Sparkle Kitchen: Fire-Roasted Marshmallow Strawberries
In the So Many Fairies story “Fire Fairies,” Nicholas and Miriam love their grandmother Nani’s warm and cozy home. But one spring day, a fire breaks out, and Nani's home is mostly lost to smoke and flame. Their grandmother is OK with the loss, but Miriam is not OK. In fact, she becomes afraid that the fire may happen again. It takes the work of several fairies to help Miriam learn to appreciate fire anew.
There's nothing for learning to appreciate fire like a campfire on a spring evening. The flames are so cozy and beautiful, but — even with eagle-eyed parents and ample warming — most little ones will quickly learn how close is too close. A moment's “ouch, hot!” and the lesson is taught for life—fire is an amazing force, but one to be approached with a healthy dose of respect.
And marshmallows. If you're going to have a fire, you should always bring marshmallows!
This week's snack is a spring-themed riff on traditional s'mores — it's roasted strawberries covered with marshmallow fluff. When you cook the strawberries over a fire, the marshmallow caramelizes and the strawberry warms into a perfect balance of sweet, tart, gooeyness. You may like them more than traditional roasted marshmallows.
Before you start gathering kindling, though, a few words about the marshmallow fluff.
First, be sure you get “marshmallow fluff” or “marshmallow creme.” You want the thicker stuff, not thin “marshmallow ice cream topping,” which will just drip off into the fire.
Second, we didn't have too much trouble getting the marshmallow fluff to stick to the strawberries at room temperature. (Making sure your strawberries are dry helps.) If you do have trouble, though, heat the marshmallow fluff in ten-second intervals in the microwave—stirring well between each time—to make it a little more pliable.
Third, while you can make homemade marshmallow fluff, it's not that much more virtuous or tasty than store-bought. Marshmallows are marshmallows, so this is a time when I highly recommend the convenience of store-bought.
Got some matches ready? Great — let's get started!
Fire-Roasted Marshmallow Strawberries
Ingredients
Fresh strawberries
1 container marshmallow fluff
Directions
While you can make these inside — over a gas stove flame or with a cooking torch — if you can make them over a campfire, do!
Once your fire is crackling away, gather a bowl of clean, dry strawberries and a container of marshmallow fluff. You'll also need a spoon and several skewers or marshmallow roasting sticks.
Now, skewer a strawberry and use the spoon to help dip and coat it in marshmallow fluff.
Roast the strawberry over the fire, rotating it until the marshmallow coating is browned or blackened to your liking. Let the strawberry and fluff cool for about ten seconds before eating them right off the skewer.
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About the Author
Meryl Carver-Allmond
The Sparkle Kitchen Series is created by Meryl Carver-Allmond.
Meryl lives in a hundred-year-old house near the prairie with her sweet husband, two preschoolers, one puppy, one gecko, and about ten chickens. While she's been writing since she could pick up a pen, in recent years she's discovered the joy of photography, too. She feels lucky to be able to combine those skills, along with a third passion — showing people that cooking for themselves can be healthy and fun — in her Sparkle Kitchen posts.
