So, the boys are off having all kinds of fun while I had all kinds of meeting. Booooo. I don’t even have good back-up post material, so I was forced to re-create one of the more pleasant aspects of last week’s days off: roasting marshmallows.
I have always loved roasting marshmallows, but I have never loved eating them. When I was a kid we used to go camping all the time, but I actually can’t remember the marshmallows. We made s’mores, of course, but I just wanted to eat that solid slab of chocolate – never mind the crackers and goo. I vaguely remember the actual roasting turned into a kind of competition for ‘most perfect’, as is fitting for the Hofman clan. (Any siblings reading this, please help my terrible memory.)
That being said, we’re wicked good at it.
That’s right – I sound pretty braggy, but let me remind you that this might be the only thing that I am confidently good at. All other skills I have are pretty dicey.
So, without further ado: Lauren’s tips for Tasty Toasting. (Well, tasty for you – I hate marshmallows.)
1. Start with the correct heat source. Not high flames that will burn without cooking, and not your flat-top stove, which came with specific cleaning instructions that include Don’t ever spill sugar on the hot surface or you might as well just throw this thing out. It was a poor choice, but this is a re-enactment, remember.
You want some hot embers. Too hot and you’ll burn before maximum puffing, too cool and you’ll get too much puff with no brown. The later will result in your marshmallow falling off the stick.
2. Side heat. Don’t point your marshmallow straight at the fire or you’ll just get top brown. Or maybe you like that sort of thing. I don’t judge. Wait – yes I do.
3. Constant rotation. Rotate, rotate, rotate – and I don’t mean you, you ninny. The stick. Keep that thing on the move. Monitor for uneven browning and adjust accordingly.
Now, there’s something that Brad thinks is important, but it’s not. He strongly feels that you don’t poke the stick all the way through the marshmallow, I feel differently. (Though I see by my photos I followed his theory. What is he, some kind of mind wizard?)
Here endeth the lesson, and also the post.
Beth says
You are wicked-good at roasting. And a host of other things you aren’t braggy about.
Brad says
I was trying to explain to Lauren that if you’re actually going to eat the marshmallows, you can’t poke the stick all the way through, because if you would try to eat the marshmallow off the stick you would stab yourself in the back of the throat.
You may be good at roasting marshmallows, Lauren, but you’re not very good at eating them.
Peggy says
I LOVE roasted marshmallows! My mouth is watering looking at your awesome magic picture. I tend to get impatient while roasting marshmallows though, because I can’t wait to eat it…so the middle isn’t always melted thru. Sometimes I even let the dang thing catch on fire to try to speed up the process.
Rae says
Here’s a trick I like to do whilst roasting marshmallows: Follow Lauren’s instructions, but when you remove the marshmallow, allow the gooey inside to stay attached to the stick. Then repeat the process with the remains for an extra set of toasted goodness. (I like marshmallows, but secretly only REALLY like the outside toasted part.) This method let’s me enjoy it twice. It should be noted, the second (inside) roasting isn’t quite as good, but it’ll do.
And I don’t like s’mores at all. I’ll stick to the double marshmallows.
Lauren says
Yes! The goo stays on the stick, but I like to just burn that off then scrub the carbon off on the rocks. It’s disgusting, but fun.
Deborah says
I don’t care for roasted marshmallows, either. And smores are wrong for me due to the very hard chocolate and the very mushy marshmallow. I have tried a smore using fudge striped cookies. Those were better, but still way too messy.
bekahcubed says
I agree with Rae--double toast those babies! (Except I like the second toasting better than the first.)
Lloyd says
I am not a marshmallow fan either (the name doesn’t make any sense), but when Lauren makes one, it’s like eating a whole different animal.
Rae says
Are you suggesting that Lauren roasts whole animals???? What type of animal would you say it resembles?
Lloyd says
It was not my intention to imply that Lauren now nor at any time in the past has engaged in the roasting of whole animals. An opossum.
Keren says
For the hard slab of chocolate problem (when camping), I balance the graham cracker and square of chocolate flat on top of a weinie roasting stick over the coals and toast it first. Set near the fire while roasting the marshmallow. The chocolate warms up enough that by the time you get the marshmallow toasted, it’s all a lovely mess. Not that I like smores…I make em for the boys this way.