Monday, December 24, 2018

Homemade Marshmallows {2018 update}

Posted by Erin Wilburn / no comments » / candy, christmas, dessert

I’ve been making homemade marshmallows for years. 10 years to be exact. (Does this mean I’m old?)  I actually have multiple recipes for them on this blog already. But none are exactly the recipe or method I use now. I figured now is as good a time as any to post my revised method. I made these for the Seasoned Sunday event, and let me tell you… they FLEW off the plate and were roasted & enjoyed in a matter of minutes! Paired with Homemade Graham Crackers and some amazing local chocolate from Olive & Sinclair these made for the best s’mores I’ve ever had in my life!

The revision is really quite simple. I mostly just use Alton Brown’s marshmallow recipe, but I learned a trick from Martha Stewart’s recipe that makes “processing” them (that’s what I call cutting & “fluffing” them, ha) easier.

TIP: I absolutely ADORE my Thermoworks Chef Alarm when making these. There’s never any guessing about when the sugar mixture reaches the right temp, as I set an alarm for 240 degrees and it beeps when it’s there! If you’re looking to spend a little less but still have a quality product, consider the Thermoworks Dot.

Those are affiliate links, which means I get a little kickback if you’re interested in the product as well. I’ve been a longtime user & lover of Thermoworks brand!

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Erin's Homemade Marshmallows

Prep Time: 35 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 4 hour 45 minutes (4 hours inactive time)

These make the most amazing s'mores you've ever had in your life, and will also up the ante in your hot chocolate. TIP: If you think you want to use peppermint for a fun seasonal twist, do NOT use a full teaspoon. 1/4-1/2 teaspoon is all you need, anything more is incredibly overpowering.

Ingredients:

3 packages unflavored gelatin
1 cup ice cold water, divided
12 ounces granulated sugar, approximately 1 1/2 cups
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch

Directions:

Place the gelatin into the bowl of a stand mixer along with 1/2 cup of the water. Have the whisk attachment standing by.

In a small saucepan combine the remaining 1/2 cup water, granulated sugar, corn syrup and salt. Place over medium high heat, cover and allow to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover, clip a candy thermometer onto the side of the pan and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Once the mixture reaches this temperature, immediately remove from the heat.

Turn the mixer on low speed and, while running, slowly pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl into the gelatin mixture. Once you have added all of the syrup, increase the speed to high. Continue to whip until the mixture becomes very thick and is lukewarm, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. Add the vanilla during the last minute of whipping. While the mixture is whipping prepare the pan.

For fewer but thicker marshmallows use a 9x9 pan, for marshmallows of average thickness, use a 9x13 pan (what I used in the marshmallows pictured here). Line bottom of pan with plastic wrap or parchment leaving long ends for "handles", and spray with nonstick spray. When marshmallows are done whipping, pour into the pan. Spray a strip of plastic wrap with nonstick spray and lay it onto the marshmallows, sprayed side down. Press into the marshmallow mixture to flatten. Allow the marshmallows to sit for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

When it is time to cut the marshmallows, in a small to medium bowl add the confectioners' sugar & cornstarch and stir lightly to combine. (Some recipes call for just confectioners' sugar, but I prefer to use a mixture, as I have found when using just confectioners' sugar the coating is too sweet and distracting.) Using the parchment or plastic wrap overhang, lift the marshmallows out of the pan and set onto the cutting board. Peel off the top layer of plastic wrap. I like to use a circular pizza cutter to cut my marshmallows, but have also used kitchen shears. Whichever tool you use, grease lightly with kitchen spray, and cut into 1-1.5 inch squares. I like to do 1 line at a time. Pick up each marshmallow and toss it into the bowl to coat. Tap, tap, tap/pat, pat, pat to get excess off, and place into an airtight container. Marshmallows will keep for up to 3 weeks.

recipe & methods slightly adapted from Alton Brown & Martha Stewart