For a decadent winter drink, try out this recipe to warm you up!
Hot Vanilla with Rum
1 C heavy cream
1.5 C whole milk
1/2 C rum
3 vanilla beans
1/8 C sugar
If you want the flavor of the rum without the alcohol content, set the rum on fire in a metal pot and let it burn out. (Remember to practice kitchen safety—have a lid on hand!) Otherwise, omit this step. Add the other ingredients. Simmer for ten minutes.
Strain and serve hot with sassafras marshmallows (recipe below) melting in.
Sassafras Marshmallows
2 1/2 tbsp unflavored gelatin
1 1/2 C granulated sugar
1 C light corn syrup
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp sassafras oil
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
1. Combine the gelatin and 1/2 C cold water in the bowl of an electric mixer with a whisk attachment. Let stand 30 minutes.
2. In a separate small bowl, combine the vanilla extract and sassafras oil and mix until vaguely homogenous.
3. In the meantime, combine the granulated sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 1/2 C water in a small heavy saucepan. Place the saucepan place over low heat and stir until sugar has dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved, raise the heat to high and clip on a candy thermometer. Cook the syrup without stirring until it reaches 241° (firm-ball stage). Immediately remove pan from heat.
4. With your mixer on low speed, slowly pour the syrup into the softened gelatin. Increase the speed to high and beat until the mixture is very thick and white and has almost tripled in volume, which ought to take about 15 minutes. Add the vanilla/sassafras blend and beat to incorporate.
5. Generously dust an 8-by-12-inch glass baking pan with confectioners’ sugar. You want a nice coating of sugar on the bottom of the pan. Don’t worry too much about the sides - it’s hard to get the sugar to stick to the sides, and it won’t matter if you can’t manage to coat them. Pour the marshmallow mixture into pan. Dust the top with another generous layer of confectioners’ sugar.
6. Let stand overnight (or as long as you can bear to wait - a few hours is enough if you are impatient or in a rush), uncovered, to dry out.
7. The next day (or later that same evening), cut the marshmallow sheet off the sides of the pan and turn it out onto a board. Cut marshmallow sheet into 1″ strips, and then cut the strips into 1″ cubes. Dust with more confectioners’ sugar as you go. Make sure that your marshmallows are coated with confectioner’s sugar in the end, as this is the only way to rescue them from being tacky.
