Debunking Roasted Marshmallow Kahlua Shots

Maybe you've seen this photo pimpin' around Facebook, Pinterest, and other social media sites:

It looks amazing, right? Roasted marshmallows with Kahlua - why didn't anyone think of this earlier?

I'll tell you why.

a.) They are thoroughly disgusting. Seriously, they taste bad. Really bad. Have you ever had a cold roasted marshmallow? Of course not! They're not meant to be eaten cold!
b.) They're not that easy to make - you'll probably poke a hole in the side or bottom of the marshmallow so you won't be about to pour in the Kahlua.
c.) If you're roasting marshmallows over a fire, there's no way you're going to be able to see what you're doing well enough not to screw this up.

Let me explain...

If you roast marshmallows too quickly, the insides won't be gooey enough. You really need the insides to be thoroughly done, otherwise when you try to scoop it out, it'll either clump up and you won't be able to get any out, no matter how hard you try...

...or you'll result in having to stick your finger inside the marshmallow, which will be very sticky.

So here's what I recommend: get your marshmallows thoroughly cooked on the inside and don't wait for them to cool before making your hole with whatever the marshmallow was cooking on (your stick, knife, etc.). If you wait until the  middle has cooled, it'll be harder to scoop out the insides.

Be very careful when scooping out the inside, as you can easily poke a hole in the side or the bottom of the marshmallow. I accidentally made a hole 3 out of 4 times.

If you're lucky enough to have your marshmallow intact, you can pour in your Kahlua but I'm warning you, it'll taste pretty bad...

...and there will be a hole in the bottom. Probably.

So are they feasible? Yes. Are they worth making on a camping trip? Well, you're probably better off roasting your marshmallow in one hand and drinking your Kahlua in the other. Combining the two just isn't worth it.

TOTAL COSTS: About $20

$1.67 for a bag of marshmallows from Vons

$16.50 for Kahlua from Bevmo

TOTAL AMOUNT OF TIME: Less than 5 minutes

This is assuming you roast the marshmallow in a minute and don't wait for it to cool before scooping out the middle.

EASY-PEASY SCALE (1 super easy - 5 very difficult): 4 out of 5 

This is extremely difficult to do without making a mistake but I was able to get 1 out of 4 to work so at least there's a 25% chance of doing it correctly! The question is: is it worth it?

DIY Vanilla Extract

I love finding out I can make my own things, like brown sugar or laundry detergent. But when I saw this post by TidyMom on how to make your own vanilla extract, I was all in. Sure, I knew it would take a while, but it's totally worth it in the end. The smell alone is heavenly! So here's what you'll need:

1. Vanilla beans (available at your grocery store with the spices)
2. Vodka
3. A glass container to hold the vanilla
4. A sharp knife
5. Something to remind you once a week (app on your phone, perhaps?)
6. (optional) A funnel or measuring glass to help pour the vodka into the container



Start by cutting your beans in half (so I had two long beans and cut them in half to make four small beans)

Then using your knife, start 1/4" from one end and carefully slice the bean in half lengthwise.

Place the beans into your container (I just used the same container the beans originally came in), and pour in your vodka. The original post recommends 6-8 vanilla bean pieces (or 3 to 4 whole beans) with 8 ounces of vodka.

And now... the waiting game. Place your container in a dark, cool place (like the back of the pantry) and once a week, shake the container. How long do you have to do this? Well, 6 weeks is fine but if you wait 8 weeks, the flavor and color will be more intense. Here's what mine looked like week by week:

You can see the gradual change in color week by week, but you have to be patient (and you have to remember to shake it -- I had to set a reminder on my phone for the same day/time every week). Have fun making your own vanilla extract -- these would be great gifts come the holiday season!

TOTAL COSTS: About $18 (but I also bought a 750ml bottle!)

$5.99 for vanilla beans from Whole Foods

$11.99 for Smirnoff vodka from BevMo

TOTAL AMOUNT OF TIME: 6-8 weeks

You can start using the vanilla around the 6 week mark but I recommend waiting another two weeks so you can have a richer flavor!

EASY-PEASY SCALE (1 super easy - 5 very difficult): 1 out of 5

You're not doing much of anything, it's the vodka and vanilla that's doing all the work!