homemade marshmallow s'mores

 

the best part of summer? s'mores & campfires. so how can you possibly make a classic camp fire treat even better? make your own marshmallows & pair it with fun ghirardelli chocolate squares! the dark chocolate caramel & sea salt milk chocolate brownie squares are my personal favourites (yes you read that correctly, salted brownie chocolate). plus they come in a perfectly portioned size for a s'more. now these homemade marshmallows.. i have told myself for TOO long that i was going to make homemade marshmallows, but was too intimidated by the idea. it seems like they would be difficult to make because who really knows what is in a prepackaged marshmallow! i really don't like store bought marshmallows unless it is roasted over a fire, but this homemade version doesn't even compare! it is like eating a sweet fluffy cloud & they were beyond easy to whip up. like seriously, so easy. you may just have to deal with a kitchen covered in powdered sugar, but hey.. that pretty much happens to me every time i pull out the bag of powdered sugar. there is never any going back. these require quite a bit of mixing time to get the marshmallow to the perfect light consistency, so it will be easiest to use a stand mixer. once you get the hang of it you can add in all sorts of flavours to the marshmallow itself to be eaten on it's own or packed in a s'more! i can't wait to experiment with different tea & fruit infusions! imagine matcha flavoured marshmallows with white chocolate s'mores. oh the possibilities;)

ingredients

for the vanilla marshmallows

  • 1/2 cup + 1/2 cup water
  • 3/4 ounces gelatin
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 2/3 cup white corn syrup
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup corn starch
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar

for the s'mores

directions

for the vanilla marshmallows

  • line a 13x9 baking dish with parchment paper & grease with oil.
  • add 1/2 cup water & gelatin into the bowl of a stand mixer. let stand until the gelatin softens, about 10 minutes.
  • add remaining cup of water into a sauce pan over medium heat. add sugar, corn syrup & salt. stir until sugar dissolves.
  • increase heat to high & boil (do not stir) until temperature reaches 230-250 degrees, about 6-8 minutes.
  • using the whisk attachment, turn on mixer to low speed & slowly pour in boiling hot syrup.
  • once syrup is mixed evenly with the gelatin, add vanilla & increase speed to high. beat until mixture is thick & fluffy, about 15 minutes.
  • pour into baking dish immediately & let stand at room temperature until firm, about 2-3 hours.
  • sift corn starch & powdered sugar over mixture before slicing. toss each slice in the powdered mixture as well.

for the s'mores

  • toast vanilla marshmallow square in the oven or over a camp fire.
  • top with desired chocolate square & sandwich between two graham crackers.

this post was created in partnership with ghirardelli chocolate! thank you for supporting the sponsors that keep hey modest marce up & running. xo

like what you see? get it here. hot plate | filter bowl | plates | linens | glass tea pot

lavender lemonade

 

what a week it has been! i am officially no longer a city girl & have left toronto. moving is so exhausting, couldn't be happier that it is over with. i have quickly settled in back home, unpacked a lot of boxes, took over the den with a big table of props & have worked out my new shooting area. next up is painting the room! since being home this week, i have had just about every meal outside. aside from my mom being obsessed with eating outdoors, they just redid the deck this month & can't get enough of it. i think this lavender lemonade is the perfect drink to be sipping on the new patio with the sunshine beaming. this lemonade can easily be transformed into an adult cocktail if you are hosting a barbecue, bonfire or pool party. just add one ounce of vodka per serving. cheers! xo

ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon dried lavender (or 2-3 tablespoons fresh)
  • 1/2 cup raw sugar (i used obelo panela sugar)
  • 1 cup hot water
  • 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 cup ice water
  • sliced lemon, for garnishing

directions

  • in a sauce pot over medium heat add the lavender, raw sugar & hot water.
  • continuously stir until the sugar has fully dissolved & remove from heat.
  • let the lavender steep for 5-10 minutes, depending on how strong of a flavour you want. strain mixture & let cool completely to room temperature.
  • in a pitcher filled with ice add the fresh lemon juice, ice water & lavender syrup. stir until evenly combined.

NOTE: if you want the classic yellow colour of lemonade, you can also use regular white sugar!

like what you see? get it here. bowls | glasses | copper pot | hot plate | linen

ice cream float cake

 

what a crazy busy week it has been over here! we're in the midst of moving from toronto to niagara & i am surrounded by boxes + more boxes. my sister came down from alberta, so we celebrated her 28th birthday right before she left for a destination wedding in mexico. one of my best friends also got married this week, i was one of the bridesmaids & i made the wedding cake!!! it was my first wedding cake EVER & also my first time making a multi-layer cake. in case you missed it over on snap chat you can see the cake here. while i was extremely nervous over it (even that may be an understatement), i was so happy with the results.. maybe this will be the start of many more wedding cakes?!? cake aside, the wedding was perfect. we made the most of a cold may day, ate a ton of delicious italian food & in the end i caught the bouquet (uhhh ohhh). anyways, this cola cake is the cake i made for my sister's birthday! she is the one who introduced me to a cola cake, but the one she makes is not meant to be a layered cake. it is a gooey chocolate cola cake that is glazed in butter & cola! i decided to alter it a bit so i could turn it into the perfect birthday cake. i called this an ice cream float cake because the layers represent the cola & the vanilla frosting represents the ice cream ¯_(ツ)_/¯. back to packing, wish me luck!

ingredients

for the cola cake

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • ½ cup canola oil
  • ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 cup cola (can substitute root beer)
  • ½ cup whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs

for the vanilla buttercream:

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2-3 cups powdered sugar, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

directions

for the cola cake

  • preheat oven to 350 degrees. grease & flour two 8-inch round cake pans or three 6-inch round cake pans.
  • in a large mixing bowl sift flour, sugar, salt, baking soda & cinnamon. stir.
  • in a saucepot over medium heat add the butter, oil, cocoa powder, cola & whole milk. constantly stirring, bring to a boil & remove from heat.
  • add cola mixture to dry ingredients & stir until just combined. add the vanilla & eggs, mix until a smooth batter is formed.
  • evenly distribute amongst cake pans & bake until cake bounces back to touch, about 20-25 minutes.
  • let cool completely before flipping or frosting.

for the vanilla buttercream

  • in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment add the butter, sugar & vanilla. beat until light & fluffy, about 8 minutes.
  • frost cake as desired & serve.

like what you see? get it here. mosser glass cake stand | pottery bowls | plate