesome for cooking and just enjoying a glass at home, but it’s also a really great option for get togethers and events. And here we did a little of all of the above. 🙂
And if you are looking to host a mini party with just a few friends and you want to do s’mores but you don’t really want (or can’t) have a fire pit or bonfire, I totally recommend tabletop s’mores!
There are probably a bunch of easy ways to do that, but I just purchased two little metal containers along with some rocks from the craft store and then used these heat fuel cans for the flame.
You can read more about them in the item description, but they worked well for us. Just a friendly reminder though, as with any open flame or decor item that generates heat, it’s always good to use caution and never leave an open flame unattended.
Red Wine Marshmallows, makes one 8×8 pan
1 cup (8 oz.) red wine, I used Merlot
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 cup water
3 packets of gelatin (each is 1/4 ounce)
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
First, we want to reduce the wine. This does two things: It will decrease the amount of liquid we will be adding to the marshmallow batter and it also will cook out most (if not all) of the alcohol, leaving all of the the flavor. Simply add the wine to a small pot over medium to medium/high heat. Cook uncovered, stirring every so often for 12-18 minutes.
That’s a wide range, but depending on how hot the liquid is can make a pretty big difference, especially toward the end of the cooking time. The goal is to reduce the liquid to around 1/4 a cup, but you don’t want to burn the mixture. So keep a close eye on it after the 10-minute mark and you’ll probably be able to tell when it’s ready. Remove from heat, and allow to cool.
Spray a 8×8 pan with non-stick cooking spray and lightly dust with 2/3 of the powdered sugar.
Set up your stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Pour 1/2 cup water and the 3 packages of gelatin into the bowl and allow that to sit for 10 minutes (don’t mix it).
In the meantime, in a pot over high heat stir together 1/2 cup water, the sugar, the corn syrup and salt. Attach your candy thermometer and allow mixture to reach 240°F. Remove from heat. Start your mixture on low and pour the hot sugar water into the mixer as it is running.
Be careful not to get the (very hot) sugar mixture on you. Use a splash guard if your mixture has one. Once you’ve poured in all the sugar water, turn the mixer on high and beat until white and fluffy (6-8 minutes). During the last minute of mixing is when I add the vanilla extract.
Pour 2/3 of the marshmallow batter into your prepared dish. Add the reduced wine to the remaining marshmallow batter and beat on high for another minute or two until well incorporated.
Then, pour this over the white marshmallow batter and swirl with the end of a knife to get a marbled effect. Sprinkle the top with the remaining powdered sugar, cover and allow to set overnight.
Go around the edge of the pan with a butter knife and then gently remove the marshmallows from the pan to a cutting board that has been dusted with powdered sugar. Use a pizza cutter or kitchen shears to cut the marshmallows into small squares.
You can see I left mine a little on the larger side because I knew we would be making s’mores and I like them a little bigger for that. You can cut however you prefer though, just know it can affect how many marshmallows you end up with in total.
Serve these alongside graham crackers and chocolate for tabletop s’mores. Yum! Enjoy. xo. Emma
Credits // Author and Photography: Emma Chapman. Thanks to Jacki and Claire for being my beautiful hand models and also eating marshmallows with me. Ha!
Red Wine Marshmallows (For S’mores)
Homemade marshmallows made with red wine
Ingredients
- 1 cup 8 oz. red wine I used Merlot
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup water
- 3 packets of gelatin each is 1/4 ounce
- 1 ½ cup sugar
- 1 cup corn syrup light
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
-
First, we want to reduce the wine. This does two things: It will decrease the amount of liquid we will be adding to the marshmallow batter and it also will cook out most (if not all) of the alcohol, leaving all of the the flavor.
Simply add the wine to a small pot over medium to medium/high heat. Cook uncovered, stirring every so often for 12-18 minutes.
-
That’s a wide range, but depending on how hot the liquid is can make a pretty big difference, especially toward the end of the cooking time.
