Ingredient: light corn syrup

Little Chocolate Donuts

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Little Chocolate Donuts with pink icing

Little chocolate donuts are a fun, nostalgic treat from my childhood. I’m talking about the ones at the local market that come in a plastic sleeve. I remember sharing the waxy little donuts with a friend, and at the time we thought they were delicious. Now that I’m an adult, I realize that homemade ones taste soo much better and they’re surprisingly quick and easy to make. They’re delicious with either naturally pink strawberry icing or chocolate glaze. I shared the recipe for both options below.

For Valentine’s Day, I used a heart-shaped mini donut pan for the donuts shown in the photo, but a standard round mini donut pan works too. A sprinkle of pink sparkling sugar makes them extra special, especially for Galentine’s Day.

Little Chocolate Donuts

Print Recipe
Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert
Servings 14 mini donuts

Ingredients
  

Little Chocolate Donuts

  • â…” cup (85g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • 3 tablespoons (17g) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ¼ teaspoon fine seat salt
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ cup (100g) packed brown sugar
  • ½ cup (115ml) vegetable oil or neutral oil of your choice
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ cup (128ml) buttermilk
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • Strawberry icing or chocolate glaze recipes below
  • Pink sparkling sugar, optional

Pink Strawberry Icing

  • 1 ½ cups (181g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) puréed strawberries, strained fresh or frozen
  • 1 tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 pinch fine sea salt
  • 1-2 tablespoons (15-30ml) whole milk, room temperature

Chocolate Glaze

  • 6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter
  • 4 ounces (113g) semisweet chocolate, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons light corn syrup

Instructions
 

Little Chocolate Donuts

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Spray a mini donut pan with nonstick spray. (I used a heart-shaped mini donut pan** but a standard round mini donut pan***works too.)
  • In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda until well combined.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, oil, egg, buttermilk and vanilla until smooth. Add the flour mixture and stir just until combined.
  • Transfer the batter to the donut pan, using a piping bag or a plastic food storage bag with the corner cut off. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the centers of the donuts comes out clean, about 6-8 minutes. Do not over bake or the donuts will dry out. Transfer the donuts to a cooling rack. Clean the pan and repeat with the remaining batter.

Strawberry Icing

  • In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, pureéd strawberries, melted butter, salt and 1 tablespoon (15ml) of milk until well combined. Add additional milk as needed to reach your desired consistency. Whisk until smooth. Dunk the top surface of the cooled donuts into the icing.

Chocolate Glaze

  • In a heat safe bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, melt the butter, chocolate and corn syrup together, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly. Dunk the top surface of the cooled donuts into the glaze or spoon it over the tops.

Notes

*To find pink sparkling sugar, click here.
**To find the heart-shaped mini donut pan I used, click here.
***To find a standard mini donut pan, click here.
 
Keyword chocolate, donuts

Fluffy Homemade Marshmallows

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Fluffy Homemade Marshmallows

Fluffy Homemade Marshmallows

Thick, soft and fluffy homemade marshmallows
Print Recipe
Servings 16 marshmallows

Ingredients
  

  • 3 1/4 oz (7g) packets unflavored gelatin powder
  • 1 cup (237ml) cold water, divided
  • 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (165ml) light corn syrup
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
  • 6 tablespoons (45g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2 tablespoons (20g) cornstarch

