Homemade Marshmallows
Servings: 0
Ingredients
- 3/4 oz packaged gelatin, unflavored (3 pouches)
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup water, divided
- 2 tbsp corn (or vegetable) oil don't use olive oil
- 1/2 - 1 cup confectioner's sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
Instructions
- Line a square pan (I used 8x8 inch) with plastic wrap and then grease it well with the oil. Set aside.
- In mixing bowl, sprinkle the gelatin (make sure it's not clumped together) into 1/2 cup of VERY cold water. Barely stir it just enough that all the gelatin is wet. Soak it for about 10-12 minutes.
- Combine the sugar, corn syrup and remaining 1/2 cup water in a saucepan and whisk only til just mixed. Don't overstir. Bring it to a strong, hard boil and then keep boiling until it is 240 degrees (or soft-ball stage), and then remove from heat. It's important to reach the proper temperature, so use a candy thermometer unless you've mastered identifying soft-ball stage.
- Next, you are going to pour this super hot mixture into the gelatin mixture. But be careful - I spilled this on my hand decades ago and it's quite an unforgettable experience! So, pour this in slowly and carefully. Whisk, increasing speed to high, for about 10-15 minutes. You can use a hand mixer (if you have a lot of patience) or a stand mixer. After the mixture is nice and fluffy but stiff, beat in the vanilla extract.
- Coat your hands and a spatula with vegetable oil. Pour the marshmallow mixture into your prepared pan and smooth with spatula. Place a piece of oiled plastic wrap over it and press down with your hands. Let set for at least four hours at room temperature.
- So here's the fun part. Cover a surface with confectioner's sugar combined with the cornstarch and flip the marshmallows onto the surface. Coat the entire block with the confectioner's sugar mixture. Next, coat a knife with the sugar/cornstarch combo and cut the marshmallows into pieces. Then coat the marshmallow pieces with the mixture. This will keep nicely in an airtight container or plastic bag for 2-3 weeks.
- Optional add-ins (add when you stir in the vanilla): For pink marshmallows, add a few drops of red food coloring. For chocolate marshmallows, add 1/4 cup cocoa powder. For peppermint, add 1-2 teaspoons of peppermint extract.