For many, comfort food is an enormous tureen of soup, fragrant with spices and steaming. It's hearty dishes that are reminiscent of childhood or coming home to the smell of dinner wafting through the air from a simmering Crock-Pot. It's a toasty fire and a big blanket and more Netflix than you could possibly watch in one lifetime.

But for me, comfort is soft and sweet and squishy. Comfort is marshmallows.

This sounds weird, but hear me out. I adore marshmallows. As a little girl, my Mom would warn me about that one time when she ate an entire bag of marshmallows and regretted it. Big time. She claimed it was the sole reason she couldn't stomach even one as an adult. This sounded like crazy talk.

A whole bag of marshmallows to myself? Bring it.

My love affair for marshmallows waned a bit and then was revitalized when I discovered one very important thing. Homemade marshmallows.

Homemade marshmallows are as different from store bought as night is from day. They're soft, flavorful, and gloriously adaptable. I don't allow myself to make them often (see previous comments about eating an entire bag), but around the holidays I whip up a few batches for friends and family. And me. In truth, I make them for me.

They sit in my cup creating clouds of sweetness, infusing my coffee with the flavors of vanilla and a rich froth that creamer just can't duplicate.

When I pop a homemade marshmallow into my mouth, it becomes Christmas, and I'm curled up by the tree, enjoying a cup of something warm.

These homemade marshmallows are swirled with Nutella and espresso syrup, then dredged in confectioner's sugar and cornstarch to preserve their gooey goodness until you're ready to give them your full attention. You'll marvel at how easy marshmallows are to make and wonder why on earth you've waited this long to enjoy popping one into your coffee or tea. It's a mistake I'll help you rectify. Right now.

First assemble the ingredients. Pretty basic, right? You're making a syrup essentially, so the first step is boil that sugar.

Next you'll need to whip it. For longer than seems reasonable. No, really. Keep going. When you're done, it'll look something like this. Stiff, sticky peaks.

You'll need to swirl in the Nutella, and then the espresso syrup.

Hurry up- you don't want those marshmallows to solidify before you can can get the good stuff in.

To make the espresso syrup, you just need sugar, espresso, and a vanilla bean. Similar to how the marshmallows began, you'll want to boil first, ask for forgiveness later.

Swirl and let them firm up before serving.

Just a couple of hours of patience and you'll be rewarded with these little beauties for your cup.

Any way you cut them, they'll create clouds of sweetness in your coffee, laced with the nutty richness of Nutella and an extra punch of espresso.

I hope you enjoy this little piece of sweet comfort in the same way I do. Until next time, friends, keep your cup brimming with confection and you'll never be sorry.

Nutella Espresso Marshmallows

For the vanilla marshmallows (from Baking Bites):

75-oz unflavored gelatin (3 envelopes of Knox gelatin)

1/2 cup cold water

2 cups granulated sugar

2/3 cups light corn syrup

1/4 cup water

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 Tbsp. Nutella

For the espresso syrup:

1 cup strong brewed espresso

2 cups sugar

1 vanilla bean

Directions:

Prepare espresso syrup first. Boil espresso, vanilla bean and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat to low, simmer 10 more minutes. Let cool.

Line 9 x 9-inch pan with plastic wrap and lightly oil it. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water. Soak for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine sugar, corn syrup and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a rapid boil and boil hard for 1 minute.

Pour the boiling syrup into soaked gelatin and turn on the mixer, using the whisk attachment, to high speed. Add the salt and beat for 12 minutes. After 12 minutes, add in the vanilla extract beat to incorporate.

Scrape marshmallow into the prepared pan and spread evenly (Lightly greasing your hands and the spatula helps a lot here).

Using a butter knife, swirl with 2-3 Tbsp. espresso syrup and Nutella. Do this right away as the marshmallows will harden quickly.

Take another piece of lightly oiled plastic wrap and press lightly on top of the marshmallow, creating a seal. Let mixture sit for a few hours, or overnight, until cooled and firmly set.

In a shallow dish, combine equal parts cornstarch and confectioners’ sugar. Remove marshmallow from pan and cut into equal pieces with scissors (the best tool for the job) or a chef’s knife. Dredge each piece of marshmallow in confectioners’ sugar mixture.

Store in an airtight container.