Homemade Marshmallows
Homemade Marshmallows
ingredients
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 cup cold water, divided
3 1/4-ounce envelopes unflavored gelatin
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup potato starch (aka potato flour, easily found in with the baking supplies in most stores. Substitute corn starch if potato flour isn't available)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
method
Line 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan with foil. Coat foil lightly with nonstick spray.
(My notes: I've used both foil and parchment and found the parchment works better, but foil will work fine. I've also found that the 9x13 pan is too big and produces marshmallows that are too thin. An 8x11 pan works much better. If you only have a 9x13, only fill the pan 3/4 of the way in length and pull up the foil or parchment to cover the end of the marshmallow.)
Pour 1/2 cup cold water into bowl of heavy-duty mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Sprinkle gelatin over water. Let stand until gelatin softens and absorbs water, at least 15 minutes.
Combine sugar, corn syrup, salt, and remaining 1/2 cup cold water in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium low heat until sugar dissolves, brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush. Attach candy thermometer to side of pan. Increase heat and bring syrup to boil. Boil, without stirring, until syrup reaches 240°F, about 8 minutes.
With mixer running at low speed, slowly pour hot syrup into gelatin mixture in thin stream down side of bowl (avoid pouring syrup onto whisk, as it may splash). Gradually increase speed to high and beat until mixture is very thick and stiff, about 15 minutes. (My notes: The first time I made these I beat for 13 minutes and thought my poor Kitchen Aid was going to die under the strain. I was seriously worried. The second time I made them I stopped the beating when the mixture looked very thick and stiff enough, which was about 8 to 9 minutes and they were just fine). Add vanilla and beat to blend, about 30 seconds longer.
Scrape marshmallow mixture into prepared pan. Smooth top lightly with wet spatula to smooth (but don't press down as this will make the marshmallows dense). Let stand uncovered at room temperature until firm, about 4 hours.
Stir potato starch and powdered sugar in small bowl to blend. Sift generous dusting of starch-sugar mixture onto work surface, forming rectangle slightly larger than the pan. Turn marshmallow slab out onto starch-sugar mixture; peel off foil. Sift more starch-sugar mixture over marshmallow slab. Coat a pizza cutter or cookie cutter with sugar mixture. Cut marshmallows into strips, coat in powder then cut into individual squares or other shapes. Toss each in remaining starch-sugar mixture to coat. Transfer marshmallows to rack, shaking off excess mixture.
Store between layers of parchment paper in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
Variations to try:
Add food colouring to produce coloured marshmallows.
Add cocoa powder for chocolate marshmallows.
Add peppermint extract for peppermint marshmallows.
Coat with coconut or toasted coconut.
Dip in melted chocolate.
Replace 1 tsp. of the vanilla extract with the scrapings from 1 vanilla pod.
Adapted from an Epicurious recipe
http://www.fortysomething.ca/2008/11/homemade_marshmallows.php