I was inspired to make homemade marshmallows this holiday season, to accompany a homemade cocoa mix. The Hot Cocoa Mix is an Alton Brown concoction to which I added some cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger (and left out the cornstarch and salt...mainly cause I was out of cornstarch). The result was a yummy warming rich cup of hot cocoa. Only made better with the these homemade marshmallows on top.
I saw Alton Brown do marshmallows on Good Eats a while back. So, when I got my December issue of Wondertime and one of their recipes was for marshmallows, I decided to give it a whirl. There end result is Macaroon Marshmallows, which I will try next time I make these. I went for the simple version, which were so much better than what you can buy in a bag. These are real treats.
The recipes are basically the same. Marshmallows are basically broken down to gelatin, water, sugar and corn syrup. The beauty of making your own is that you can use whatever flavorings you want...vanilla, mint, almond, etc. I went with vanilla this time around. Anyway, here's the basic recipe and the fun that goes along with it.
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Homemade Marshmallows
3 packages unflavored gelatin
1 cup cold water
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (or whatever flavoring you want)
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch (I used less than this because I had less than this...seemed to work fine)
Nonstick spray
Mix together the cornstarch and powdered sugar. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray and sprinkle enough of the cornstarch/sugar mixture to coat the pan.
Pour 1/2 cup of the water into the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, then sprinkle the gelatin over it and leave to soften for 5 minutes. It will get very strange looking, but don't worry.
In a small, heavy pot over medium heat, stir together the sugar, corn syrup, and remaining water until the sugar is mostly dissolved, about 3 minutes, then cook without stirring until the syrup reaches 240 on a candy thermometer, about 10 to 17 minutes. As the syrup cooks, use a brush dipped in cold water to wash down any sugar crystals on the side of the pot (so they don't burn — you won't need to do this if you're using a nonstick pan). And be patient: The syrup may take what seems like forever to climb the last 5 or 10 degrees.
Turn off heat and let the syrup settle for 1 minute (so it doesn't splatter), then pour it down the side of the mixing bowl and over the gelatin with the mixer on low. Once it's all in (after about 1 minute), turn the mixer to high and beat for 15 minutes. It will turn delightfully thick. Add extracts and beat another minute or so, then use a rubber spatula to scrape mixture into the prepared pan. (This part is not as easy as it sounds. I ended up wetting my fingers to try and get as much out of my mixing bowl as I could. )
Wet your fingers in cold water to pat down the top, then sprinkle on more of the cornstarch/sugar mixture and let set overnight at room temperature.
Run a sharp knife around the edge of the pan (this step wasn't necessary, but may be if your pan isn't coated enough) and invert onto a cutting board, then use the knife to cut the marshmallow first into 1-inch strips and then into 1-inch cubes. Coat cut sides in the remaining cornstarch/sugar mixture and store in airtight containers before packaging.
