Make Marshmallows Into Adorable 'Mushrooms' With A 5-Second Pan Trick

We're suckers for fun food trends. From turning cottage cheese into high protein wraps to making salads out of an entire thinly sliced cucumber, we've tried them all with great enthusiasm. The next big culinary activity we've spotted on the horizon? Turning large marshmallows into adorable mushrooms with nothing but a hot non-stick pan and five seconds of time.

To get started, stand one of the circular ends of your marshmallow up on a medium-hot skillet, hold on to the other end, and push down with slight pressure. As you press, the marshmallow will begin to caramelize and soften, causing its edges to almost curl up to create a mushroom cap shape. Once you've created that dome, which should only take a few seconds, remove your marshmallow, flip it the right way up and you'll have made the cutest "mushmallow" (or "marshroom") that has three textural layers: A golden crust, a squidgy middle, and a spongey base.

Bear in mind that you'll need to use jumbo marshmallows for this trick because they have a large circumference, which will create that characteristic toadstool-like shape when their surface hits the hot pan (so save the mini marshmallows for your hot chocolate). Plus, their longer length will allow you to safely press down on one end without getting your fingers burnt. Alternatively, you can use a pair of kitchen tongs instead of your hands. Whatever you do, clasp your mallow gently to avoid damaging its soft exterior.

This trick works because the heat from the pan simultaneously caramelizes the sugars and melts the gelatin in the marshmallows, causing its surface to color and its interior to turn gooey as its defined structure relaxes. As you press down, the force from your fingers pushes the melting mallow up and out. Just be mindful that your skillet doesn't get too hot or it could burn, become bitter, and stick to the base (a little trial and error is expected here). If you have a stainless steel pan, consider laying a piece of greaseproof paper over it and placing your marshmallow directly on top to prevent it from adhering to the surface.

When you've mastered making simple "mushmallows," try branching out by stuffing your mallow with chocolate. Simply make a small slit on one end and slide your chocolate inside to create a chocolatey shroom perfect for serving at children's parties. However, you could also dip the caps of your mushrooms directly into a bowl of melted chocolate and decorate them with sprinkles, or better yet, dunk them in red-colored candy melts and dot them with blobs of white sugar paste to make edible fairytale-like mushrooms. We recommend bunching these enchanting shrooms up in groups of three or more to create the ultimate batched look. And if you can't find jumbo mallows, why not make your own batch of homemade marshmallows and cut them to size?