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Homemade marshmallows are definitely one of my favorite candies. Unlike store-bought marshmallows, they are like little clouds of sweetness that are soft, tender and melt in your mouth. They are easy to eat, go perfectly with coffee, flavored coffee drinks and hot chocolate, and are ideal for making s'mores. They are also surprisingly easy to make, and very impressive when you bring them out to serve to friends or family. The only real drawback is that you really need a stand mixer to make them, as it allows you to keep your hands free while you're working and has a very large whisk (as opposed to the beaters of a hand-held mixer) that does the job quickly and efficiently.
I really recommend using vanilla bean paste or vanilla bean crush instead of plain vanilla extract because the tiny bean specks really look fantastic in the finished candy. Read on for the recipe, which I have made and enjoyed countless times:
Homemade Marshmallows
.75-oz unflavored gelatin (3 envelopes of Knox gelatin)
1/2 cup cold water
2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cups light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Line 9 x 9-inch pan with plastic wrap and lightly oil it. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water. Soak for about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine sugar, corn syrup and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a rapid boil and boil hard for 1 minute.
Pour the boiling syrup into soaked gelatin and turn on the mixer, using the whisk attachment, to high speed. Add the salt and beat for 12 minutes. After 12 minutes, add in the vanilla extract beat to incorporate.
Scrape marshmallow into the prepared pan and spread evenly (Lightly greasing your hands and the spatula helps a lot here). Take another piece of lightly oiled plastic wrap and press lightly on top of the marshmallow, creating a seal. Let mixture sit for a few hours, or overnight, until cooled and firmly set.
In a shallow dish, combine equal parts cornstarch and confectioners' sugar. Remove marshmallow from pan and cut into equal pieces with scissors (the best tool for the job) or a chef's knife. Dredge each piece of marshmallow in confectioners' sugar mixture.
Store in an airtight container.
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10-24-2006 @11:00AM Mad William Flint said... This recipe looks very similar to one I've been using as well, adapted from the book "Better Than Store Bought" which I cannot recommend highly enough. (make your own ricotta? awesome.) There are things in there that I've found in no other cookbook ever. It's out of print but definitely go find a copy, you'll be very glad you did.
(isbn:0060912871) There are usually a couple hundred copies around from Amazon resellers.
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10-24-2006 @11:18AM B said... Anyone know how to adapt this recipe for sugar substitutes? What can I use instead of corn syrup that won't mess up the whole recipe?
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10-24-2006 @11:17AM Miranda said... Martha Stewart cuts hers out with snowflake cutters. So pretty! I have no idea how, though, as I find the mallow sticks in all the cutter corners.
Loran Oils (available from the Baker's Catalog) makes a butterscotch flavoring that makes killer marshmallows. They're the best thing ever in hot chocolate.
Thanks for the book rec, Mad Will.
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10-24-2006 @11:24AM laughingrat said... This sounds delicious. Is there a vegetarian version that works well, does anyone know? I ask because a vegetarian friend of mine tried to adapt similar recipes to use with vegetarian gelatin products and couldn't get her marshmallows to set up properly!
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10-24-2006 @1:11PM Laura said... I've seen this done on Barefoot Contessa a year or so ago, and have been wanting to try it for myself.
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10-24-2006 @12:39PM cappy said... My wife just made me some homemade marshmallows over the weekend. Nothing can compare. She added a little mint to go with hot chocolate.
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10-24-2006 @1:13PM Nicole Weston said... "Vegetarian gelatin" will not work. In fact, a type of supposedly vegan marshmallows were recalled because they actually used regular gelatin to make them work. Unfortunately, they are one of those products that needs the gelatin to set up properly.
I believe you can find vegan marshmallow fluff, though.
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10-24-2006 @2:41PM laughingrat said... Hi Nicole, thank you, I was afraid of that. Oh well!
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10-24-2006 @3:17PM L said... I bet Martha makes them not stick by spraying the cutter with a little bit of cooking spray? ie, PAM? or maybe it's just Martha Magic!
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10-24-2006 @3:18PM Nicole Weston said... There are two things that make Martha's cutouts work: (1) spraying the cutters with nonstick spray or oil and (2) making the marshmallows really thin.
This last one is particularly important, since as you press down with the cutter, the soft marshmallow will distort and the shape won't be clean. If the 'mallow is thin, cutting takes less time and the shape will not be distorted. If you want to try shapes, I suggest cooling the marshmallow in a jelly-roll type of pan.
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11-03-2006 @8:59PM LE said... How long will they last in an airtight container? I'm thinking of Christmas presents.
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11-04-2006 @9:29AM Nicole Weston said... They will keep for several weeks in an airtight container, though they probably won't last that long without gettin eaten. I often send them out as christmas presents. It's even better if you include some homemade graham crackers and chocolate!
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12-08-2006 @11:24PM Lindsey Mark said... I just killed my 200watt handmixer making a spin off these using peppermint, and I'm looking to buy a standmixer with about $150-200 dollars. What I want to know is what I should look for in a quality one. Obviously I'm looking for more than 200watts and a wisk attachment. Are there any quality brands that are durable enough for the job?
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12-10-2006 @4:15PM James said... My KitchenAid 300 watt stand mixer had no problem making this batch of marshmallows, which came out great by the way.
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12-12-2006 @2:05PM Lindsey Mark said... I just killed my 200watt handmixer making a spin off these using peppermint, and I'm looking to buy a standmixer with about $150-200 dollars. What I want to know is what I should look for in a quality one. Obviously I'm looking for more than 200watts and a wisk attachment. Are there any quality brands that are durable enough for the job?
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12-16-2006 @1:31AM judy said... just made a batch of marshmallows - they are very good and I will make another - I cut them with sissors next time I wiuld like to try cookie cutters
I was wondering how long they woulk keep i put them in a plastic zip lock bag.
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12-21-2006 @1:30PM Connie said... Are these affected by humidity? Meaning do they turn out better if made in a lower humidity environment?
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12-22-2006 @2:12PM Steve said... I put together three varieties of these for gift-giving: vanilla, peppermint, and almond. I crushed up some candy canes to go with the dusting on the peppermint ones, and roasted and ground up some sliced almonds to go in the coating of the almond ones. The candy cane bits eventually got damp enough from the 'mallows that they were no longer crunchy, but they melted into nice little pink spots. The almonds weren't so noticeable in the end.
Knives work very well for cutting these, so long as you run an oiled paper towel over them between slices.
My thoughts for the next time: do a coating of ground almonds first, then drop them in the sugar/cornstarch mix to have a more noticeable almond texture and flavor.
All in all, a very popular recipe with my friends!
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12-24-2006 @8:19PM Page said... I add some green food coloring & a little peppermint flavoring and give as holiday gifts. Dust with a little cornstarch and they keep for a couple of months in jars. Awesome in hot chocolate.
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12-24-2006 @11:45PM Mark Morrison said... I have a website for sugar - free Marshmallows and Marshmallow Creme.
http://www.lowcarbluxury.com/recipes/recipe-dessertmisc04.html
Merry Christmas
Mark
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