Instructions
 

  • Spray an 8-inch square pan lightly with nonstick spray. Wipe out any excess spray with a paper towel. Combine the gelatin powder with 1/2 cup (118ml) of water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
  • Place the granulated sugar, corn syrup, salt and the remaining 1/2 cup (118ml) of water in a medium-size saucepan. Stir gently to combine. Place the saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat. Cook, without stirring, until the temperature reaches 230ºF (110ºC) on a candy thermometer. Gently swirl the pan occasionally to help prevent hot spots.
  • Turn the mixer on to low speed. Slowly and carefully pour the hot syrup mixture inside the mixer bowl along the side, away from the whisk. Keep beating until the gelatin is dissolved. Add the vanilla. Gradually turn the mixer up to high speed and continue whipping the mixture until it's glossy, thick and fluffy, about 10 minutes.
  • Transfer the mixture to the pan, spreading it with an offset spatula. Let it sit uncovered at room temperate until it firms up, about 4 hrs.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and cornstarch. Sprinkle about 2/3 of the mixture over your work surface. Loosen the edges of marshmallow slab with a small offset spatula. Turn it out onto your work surface. Sprinkle it with the powdered sugar mixture. Cut it into 2-inch squares (or any size you want). Clean your knife after each cut. Toss the marshmallows in the powdered sugar mixture. Store in a covered container for up to 3 days.
Keyword candy, marshmallows

Honey Caramel Popcorn

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Honey Caramel Popcorn

Autumn is my favorite time of year to make caramel popcorn. That’s when the weather start to get cooler and we love curling up in a blanket with some snacks to watch a movies. Honey Caramel Popcorn has a buttery, sweet, earthy flavor that brings back memories of past fall seasons. It’s easy to make and fun to share. I added roasted almonds to mine but you can use your favorite nuts or leave them out if you wish.

If you want to share your Honey Caramel Popcorn, place it in food safe treat bags. I created some free printable labels that you can add to your treat bags. To get the free printables, click here.

 

Honey Caramel Popcorn

by Mari Vasseur
Honey caramel coated popcorn with roasted almonds
Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 12 cups (110-120g) popped popcorn
  • ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1 cup (200g) packed brown sugar
  • 6 tablespoons (126g) honey
  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) light corn syrup
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (56g) roasted, salted almonds, honey roasted salted almonds or any nuts of your choice
  • Sea salt for sprinkling optional

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 200ºF (95Cº). Line a large baking sheet with nonstick parchment paper or a silicone mat, such as a silpat.* Place the popcorn in an extra-large lightly greased bowl. Wipe out any excess oil or grease with a paper towel.
  • In a medium-size, heavy bottom saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, brown sugar, honey, corn syrup and salt together, stirring gently. When the mixture comes to a boil, stop stirring and let the mixture bubble for 5 minutes. Stir in the vanilla and baking soda. The mixture will foam up. Remove from heat.
  • Carefully pour half of the caramel mixture over the popcorn. Stir gently, then add the almonds. Stir again. Pour the remaining caramel over the popcorn. Stir once more. Transfer the caramel popcorn to the baking sheet, arranging it in an even layer. Bake for about 1 hour, stirring gently every 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Sprinkle with sea salt to taste if desired.

Notes

To find my favorite large baking sheets, click here. 
To find a silicone mat, click here.  
Keyword caramel popcorn, snacks

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

Posted on by Mari Vasseur

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Servings 16 2-inch bars

Ingredients
  

Bars

  • 1 cup (128g) all purpose flour, sifted plus 1 teaspoon for the chocolate chips
  • 2 tablespoons (20g) cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ½ cup (128g) creamy peanut butter
  • ¾ cup (150g) packed brown sugar
  • ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (170g) semisweet chocolate chips

Glaze

  • ½ cup (71g) semisweet chocolate, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon light corn syrup

Instructions
 

Bars

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line the bottom of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. Grease and flour the insides.
  • In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
  • In a large bowl, beat the butter and peanut butter together, with an electric mixer, until smooth and well blended. Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Beat until combined. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract in 3 separate additions, making sure each one is incorporated before adding the next. Stir in the flour mixture just until combined.
  • In a small bowl, toss the chocolate chips with 1 teaspoon of flour then fold them into the batter. Transfer the batter to the baking pan. Smooth the top with a spatula. Bake until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the bars comes out with a few moist crumbs on it, about 20-25 minutes. Let cool in the pan. Spread the chocolate glaze over the cooled bars.

Glaze

  • Combine the glaze ingredients in a heat-safe bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl. Stir occasionally until melted and smooth.
Keyword bars, peanut butter chocolate chip