Homemade Marshmallows Step-by-Step: A New Winter Tradition!

Nothing says wintertime quite like a warm oversized mug of hot chocolate topped with… you guessed it MARSHMALLOWS. It is one of those simple pleasures that hugs you from the inside and reminds you of great winters past. And though I have worked with gelatin I have never given much thought tothe marshmallows My focus has always been on the chocolatey goodness of the cocoa. Did I acknowledge them? Absolutely, I knew marshmallows were an intrical part of the hot chocolate experience. But, for whatever reason, I was convinced that I never needed to make them myself. In fact, I was quite happy with the store bought variation. This winter things changed. In an effort to instill more winter traditions, I ran across the concept of homemade marshmallows and decided to include them in my Christmas Eve Gift Baskets.

They were a HUGE success! Not only was the process surprisingly easy and fun but it was also quite rewarding. I never thought about making marshmallows at home before but I know I earned a few Home Chef points by doing so because I learned a new process! And let me tell you Homemade Marshmallows and Store bought marshmallows are not the same! There is an unmistakable flavor and composition in the homemade masterpieces that melts in your mouth and permeates your tastebuds with no after taste. This sweet indulgence is something that their store bought counterparts just can not compete with. You will immediately taste the difference. The absence of chemicals and preservatives is apparent but oddly enough, it is one of those things that you never knew was so highly processed until you encountered a situation in which it was not. I had no idea what I was missing. I don’t ever want to buy marshmallows or marshmallow fluff again! And with a great recipe yield, and low product cost. It would be easy to keep them on hand all winter long. Now that I have this simple process in my repertoire I can’t wait until S’more Season! Check out the step by step tutorial below. Have Fun! :)

You Will Need:

• 1 cup Water, divided

• 1 ½ cups Granulated Sugar

• 3 envelopes unflavored Gelatin

• 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract

• Powdered Sugar, for coating

• 1 cup Light Corn Syrup

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 1 Candy Thermometer

1. Line a 8 x 12 dish with aluminum foil, oil and dust with powdered sugar.

1. Combine Gelatin and ½ cup of cold water in a large mixing bowl and let stand while you continue. It will harden. No worries.

1. Combine sugar, corn syrup, salt, and ½ cup water in a medium saucepan. Cook on medium high heat until sugar is completely dissolved. Then turn up the heat to high and cook until the syrup reaches 240 Degrees F on your candy thermometer and remove from heat.

1. Using whisk attachment on a standing or hand mixer pour the syrup into the gelatin while mixing on low speed. Once incorporated, turn up to high and whip the mixture until it looks like marshmallow cream. This will be close to 15 mins if using a standing mixture and closer to 20 mins with a hand mixer. Pour in Vanilla Extract before it gets too thick for even distribution.

1. Pour the batter into your oiled and sugared baking dish. Smooth out the top. Dust the top with powdered sugar. Allow to rest and dry uncovered at room temperature overnight.

1. Prepare the surface by dusting with powdered sugar. Remove the marshmallow from the pan and cut into squares. Dip the sticky sides of the marshmallows in powdered sugar. You can eat them from here or store uncovered at room temperature for 6-12 hours for further drying. Transfer to an airtight container for storage.

If you are making this with little ones break out the cookie cutters for marshmallow shapes. You will have a blast creating all types of fun shapes! Enjoy!