Today, we tried our hands at homemade marshmallows…it worked! You really should make them this summer, as their flavor and texture is completely and totally different from packaged marshmallows. The recipe I used is from Adrianna Adarme’s A Year of Cozy, a book I use every month to dream and make plans of new things to do. She has a beautiful blog called The Cozy Kitchen, and it’s really inspiring as well! Anyway, on to the marshmallow mess.
Start by sifting together 1/2 c. powdered sugar and 1/2 c. cornstarch. Grease a 9×9 pan and shake a few spoonfuls of the powdered sugar/cornstarch mixture to coat. (Her recipe is one of the few that I’ve seen that uses a mixture of powdered sugar and cornstarch to coat the pan and sprinkle over the top. I think this really helped the marshmallows from being too sticky to work with, and also gave them that familiar silky texture.)
Pour 1/2 c. warm water into the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle 2 packets of plain gelatin over the water. Let stand for 10 minutes.
In the meantime, cook 1 1/2 c. sugar, 1 c. corn syrup, 1/2 t. salt, and 1/4 c. water over medium heat with a candy thermometer in the pan. After the sugar is dissolved, turn the heat up to medium-high and allow mixture to come to a boil.
Cook until mixture reaches 240 degrees. After the mixture reaches this temperature, pour carefully into the mixer bowl and turn it on to low. As it begins to incorporate, turn the mixer to high and allow to mix for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the mixture is fluffy and white…note the progression in the photos below. I had no idea what to expect, so I took the pictures so you would 😉
Once the mixture looks like marshmallow cream, add two teaspoons of vanilla and beat for an additional minute.
Using a rubber spatula, scrape the mixture into the prepared pan.
Try to smooth the top the best you can, but as long as you work quickly, it should smooth out on its own.
Sprinkle the top of the marshmallows with more of the powdered sugar/cornstarch mixture, cover, and allow to set 4 hours to overnight.
When set, cut and roll in the remaining powdered sugar/cornstarch mixture and serve.
I will warn you, these definitely seem messier than packaged marshmallows, but they are glorious melted in a s’more.
Regardless, they made for a fun evening around the fire pit…but maybe next time, I should try to roast them on something other than bamboo skewers. That was a challenge.
Enjoy your summer!
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