Your own delicious marshmallows!

This year at Christmas I've done very little holiday baking; I was busy, and only made a couple of different treats. This particular confection was easy, fun to make, and delightful...homemade marshmallows! I very well may never buy another bag of marshmallows again! I flavored these with vanilla bean paste, but you could use almond extract, or some cinnamon, or cocoa powder and chips to make a chocolate marshmallow.

This treat dates back to an actual marsh mallow plant, but today they are made by combining sugar, gelatin, flavoring, and heat, and beating them into a cloudy frenzy. On that subject, I used a kitchenaid mixer with a whisk attachment. You could use a hand mixer, but be prepared to stand and mix for 8-12 minutes or so.

I hope you enjoy these; they partially dissolve into a delicious pool after being added to hot cocoa, and are delicate and cloudy when eaten on their own. I would not attempt these without electric assistance.

Ingredients

3 packets of gelatin (I used knox gelatin)

1 cup of water

Powdered sugar

1 cup white corn syrp

1 cup white sugar

candy thermometer (mine wasn't working and checked it with an instant read thermometer, then carefully washed it)

1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla bean paste

Method:

1.) In a small bowl, empty the gelatin packets and a 1/2 cup of water. Mix lightly with a fork and set aside.

2.) In a saucepan, place 1/2 cup of water, 1 cup of white corn syrup, and 1 cup of white sugar. Heat until the mixture reads 240 on a thermometer (this may take a few minutes.) 

3.) Add the gelatin to the bowl of the mixer and set to the lowest setting. Drizzle in the sugar mixture slowly. Be careful with the sugar mixture as it is quite hot.

4.) Add some hot water from the tap to your saucepan so the sugar mixture doesn't harden too much. You'll want to wash the pan out as soon as you're able. Once the sugar mixture has been added to the gelatine, mix on high for 8-12 minutes until very sticky and white.

It will look like this when it's ready

5. While the sugar and gelatine are being whipped into a frenzy, dust a large baking dish with powdered sugar. This will prevent the marshmallow mixture from sticking too much to bottom of the pan.

6.) Once the mixture is amalgamated, add the vanilla bean paste and mix again. 

7.) Using a spatula, spread the marshmallow mixture onto the baking dish.

The mix is so satiny and cheerful at this stage!

8.) If you can help it, let the marshmallows rest for 6 hours (they rested for 3 the first time I made them, as they were too tempting.) Dust the finished marshmallows, slice and enjoy however you like!

I put a nice, big one in my hot cocoa!