Krembo is a treat that’s popular in Israel during winter. It consists of a plain cookie that’s topped with a soft marshmallow cream that’s dipped in chocolate. The treat was originated in Denmark in the 19th century.
Although I encourage you to find an Israeli supermarket and buy the commercial version, this homemade one is over-the-top fancy and you can get creative with its flavors and colors.
It is recommended to have a kitchen scale to measure the ingredients accurately.
You are going to have leftovers of the chocolate, but it’s necessary to use the large quantity so you can deep the Krembo inside.
Israeli Krembo: chocolate coated marshmallow treat
Course: Cakes and cookies, DessertsCuisine: IsraeliDifficulty: advanced20
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minutesKrembo is a treat that’s popular in Israel during winter. It consists of a plain cookie that’s topped with a soft marshmallow cream that’s dipped in chocolate. The treat was originated in Denmark in the 19th century.
To make the preparation much easier, use store-bought cookies instead of making them yourself. Make sure the cookies are thin and crumbly and about 2-2½ inch round.
I used natural food coloring powders from Suncore Foods
INGREDIENTS
- For the butter cookies
12 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
½ cup white granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- For the marshmallow cream
5 oz egg whites (about 5 large egg whites)
6½ oz. sugar (1 cup minus 1 tablespoons)
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Optional flavors: 1 teaspoon instant coffee OR 1 tablespoon cocoa powder OR zest of 1 lemon or 1 orange
Optional: food coloring (see note above)
7 oz. white chocolate chips (or any chocolate chips)
1½ tablespoon mild olive oil or vegetable oil
For decoration: 2 tablespoons crushed honey peanuts; candied pecans; sprinkles
DIRECTIONS
- Make the cookies
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter, sugar and salt together on medium speed for 2 minutes.
- Add egg yolks and vanilla extract, and mix on medium speed just until incorporated. Reduce speed to low, add the flour in and mix just until the dough starts to clump together. Scape the sides of the bowl as needed. Use your hands to shape the dough into a ball.
- Lightly flour the counter and put the dough on top. Lightly sprinkle the dough and a rolling pin with flour. Roll dough to ¼ inch thick.
- Use 2¼ inch round cookie cutters to cut the cookies. Use a spatula to transfer the cookies onto the baking sheet, spaced apart.
- Bake cookies for 12 to 15 minutes, until they’re just golden. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Make the marshmallow cream
- Put a saucepan with ½ inch water in it on medium heat and bring to boil.
- Put egg whites and sugar in a bowl of a stand mixer and place the bowl on the saucepan (make sure the bowl does not touch the water.) Use a hand balloon whisk to mix until sugar has melted.
- Transfer bowl to a stand mixer with balloon whisk attachment and whisk on high speed for about 5 minutes for very stiff peaks. Add salt, vanilla extract and lemon juice (If you’re adding any flavoring, such as instant coffee or cocoa powder, or food colors, do it now too) and whisk for another 10 seconds.
- Assemble the krembo
- Use a large piping bag with large round tip (about ½ inch wide) and fill it half way with the whipped marshmallow.
- Arrange 20 cookies on a tray that can fit in your freezer (you can also do it in smaller trays of 10 cookies each.) Pipe marshmallow cream on the center of each cookie, letting it spread to the side, then pipe two more layers to create the cone shape.
- Put krembo in the freezer for 20 minutes.
- Melt chocolate and oil in a cup wide and deep enough to dip Crembo in. Do it in 20 second intervals in the microwave (or in a bowl over Bain Marie, then transfer to the cup.)
- Take krembo out of freezer, make sure the marshmallow cream is hard to the touch, and deep each crembo in chocolate, as in the photo. Sprinkle with the decoration of your choice.
- Serve immediately or keep in the freezer in a sealed container and take out of the freezer 10 minutes before serving.
