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Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Homemade Marshmallows

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Marshmallows have always been one of my very favorite things. So much so that my great-grandma used to buy me the fruity colored marshmallows as a birthday gift. Barbie? Polly Pocket? No thanks, I'll take fruity marshmallows!

This obsession has continued into my adulthood and I love to incorporate marshmallows into baked goods. On this blog you'll find two kinds of brownies with marshmallows, golden grahams s'mores bars, lucky charms treats, s'mores bars, even a giant s'mores cake! It's no surprise, then, that I was chomping at the bit to make my own marshmallows for scratch! I mentioned this desire to my brother-in-law's girlfriend Erin and she was up for tackling the challenge with me.

On a chilly Saturday, we rolled up our sleeves, tied on our aprons, and got to work. To be honest, both of us were expecting a rather difficult project that resulted in a giant mess. An hour later, we both took seats at my kitchen table feeling triumphant. Our aprons were still clean, we had a fresh batch of marshmallows chilling in the fridge, and we had no doubt we had successfully created marshmallows.

We distracted ourselves for a few hours until it was finally time to remove the 'mallows from the fridge. They cut perfectly! We rolled the springy cubes around in powdered sugar, pausing every few minutes to pop another one in our mouths. There's no doubt that homemade marshmallows are exponentially better than the store-bought version. Don't get me wrong--there isn't always time to whip up a batch of these. But if you have the time, they are worth it! Plus, how fun is it to say you made marshmallows from scratch?!

Erin and I finished the evening with steaming mugs of hot chocolate, topped with our homemade marshmallows which melted into a delightful layer of foam. As we sipped our drinks, we discussed future marshmallow plans...almond-flavored, coconut-flavored, colored...there was even talk of homemade Peeps! ;) Erin, thank you so much for embarking on this endeavor with me. I can't wait to conquer something else in the kitchen with you!

One Year Ago: Snobby Joes (Lentil Sloppy Joes)


Homemade Marshmallows
from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:
-approximately 1 cup confectioners' sugar
3 1/2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
-1 cup cold water, divided
-2 cups granulated sugar
-1/2 cup light corn syrup
-1/4 tsp salt
-2 large egg whites
-1 tbsp vanilla (we used the beans from 1 vanilla bean + 1 tsp vanilla)

Directions:
1. Oil the bottom and sides of a 9x13 metal baking pat before dusting with confectioners' sugar.
2. Using the bowl of an electric stand mixer, sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup of cold water and let it stand to soften.
3. In a (3-quart) saucepan, mix sugar corn syrup, 1/2 cup cold water, and salt over low heat. Stir with a wooden spoon until sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to moderate and bring mixture to a boil. DO NOT STIR. Once mixture has reached 240F on a candy thermometer (approximately 12 minutes), remove pan from heat and pour over gelatin mixture stirring to dissolve gelatin.
4. Using an electric mixer, beat mixture until it is white, thick, and tripled in volume (this will take several minutes).
5. In a separate mixing bowl, beat egg whites until they hold stiff peaks. Beak whites and vanilla into the sugar mixture, just until combined. Pour mixture into the prepared pan and sift 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar over the top. Chill pan, uncovered, until firm (at least 3 hours, or up to one day).
6. Remove from fridge and run a thin knife around the edges of the pan. Invert pan onto a large cutting and pull at one corner of the marshmallow to ease it out of the pan. Using a large knife or an oiled pizza cutter, cut marshmallow into one-inch cubes. Toss each marshmallow into a bowl with confectioners' sugar, rolling to cover all sides. Place marshmallows into an airtight container to store (will keep at room temperature for one week).