Homemade Marshmallows

IslandGirl's Note:

Forget the nasty grocery store marshmallows. These are wonderful, kids like to help make them, and they are made of real items in your kitchen. Prep time includes sitting overnight. I found this recipe in "Barefoot Contessa, Family Style"

• Total Time: 11 hrs 15 mins
• Prep Time: 11 hrs
• Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 32 marshma ...

• 3 (¼ ounce) packages unflavored gelatin
• 1 ½ cups white sugar
• ½ cup cold water
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup water
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• confectioners' sugar , for dusting

Directions:

1. Combine the gelatin and 1/2 cup of cold water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and allow to sit while you make the syrup.
2. Combine the sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 1/2 cup water in a small pan and cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.
3. Raise the heat to high and cook until the syrup reaches 240 degrees on a candy thermometer.
4. Remove from heat.
5. With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the sugar syrup into the dissolved gelatin.
6. Put the mixer on high speed and whip until the mixture is very thick, about 15 minutes.
7. Add the vanilla and mix thoroughly.
8. With a sieve, generously dust an 8 X 12 inch non-metal baking dish with confectioners' sugar.
9. Pour the marshmallow mix into the pan, smooth the top, and dust with more confectioners' sugar.
10. Allow to stand uncovered overnight until it dries out.
11. Turn the marshmallows onto a board and cut them into squares.
12. Dust them with more confectioners' sugar.

Reviews

[booh75]

This recipe is fantastick! I am allergic to corn and corn oils and syrups so I subsituted the corn syrup with Light Agave Nectar and it was WONDERFUL! I am making them again and will decorate them for Halloween for my students!

[Doods]

OOOOH, these are so good. I followed the recipe exactly and they are wonderful. I did spray my 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray and then sifted confectioners sugar onto the sides and the bottom. If you have trouble spreading them out, spray your spatula with cooking spray and the dust it with confectioners sugar. The variations are limitless with this recipe. Peppermint extract, toasted coconut, dipping them in chocolate and caramel, etc.....................

[Kay Demonbren]

Absolutely fabulous! I found this recipe in the King Arthur catalog, and knew I just had to try it. My very first batch came out just perfect. I used a 9x13 pan and got 40 marshmallows. The only downside to these- once you eat them, you will never want to settle for the supermarket variety ever again. I had to hide some of them to conduct and aging test. The first two days (sealed in a metal tin lined with parchment paper), they remained very fresh tasting, retaining the softness. After the 4th day, they started to resemble the supermarket variety in texture, but they were still much better in flavor. I passed them around at the various offices at my work (used those people as guinea pigs I did), and had a few people come to the next day asking if I still had any left. I also had to pass out several copies of the recipe. Most people didn't even realize you could make homemade marshmallows. No one believed me when I told them how simple it was. I will most definitely be making these again; in fact I'm making another batch tomorrow for my husband to take to work.