When temperatures are rising and you want a sweet treat, take a trip to Phoenixville’s Bridge Street Chocolates, where Gail Warner has rolled out a brand-new line of gourmet marshmallows that are just right for the sultry days ahead. The silky sweets come in a variety of flavors—peanut butter, vanilla, bourbon cinnamon, coconut rum and coffee—and are drenched in chocolate for a rich, creamy, cocoa taste.
The marshmallows hit the scene in time for the 2015 Taste of Phoenixville, which showcases what’s new and amazing in the Phoenixville-area food world. For one of Gail’s favorite annual events, the shop created an espresso gourmet marshmallow, a first-ever endeavor meant to be a testing ground for summer offerings. Why espresso? According to Gail, “We picked espresso because we figured people were going to be eating and drinking, and how about an espresso marshmallow to energize them?”
It’s no surprise that the marshmallows were a huge hit, but they weren’t dipped in chocolate when they debuted at Taste of Phoenixville. After the event people started visiting the shop and raving about the marshmallows’ silky texture. “People started coming in and saying, ‘These are amazing, but you know what you should do now? Dip them in chocolate!’” Voilà: chocolate-covered marshmallows were born—and we’re already dreaming about upscale s’mores around the campfire with these sweet confections at the center.
Starting with a basic recipe and then making it light years better with organic ingredients (Gail is even experimenting with the possibility of using brown rice syrup) and just the right balance of timing, temperature and movement, all of the marshmallow varieties are available dipped in dark chocolate. Peanut butter and coconut rum are also offered in milk and dark chocolate, and you can even pre-order gourmet marshmallows for a special event and have any of the flavors coated in dark, milk or even white chocolate. In the summertime, the entire range of flavors will also be available without the chocolate. No need to worry about anything melting on your way home. These gourmet treats are, in Gail’s words, “summerproof!”
Ready for your taste? You can find Bridge Street’s bites of marshmallow heaven at the shop, at the Phoenixville Farmers’ Market and at the upcoming Brandywine Food & Wine Festival. You can also find their chocolates at Kimberton Whole Foods.
Following on the heels of a recent tasting at the King of Prussia Ruth’s Chris and a wine pairing event with Black Walnut Winery at the Phoenixville Hospital, in the near future Gail is planning on a repeat tasting at Ruth’s Chris in late summer/early fall and a tasting at Lancaster’s Square One Coffee (with Director of Training/Head of Quality Control and barista extraordinaire Hadassah Wilson). Stay tuned to Phoenixville Dish for more details on these events.
In the meantime, stop by the store and do a little Mother’s Day shopping. Bridge Street will be featuring not only the chocolate-covered marshmallows but also its wide selection of decadent truffles, including a new vanilla truffle, with lemon, grand orange and black raspberry, in addition to a new soy-free dark chocolate bar.
Find Bridge Street Chocolates at 158 Bridge St. in Phoenixville; phone: (610) 935-8100.
Photo credits: Michele Kornegay
