S’mores always remind me of summers spent camping out under the stars, but I could honestly eat that perfect combination of gooey marshmallow and melted chocolate all year! I brought back my homemade porg marshmallows to show you how to turn them into an un-porg-etably delicious treat.
Homemade marshmallows can seem intimidating at first, but the secret to getting them smooth and the right shape is just a little water. Once you get the first few piped the rest of your batch will be a breeze! Add chocolate and your favorite graham crackers, and you’ll definitely want s’more of these cute s’mores!
Ingredients:
Condiments
1 tbsp Corn syrup, light
Baking & Spices
1/4 cup Cornstarch
1 Icing fitted with a, Black small
1 Orange and grey/silver sanding sugar
1/2 cup Powdered sugar
1 Pinch Salt
12 Squares of chocolate
1 cup Sugar
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
Oils & Vinegars
1 Vegetable oil
Snacks
12 Chocolate graham crackers
Desserts
1/4 cup Candy melts, orange
1 Candy thermometer
1 envelope Gelatin, unflavored
24 Nonpareils, black jumbo
Liquids
1 3 + 1/4 cup cold water
Other
Cardstock
Piping bags
1/2 ” round piping tip
Large, round piping tip
Scissors
Toothpicks
Small zip-top bags
Helpful Tip
All cutting should be done by an adult.
Directions
1. Download, print, and cut out porg template.
2. Melt the orange candy melts by heating in the microwave in 30-second intervals at 50% power until smooth, stirring between each set. You can add a teaspoon of vegetable oil if they are lumpy once completely melted.
3. Place the porg template under a piece of wax paper, and use a toothpick to draw the feet with the orange melts. Set aside to harden.
4. Prep your sanding sugars by placing a little of the orange, and a little of the grey sugars into separate small zip-top bags. Cut a tiny corner off of each and set aside.
5. Prep 2 piping bags by fitting one with a large round tip, and the other with a 1/2″ round tip. Lay a piece of wax paper over a baking sheet. Combine the marshmallow coating ingredients in a bowl, and lightly sift the powder over the wax paper. Set aside.
6. Pour 1/3 cup cold water in the bowl of an electric mixer, and stir in the gelatin. Allow the gelatin to soften while you make the syrup.
7. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, 1/4 cup water, light corn syrup, and salt. Stir, and cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Then turn the heat up to high, and continue to cook (without stirring) until the syrup reaches 240° F on a candy thermometer.
8. With the mixer on low, slowly pour the syrup into the softened gelatin. Gradually increase the speed to high, and whip until soft peaks form and hold their shape, about 8-10 minutes. Add the vanilla extract, and whip just until it is incorporated.
9. Transfer the marshmallow to the 2 prepared piping bags. You can place the porg template underneath the wax paper, on your baking sheet that you’ve prepared with coating powder, as a guide.
10. Using the bag with the 1/2″ tip, pipe a large circle for the body, and then a smaller one on top for the head. Use the other piping bag fitted with the smaller round tip to make the wings. If you are left with any lumps or peaks on the marshmallow you can lightly wet a clean finger and smooth out the marshmallow. You want to work quickly before the marshmallow begins to set, so only pipe 2 at a time, and then add the decorations.
11. To decorate, start with the orange sugar, and carefully pour it in a pattern that replicates the look of the porgs. Then pour the grey sugar over the wings, edges of the body, and top of the head of each porg.
12. Add a nonpareil to each side of the face for the eyes, placing them just over the orange sugar, and then place 2 of the candy melt feet at the bottom.
13. Allow the marshmallows to set, uncovered, for at least 7 hours, or overnight before adding the decorating icing.
14. Use decorating icing to pipe the mouths and nostrils onto the porgs. Carefully unpeel the marshmallows from your baking sheet. You can lightly coat any sticky areas with the marshmallow coating mixture.
15. When you are ready to turn them into s’mores, break your graham crackers in half. Place 1 half on a plate and top it with a porg. Heat in the microwave for 5-7 seconds, then add the chocolate square and the other half of your graham cracker. (Extra marshmallows can be stored in an airtight container for up to a month.)
Cascaron, deep fried bread dough, is a popular merienda (snack) option in the Philippines. Filipinos love fried food. I love anything fried!
Cascaron or “Bitsu-Bitsu”, deep fried bread dough; crunchy outside; soft and sticky inside. It’s made from mochiko flour, a kind of sweet rice flour. Cascaron is a sweet crunchy snack that should not be confused with the other bread dish called bitso-bitso or bicho-bicho which uses all purpose flour instead of mochiko flour.
