S'mores on a Stick
By Kristen Scott of Artisan Candies
Ingredients:
1 lb. melting chocolate, or sweetened baking chocolate - milk or dark is best
8-12 handmade marshmallows, 1 1/2" cube size (Artisan Candies' marshmallows are a good size)
Or:
1 bag of jumbo-size marshmallows (such as Jet-Puffed®)
1 box of graham crackers (start with one package crushed, and crush more as needed)
Supplies:
Bamboo skewers
Or:
Caramel Apple sticks (can be found in some Safeway stores)
Cookie sheet lined with parchment
Wide bowl for the chocolate
Spatula
Cooking pot filled with 1" of water
Tray for the graham crackers
Prepare your assembly line:
Marshmallows: Use one caramel apple stick (or two bamboo skewers) for each 1 1/2" cube marshmallow, or one bamboo skewer for 3 store-bought marshmallows, leaving room on one side as a handle for eating. Make sure to push the marshmallows together to create one long one.
Chocolate: If you have a bar of chocolate, cut it up into small chunks for ease of melting. On your stove, put the chocolate into the wide bowl, then put it on top of the pot with water, and set the burner to low. (Now you have created a "bain marie", a gentle way of melting the chocolate). Or, you can put the chocolate into a microwave-safe container, and melt it in the microwave. Either way, you want to gently melt the chocolate so as not to scorch it. An easy way to tell if the chocolate is warm enough is to touch your finger to the chocolate - if you can barely tell that it's warm, it's probably ready. If it's too hot, add in a few chunks of reserved chocolate to cool it down.
Graham crackers: Crush one package of graham crackers in the tray, and set aside. You want a combination of crumbs and chunks. Don't crush the entire box of crackers, in case you don't need all of them.
Assemble the S'mores:
Set up your line so that it goes like this: Marshmallows, chocolate, graham crackers, cookie sheet. Also, make sure to use the clean hand/dirty hand technique, where one hand is the only one touching the chocolate and graham crackers at all times, and the other is the only hand handling each s'more. That way the s'more stick will be clean when you are done making it.
Take a prepared marshmallow and cover it in the melted chocolate, using the spatula to help you if needed. Transfer to the graham crackers, and roll to cover. Using both hands, carefully transfer the s'more to the cookie sheet, keeping as much of the graham crackers on it as possible. Repeat with remaining marshmallows. Let the chocolate harden (it loses it's gloss and becomes slightly dull) and enjoy!
Rocky Road Candy Bars
By Kristen Scott of Artisan Candies
Ingredients:
2 to 2 1/2 lb. melting chocolate, or sweetened baking chocolate - milk or dark is best
10 - 12 oz. your favorite nuts pecans, walnuts, peanuts, etc.
8 oz. handmade marshmallows, cut into 1/2" cube size (Artisan Candies' marshmallows are good)
Or:
8 oz. jumbo-size marshmallows (such as Jet-Puffed), cut into halves or quarters
Supplies:
8 or 9 square cake pan, lined with parchment all the way up the sides and over the edge
Wide bowl for the chocolate
Spatula
Cooking pot filled with 1" of water
Prepare your ingredients:
Marshmallows: Using a chefs knife, kitchen shears or a pastry cutter, cut the marshmallows into small to medium size pieces, depending on how rocky you want your finished candy. If they get a bit sticky, toss them in a bowl with a pinch or two of cornstarch to keep them separated.
Nuts: Lightly chop the nuts if you like smaller pieces. We like big rocks in our candy, so we leave them whole (its less work, too!).
Chocolate: If you have a bar of chocolate, cut it up into small chunks for ease of melting. On your stove, put the chocolate into the wide bowl, then put it on top of the pot with water, and set the burner to low. (Now you have created a "bain marie", a gentle way of melting the chocolate). Or, you can put the chocolate into a microwave-safe container, and melt it in the microwave. Either way, you want to gently melt the chocolate so as not to scorch it. An easy way to tell if the chocolate is warm enough is to touch your finger to the chocolate - if you can barely tell that it's warm, it's probably ready. If it's too hot, add in a few chunks of reserved chocolate to cool it down.
Assemble the Rocks in the Road:
After the chocolate is finished melting, take it off the pan and wipe off the outside bottom of the bowl(it will have condensation from the water). Set it on your work surface, and pour in the nuts and marshmallows. Stir very lightly to coat, and then pour into the prepared baking pan, scraping out as much of the chocolate as possible. Let the candy harden for at least 2-3 hours before cutting (it loses it's gloss and becomes slightly dull). When fully hardened, pull the finished product out of the pan using the parchment as handles, and onto a dry cutting board. Using a large kitchen knife, cut into squares or chunks, and enjoy!
About Artisan Candies:
Kristen Scott has been making caramel for over nine years, for friends and family during the holidays as a fun and unique gift. Then in November of 2005, she and her husband decided to start selling it, because they realized that there was a need for a good old-fashioned caramel, with all-natural ingredients and no preservatives. What they didn't anticipate was the overwhelming response! Kristen and Dean then decided to start the business, and now have a growing, dedicated client list that spans the country.
In the Spring of 2007, Artisan Caramels expanded their product line and changed their name to reflect this. Artisan Candies is proud to offer its premiere Artisan Caramels, and introduced to the market Artisan Marshmallows in a variety of flavors, Maple Pecan Brittle (made with real maple syrup), S'mores on a Stick (using their handmade marshmallows), their Rocky Road collection (available in four flavors) and more.
All Artisan Candies products are made with high-quality, all-natural ingredients with no preservatives.
Website: www.artisancandies.com
Northern California Renaissance Fair
Open Weekends, Now through October 12th, 2008
10am - 6pm
Adult Tickets: $25.00
Child Tickets (5-12): $10.00 Children under 5 are free!
Weekend Pass (Sat & Sun): $35.00 The Faire is only open on Weekends.
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