Marshmallow #2
The thing about marshmallow is that homemade is nothing like the store-bought Stay-Puff marshmallows. Homemade are more flavorful with a more pleasant consistency. You can also vary the flavor by adding different extracts and you can make custom colors as well. If you have a stand mixer, making marshmallows is easy as you can just let the mixer run on high speed for 15 minutes while you go do something else. Y'all with the hand mixers... Maybe line up some friends to help out? For a stand mixer you want to use the wire whisk attachment if you have one (you can use the blade but you won't get as much fluff according to comments on the 'net). I'm not sure on the hand mixer side if you could use wire whisks or not, I'd roll with the standard blades, the goo gets pretty thick. While I have a couple of recipes here, I encourage you to google this and see what else you come up with. Marshmallows are way fun to make and a great treat to give away.
This recipe yields a marshmallow that is lighter than Marshmallow #1, but oddly not as fluffy. The egg whites cause this marshmallow to dissolve gently as you eat it, not quite as chewy as M#1. This recipe is from the Times-Dispatch as well.
This recipe yields a marshmallow that is lighter than Marshmallow #1, but oddly not as fluffy. The egg whites cause this marshmallow to dissolve gently as you eat it, not quite as chewy as M#1. This recipe is from the Times-Dispatch as well.
Ingredients
Powdered Sugar for dusting - may also add or use cocoa powder for same.
1 C cold water (divided into two 1/2 C)
2 TBS + 2 1/2 tsp unflavored gelatin (about three an a half 1oz packets)
2 C sugar
1/2 C corn syrup (Karo)
1/4 tsp salt
2 large egg whites
1 TBS vanilla (or other flavoring, if using a flavored extract adjust quantity for strength of flavoring)
Food coloring if desired
Cooking utensils:
9x13 casserole dishSauce pan
Candy thermometer
Mixer (stand variety if available)
1 C cold water (divided into two 1/2 C)
2 TBS + 2 1/2 tsp unflavored gelatin (about three an a half 1oz packets)
2 C sugar
1/2 C corn syrup (Karo)
1/4 tsp salt
2 large egg whites
1 TBS vanilla (or other flavoring, if using a flavored extract adjust quantity for strength of flavoring)
Food coloring if desired
Cooking utensils:
9x13 casserole dishSauce pan
Candy thermometer
Mixer (stand variety if available)
Preparation
Grease the casserole dish then dust with sugar or cocoa, set aside
In the mixer bowl, add 1/2 C water and gelatin. Let soften, maybe about 10 min.
In a sauce pan combine sugar, syrup, 1/2 C water and salt. Place over low heat and stir until sugar to dissolves. Turn heat up to high and without stirring get sugar to boil and reach 240F. About 5-9 minutes.
Very carefully and slowly pour this mixture into the mixing bowl with mixer on a low speed until gelatin dissolves. This stuff is like kitchen napalm, whatever it touches is going to get burned and it's not a heat you can just flick off.
Once the two mixtures are combined and the stuff in the mixer bowl starts to look like fluff, you can up the speed of the mixer until it is at high. Somewhere around 10 minutes the fluff should stop increasing in volume and have tripled in size.
While beating the fluff, take two egg whites and beat until they just hold stiff peaks. Add the egg whites and the vanilla (I used a Penzy's Mexican Vanilla in one batch and that was a fine idea) to the end of the fluff mix cycle and let that mix in. Once that is mixed, you can take the fluff out and put it in your pan.
Scrape the fluff into the pan. There are a couple of ways to mush the fluff down if you don't like the way it looks. One way is to use a slightly oiled plastic wrap on the top of the fluff and smooth it by hand, or with slightly wet hands you may be able to do same. Either way, once you are done mucking about with it, sprinkle the top with additional powdered sugar. Leave this to 'cure' uncovered for a few hours. Overnight is good too.
Pull the fluff out of the pan and lay on a cutting board (powered, natch) and cut into desired shapes. Using a pizza wheel works well if you are making squares. Once cut, drop pieces into a bag with (you guessed it!) powdered sugar. Shake to cover the sticky exposed edges. You now have marshmallows. They go well with your morning Joe, are exceptional in hot chocolate, and are just plain good to eat. Haven't tried them on a S'more yet, but I bet that would be quite happenin'.
In the mixer bowl, add 1/2 C water and gelatin. Let soften, maybe about 10 min.
In a sauce pan combine sugar, syrup, 1/2 C water and salt. Place over low heat and stir until sugar to dissolves. Turn heat up to high and without stirring get sugar to boil and reach 240F. About 5-9 minutes.
Very carefully and slowly pour this mixture into the mixing bowl with mixer on a low speed until gelatin dissolves. This stuff is like kitchen napalm, whatever it touches is going to get burned and it's not a heat you can just flick off.
Once the two mixtures are combined and the stuff in the mixer bowl starts to look like fluff, you can up the speed of the mixer until it is at high. Somewhere around 10 minutes the fluff should stop increasing in volume and have tripled in size.
While beating the fluff, take two egg whites and beat until they just hold stiff peaks. Add the egg whites and the vanilla (I used a Penzy's Mexican Vanilla in one batch and that was a fine idea) to the end of the fluff mix cycle and let that mix in. Once that is mixed, you can take the fluff out and put it in your pan.
Scrape the fluff into the pan. There are a couple of ways to mush the fluff down if you don't like the way it looks. One way is to use a slightly oiled plastic wrap on the top of the fluff and smooth it by hand, or with slightly wet hands you may be able to do same. Either way, once you are done mucking about with it, sprinkle the top with additional powdered sugar. Leave this to 'cure' uncovered for a few hours. Overnight is good too.
Pull the fluff out of the pan and lay on a cutting board (powered, natch) and cut into desired shapes. Using a pizza wheel works well if you are making squares. Once cut, drop pieces into a bag with (you guessed it!) powdered sugar. Shake to cover the sticky exposed edges. You now have marshmallows. They go well with your morning Joe, are exceptional in hot chocolate, and are just plain good to eat. Haven't tried them on a S'more yet, but I bet that would be quite happenin'.