Remember wagon wheels? The snack food made up of biscuits topped with marshmallow and covered in a chocolate coating? They get their name because of the round shape of the biscuit, which represents the wheel of a wagon.
You probably had wagon wheels in your school lunch as a kid, but with litter-less lunches and a propensity towards homemade food, it may not be something you want to add to your own kids’ lunch. But why not make the wagon wheels yourself; and while you’re at it, the marshmallows too?
We are having a great time baking new items in our shop now that we’ve settled in. The fun of creating new ideas keeps things fresh and creates a learning environment. Our little guy Aiden is a discerning “snacker” who loves chocolate chip cookies and marshmallows. This combination has become our modernized “wagon wheel.”
The chocolate chip cookie can be up to personal taste. We prefer the chewy moist variety with just a hint of cinnamon to bring out the beautiful tones of the chocolate. Homemade marshmallows are fun for kids to see and have a totally different texture than the commercial variety. They’re so much fun in a cookie sandwich!
I brought this simple creation home for a treat and Aiden was in heaven! Then came the s’mores ! Handmade marshmallows dipped in chocolate and graham cracker crumbs. Of course, everything in moderation. I haven’t introduced the kids to that yet but it is another way to use this great recipe for marshmallows.
Sometimes the simplest things can rekindle memories of the past; but more importantly, create memories for the future. Inevitably having kids in the kitchen ignites a love for food and enjoyment of family. Healthy relationships with food begin in our kitchen. Have fun with this retro blast from the past. Happy baking!
Chocolate Chip Cookies
½ lb. butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 ¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 large eggs
3 cup all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
3 cups semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
Directions
- Preheat oven at 350˚F.
- Cream together butter and both sugars until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time and finish with vanilla.
- Sift together flour, baking soda and cinnamon.
- Stir in the dry ingredients until the mixture is combined; add chocolate – do not over mix.
- Use an ice cream scoop to measure the dough on a cookie sheet about 3” apart.
- Press the cookies down to a ¼” thickness. Place in fridge for an hour to rest.
- Place in oven and bake until golden, about 15 minutes.
- Allow to cool completely.
- Slice marshmallow in ½” slices and sandwich the cookies over the marshmallow and dip half of the cookie in melted chocolate.
Marshmallows
3 packages of gelatin
½ cup cold water
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
¼ tsp. course salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Confectioners’ sugar for coating
Directions
- Spray 9” in square pan with cooking spray.
- Place plastic wrap over the pan and leave 4” over the sides.
- In electric mixer, add cold water and sprinkle gelatin over the top. Let stand for 10 minutes.
- In sauce pan, combine sugar, corn syrup, and ¼ cup water; place on medium heat and bring to a boil; hold boiling for 1 minute.
- Remove the syrup mixture from heat; whisk the gelatin mixture on high and slowly pour in the syrup mix; add salt and continue to mix for 12 minutes. Add vanilla extract.
- Place the mallow mix in prepared pan and spray the back of a metal spoon with cooking spray; spread the fluffy marshmallow over the pan and spray the plastic wrap. Place over the marshmallow to cover the whole pan. Let stand for 2 hours.
- Cut marshmallow into cubes and toss in confectioners’ sugar. If you are dipping in chocolate avoid this step as it makes the chocolate instable and it will bloom.
Leave a Reply