Dehydrated Marshmallows

Much as we hate to admit it, treats are so important to preserving morale in a time of stress for many of us.  And even if they are not so important to you, but you can be sure they are important to someone around you.  We don't always have the time to make a batch of cookies or a cake, or maybe something little is all that is needed.

So up for consideration today is dehydrated marshmallows.  Why would you want them?

• Snowball soup or hot chocolate.  Add a few dehydrated marshmallows to your hot chocolate.  Call it snowball soup and the kids will think it's even more fun.  (Some people call it snowman soup and say the marshmallows are snowman poop.  Not sure I want to go there with my family.)
• Cereal.  If you make your own cereal, being able to add some marshmallows to it for the children will be a welcome treat.  You might wish to slice the marshmallows in half before dehydrating.
• Rice Krispie treats.  If the dehydrated marshmallows are briefly and carefully steamed, you can make Rice Krispie treats with them.
• Quick sugar fix.  

I started off this little adventure by dehydrating four bags of mini marshmallows.  Most everything shrinks in size when it is dehydrated due to the water being removed.  However, the marshmallows swelled.  They poofed up.  They're now spherical and look almost like mothballs.  That was a surprise.

The next surprise was the texture.  I don't know what I expected.  The texture is reminiscent of malted milk balls.  Crunchy and airy.  While I don't normally eat marshmallows (they're great for hot chocolate and Rice Krispie treats), I like the marshmallows better this way.  I ate a few more than I should have while putting them in canning jars.

For the next stop on this journey, I got some Smashmallow flavored marshmallows from my Grocery Outlet store when they were deep discounted.   They had two flavors at the time--Cinnamon Churro and Strawberries and Cream.  We all thought the Cinnamon Churro flavor was rather forgettable, but the Strawberries and Cream flavor was pretty tasty.  My husband was a little disappointed that I didn't leave more for fresh eating.  Kraft put out some pumpkin marshmallows last year.  They didn't taste as good as we hoped they would.

I have been watching for some peppermint marshmallows, either from Smashmallow or, ideally, the peppermint snowman marshmallows Kraft had last year.  My friend Renee scored a few bags of those.  She didn't share any with me. :(  But she did tell me about the 40 lb bags of frozen, pitted sweet cherries for $8, so she's been forgiven.

Anyway, Renee said the snowman marshmallows not only dehydrated beautifully, but they also poofed up nicely.  They'll be the perfect complement to hot chocolate this season. 

If you decide to give these a try, be sure to vacuum seal them when they're completely dry and cool.  Otherwise, they'll absorb moisture from the air and no longer be crisp and light.