Homemade Marshmallows

Have you had a homemade marshmallow? If not, you're totally missing out! Soft and fluffy, and full of flavor, they trump the store-bought kind any day. You'll never want to buy another bag of mallows after tasting the ones you'll make on your own.

21 grams (3 Packets) of Knox unflavored gelatin

1 cup cold water (separated)

1 cup corn syrup

2 cups granulated sugar

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Canola oil (for brushing utensils)

1 cup cornstarch (for dusting marshmallows)

1 cup powdered sugar (for dusting marshmallows)

Heavy bottomed saucepan

Candy Thermometer

Parchment paper

Watch the video tutorial video linked above!

Before you begin, you'll want to be sure to do all of your prep work. Once the marshmallows are ready, you won't have any time to fool around, so make sure to do the following steps first.

Mix 1 cup of cornstarch and 1 cup of powdered sugar together in a bowl and set aside. You'll be using this mixture to dust your mallows later so they don't get sticky.

Prepare your pan. I like to use a 9x9 pan. This will ensure your homemade marshmallows are tall and fluffy. You certainly can use any size pan you want or have, but the bigger the pan is, the smaller your marshmallows will be. Prepare the pan by brushing it with canola oil using a clean pastry brush. You can use any other kind of oil or cooking spray here, but you may unknowingly impart the flavor of that oil to your marshmallows. Using canola oil will ensure you aren't adding an unwanted flavor to the mallow. On top of your canola oil, line the pan with a jacket made of parchment paper, make sure the parchment overlaps your pan by a few inches on each side so that you can remove it easily later. Now brush the top of your parchment paper with more canola oil. Using a fine mesh strainer, or sifter, spread some of the cornstarch and powdered sugar mixture across the bottom of your prepared pan. Set pan aside.

To the bowl of a stand mixer fixed with the whisk attachment, pour 1/2 cup of cool water. Open the 3 packets of Knox unflavored gelatin and sprinkle gently over the water and let sit undisturbed to "bloom" the gelatin. The gelatin will become soft and pliable like silly putty.

Pour 1/2 cup of cool water into your saucepan. Taking care, gently pour your 2 cups of granulated sugar directly into the middle of the saucepan. You don't want to have any sugar clinging to the sides of the saucepan. Top the sugar with 1 cup of corn syrup. DO NOT STIR this mixture. Leave it undisturbed and place it on the burner of your stove and turn the dial on to medium heat. Allow the pan to sit undisturbed for several minutes as the water warms and begins to dissolve the sugar. Again - DO NOT STIR. We will not be stirring this mixture ever.

Once you notice the sugar is dissolved, turn the heat up to medium high and bring to a boil. Once the mixture is at a rolling boil, put a tight fitting lid on the mixture - this will allow condensation to build up on the lid, and fall down the sides of the saucepan, causing any sugar that is sticking to the pan to return to the mixture. Keep the lid on for 2 minutes, then remove.

At this time, attach a candy thermometer to the side of your saucepan. Make sure the tip of the thermometer isn't touching the bottom of the pan, or you will get an inaccurate reading. You don't want to leave the boiling mixture unattended at this time. Make sure to stand by and watch the temperature. We are looking for the temperature to reach "Soft Ball" stage, 240 degrees. If it goes much higher than that, you will reach "Hard Ball" stage, and your marshmallows will not be soft and spongy. Even further and you reach "Hard Crack" stage, and your solution will turn into a hard candy as it cools. Make sure to standy by and watch carefully. You might find that your solution will reach 200 or 225 and seem to stay at that temp for a while. This is because there is still water in the solution. We are waiting for that water to evaporate out. If you notice a fair amount of steam still coming out of the solution, that is why. Just be patient, soon the solution will climb and reach the 240 degree point quickly.

Once it has reached 240, allow it to simmer for only 30-40 seconds more. During this time, turn your stand mixer on "Stir" to gently break up the bloomed gelatin.Turn off the heat to the solution, and gently pour into the mixer over the gelatin while the stand mixer is on the "Stir" function. Try to make sure to drizzle the mixture directly onto the gelatin, avoiding pouring it down the inside of the mixer bowl.

Allow the solution to mix thoroughly for a minute or two on "stir," and then increase the speed to medium high. Keep the mixer at this speed for 2-3 minutes. You will start to notice the mixture starts to turn white and thicken. At this point you may add your 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and increase the speed to high. And allow the mixer to go for 10-12 minutes. If you place your hand on the bottom of the outside of the mixer bowl, you'll notice that the bowl is quite hot - too hot to keep your hand on it. We will be mixing the marshmallow mixture on high until the bowl has cooled down to where it is just warm.

After 10-12 minutes, you'll notice that the mixture has increased in volume, and become ribbon-like in consistency in the mixer bowl. At this time you may add your 2 tsp pure vanilla extract, and continue to mix for 1-2 minutes more. Check the bottom of your mixer bowl. If it is cooled down enough to hold your hand there, and it feels just warm - not hot - then it is ready to go.

While the mixer still mixes - grab your 9x9 pan, your powdered sugar and cornstarch mixture, and brush a rubber spatula with canola oil. Turn off the mixer, and working as quickly as possible, use the oiled spatula to pour the marshmallow mixture into your prepared pan. This is not a situation where you will be able to scrape the bowl clean. Once the mallow starts to cool it will set up very quickly and become sticky. Just make a few quick passes to get as much as you can out of the bowl and into your pan. Lightly oil your fingertips and use them to spread your marshmallow mixture to the edges and corners of the pan. Lightly pat down. Using a sifter or mesh strainer, dust the top of your marshmallows with the powdered sugar mixture.

Allow the marshmallows to cool and set for 4 hours, or overnight.

Prepare a work surface with some of the powdered sugar mixture. Turn out your marshmallow brick onto the sugar mixture and peel away the parchment paper. Using an oiled and sugared knife or bench scraper to prevent sticking - cut your marshmallows into the desired sizes. Take 2-3 mallows at a time, and toss them in the sugar and cornstarch mixture to coat all the cut sides, and prevent sticking. Place them in a fine mesh strainer, and tap them back and forth to remove all excess sugar powder.

That's it! You've made marshmallows! Now you can store them in an airtight container for up to a month, or package them in containers to give as gifts.

Dip the ends or the whole marshmallow in some tempered chocolate, and top with sprinkles to make an extra special treat.

Experiment with flavors and colors, at the point when you add the vanilla - feel free to experiment with any variety of flavor combinations, and food colorings. Try 1/2 vanilla and 1/2 almond extracts to create a birthday cake flavor. Add a couple drops of yellow or pink food coloring, and a handful of sprinkles. Presto! Birthday Cake Marshmallows. Tint them green and add peppermint extract for yummy mint mallows. The combinations and confections are endless!

To clean your spatula, mixing bowl and whisk, you will just need very hot water from your sink tap. It will be quite easy to clean. But the pot you boiled your solution in is another story. Fill the saucepan 1/2 way up with water, put the lid on and bring to a boil. Let the pot boil for about 10 Minutes, and then pour out the water. You will now be able to clean the pot and lid.

This recipe is the perfect addition to our Mexican Hot Chocolate Recipe, learn that here!

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