Homemade Marshmallows

November 6, 2011

Homemade marshmallows are a wonderful treat. I love making these during the colder months and add them to my hot chocolate. You can substitute the vanilla extract for other extract like peppermint and lemon. Also, you can add food coloring to make it festive and fun. Once you have homemade marshmallows, it will be difficult to go back to the bagged ones.

Ingredients:

3 envelopes Knox gelatin

1/2 cup cold water

2 cups granulated sugar

2/3 cup corn (or cane sugar) syrup

1/4 cup water

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions:

In the bowl of an electric mixer, sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup of cold water. Soak for 10 minutes.

Combine sugar, syrup and 1/4 cup of water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil hard for exactly 1 minute.

Pour boiling syrup into bloomed gelatin and mix at high speed.

Add the salt and beat for exactly 12 minutes. Add the vanilla and incorporate into mixture.

Scrape into a 9x9-inch pan lined with oiled plastic wrap and spread evenly. (Note: lightly oil hands and spatula or bowl scraper.) After pouring mixture into the pan, take another piece of plastic wrap and press into pan.

Let mixture sit for a few hours (at least 2). Remove from pan and dredge the slab in confectioners' sugar and cut into 12-20 equal-sized pieces with scissors. Dredge each cut piece in confectioners' sugar.