Place grated coconut in hot water. Squeeze until the water turns opaque or milky.
Place a dish towel or fine cheese cloth over a bowl and pour coconut and water into the cloth.
Drain coconut milk into bowl, then squeeze remaining coconut in the towel until all the liquid is squeezed out.
Mix drained coconut in flour and add milky coconut water until dough is soft but not too sticky.
Shape dough in balls of 1 inch diameter and fry in 2-3″ of oil until golden brown.
Drain dough balls on paper towel then put them in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
Boil cold water and brown sugar in a small sauce pan until it reaches the soft boil stage this is done by placing a drop of syrup in a bowl of cold water. If it retains it shape and is soft, it is ready.
Pour over dough balls. Toss fried dough balls in the syrup until all are completely covered.
Remove from bowl and place them in a platter to cool. You can skewer them on to bamboo sticks for a nice presentation.
Place grated coconut in hot water and squeeze until the water turns opaque or milky.
Place a dish towel or fine cheese cloth over a bowl and pour coconut and water into the cloth.
Let the water drain, then squeeze remaining coconut in the towel until all the liquid is squeezed out.
Mix drained coconut in flour and add milky coconut water until dough is soft but not too sticky.
Shape dough in balls of 1 inch diameter and fry in 2-3" of oil until golden brown.
Drain dough balls on paper towel then put them in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
Boil cold water and brown sugar in a small sauce pan until it reaches the soft boil stage this is done by placing a drop of syrup in a bowl of cold water. If it retains it shape and is soft, it is ready.
Pour over dough balls. Toss fried dough balls in the syrup until all are completely covered.
Remove from bowl and place them in a platter to cool. You can skewer them on to bamboo sticks for a nice presentation.
Recipe Notes
Put just enough vegetable oil in a large frying pan to cover the dough balls. Make sure that when you fry them, the oil is hot. Put a piece of dough in the pan to test and if the dough sizzled and rises to the top, then it’s ready. Place dough balls in the pan, but don’t overcrowd.
Buko Pie is a popular Filipino delicacy from the southern regions of Luzon especially in Laguna Province. Tourists and locals travel to Laguna for the pie. They buy extra to take home. It’s a traditional pasalubong or homecoming gift.
Buko Pie is a 2 crusted pie filled with creamy coconut juice, soft young coconut meat, evaporated milk, sugar and cornstarch. Buko Pie is an excellent mid-afternoon snacks, paired with your favorite coolers.
2 cups grated buco (young coconut meat) – You can buy this frozen at Asian Markets
1 cup buco water/juice – You can buy it in cans or frozen at Asian Markets
1 cup evaporated milk
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Prepare an 8-inch pie plate.
Filling
– In a saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch then add milk and buco water. Cook over medium heat until thickened.
– Add vanilla and grated buco meat. Cook for another 5 minutes and set aside to cool.
For the Crust
– In a bowl combine flour, sugar and salt.
– Cut in the butter and shortening until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
– Add a tbsp. of water one at a time. Mix with a fork until the dough is smooth and does not stick to the sides of the bowl.
– Form into two balls, one of which should be bigger than the other.
– Roll out the bigger dough to form a 9-inch circle that is about 1/4-inch thick. Fit this dough into the bottom and sides of the pie plate. Fill with the buco mixturethen set aside.
Roll out the smaller dough into a circle, big enough to cover the top of the pie. To seal the sides of the pie, pinch the top and bottom crusts together.
Using a fork or knife, prick holes on the top crust so that steam can escape while baking.
Brush the top crust with eggwash. (beat egg to make egg wash)
Bake for about 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Prepare an 8-inch pie plate.
– In a saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch then add evaporated milk and buco water. Cook over medium heat until thickened.
– Add vanilla and grated buco meat. Cook for another 5 minutes and set aside to cool.
Crust
– In a bowl combine flour, sugar and salt.
– Cut in the butter and shortening until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
– Add a tbsp. of water one at a time.
Mix with a fork until the dough is smooth and does not stick to the sides of the bowl.
Assembly
– Form into two balls, one of which should be bigger than the other.
– Roll out the bigger dough to form a 9-inch circle that is about 1/4-inch thick. Fit this dough into the bottom and sides of the pie plate. Fill up with the buco mixture filling then set aside.
Roll out the smaller dough into a circle, big enough to cover the top of the pie. To seal the sides of the pie, pinch the top and bottom crusts together.
Using a fork or knife, prick holes on the top crust so that steam can escape while baking.
Brush the top crust with eggwash. (beat egg to make egg wash)
Bake for about 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.