The goal is to reduce the liquid to around 1/4 a cup, but you don’t want to burn the mixture. So keep a close eye on it after the 10-minute mark and you’ll probably be able to tell when it’s ready. Remove from heat, and allow to cool.
-
Spray a 8×8 pan with non-stick cooking spray and lightly dust with 2/3 of the powdered sugar. Set up your stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Pour 1/2 cup water and the 3 packages of gelatin into the bowl and allow that to sit for 10 minutes (don’t mix it).
-
In the meantime, in a pot over high heat stir together 1/2 cup water, the sugar, the corn syrup and salt.
Attach your candy thermometer and allow mixture to reach 240°F. Remove from heat. Start your mixture on low and pour the hot sugar water into the mixer as it is running.
-
Be careful not to get the (very hot) sugar mixture on you. Use a splash guard if your mixture has one.
Once you’ve poured in all the sugar water, turn the mixer on high and beat until white and fluffy (6-8 minutes). During the last minute of mixing is when I add the vanilla extract.
-
Pour 2/3 of the marshmallow batter into your prepared dish. Add the reduced wine to the remaining marshmallow batter and beat on high for another minute or two until well incorporated.
-
Then, pour this over the white marshmallow batter and swirl with the end of a knife to get a marbled effect. Sprinkle the top with the remaining powdered sugar, cover and allow to set overnight.
-
Go around the edge of the pan with a butter knife and then gently remove the marshmallows from the pan to a cutting board that has been dusted with powdered sugar.
Use a pizza cutter or kitchen shears to cut the marshmallows into small squares.
-
Serve these alongside graham crackers and chocolate for tabletop s’mores.
Recipe Notes
I left mine a little on the larger side because I knew we would be making s’mores and I like them a little bigger for that. You can cut however you prefer though, just know it can affect how many marshmallows you end up with in total.
18 Comments
How far in advance can you make these? I’d like to make a few batches for an upcoming party, but I’d like to make them well in advance of the party. Thanks!
Hi! You can make them ahead of time, but just be sure to store them in an airtight container.
These look delicious! Have you ever made any vegetarian marshmallows that are good? I miss marshmallows, but it’s so hard to find things like this without gelatin.
Bet these taste great with dark chocolate!
Oooh! I may have to try these. I actually like Bota box wine. They are my go to box wine for events. And I’m always able to catch them on sale at Kroger because they are competing with Fresh Market in the same shopping center.
That sounds delicious! I made a hot chocolate with red wine once, but I bet this tastes amazing as well!
https://www.makeandmess.com/
My boyfriend got me a pack of American marshmallows last week and I never realized how different in taste (size was kind of obvious) they are to European ones…? Crazy!
That looks delicious! Yum! I gotta make some.
Who Let the Mum Out?
These look tasty. What would you swap out for corn syrup though? It’s not very good for your body. So I wouldn’t want to use that. Suggestions would be cool.
This is so creative and definitely necessary to try! I love this idea!
-Noelle
Elle-no.com
These are like galaxy marshmallows for adults, SO FUN!! Also thank you for the portable smores flame tank ideas, sometimes you just want to hang out with your friend and have smores without having to build a fire/fire pit!
These look incredible and so straight forward to make. Will definitely be trying these and the table top heaters too. Great colour- would need to hide these from the children!
Ummmm… YUM!! these look absolutely amazing. Definitely want to try this!
xx, Elise
www.sparkleandslippers.blogspot.com
This is brilliant! I totally need to try it <3
https://www.myblackcloset.com/
I love these fancy adult s’mores! I think it would be fun to pair chocolates with the wine that’s in the marshmallows! I imagine that dark chocolate would be amazing with this marshmallow!
http://sarahmichiko.com
Can’t get over the colors of these marshmallows! The perfect addition for a girls’ night.
How timely – I literally JUST finished reading about a s’mores party on TheKitchn! These marshmallows sound so good, and are photogenic too!
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Oh man, I LOVE The Kitchn. Now I’ve got to click over and read that too.