Homemade Marshmallows (and a winner!)

We have a winner! Our craft organizer goes to:

Nora!

Please email us at waywardgirlscrafts at gmail dot com with your address so we can send your prize!

Thanks to all who commented last week. Be sure to watch for more fun giveaways!

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I've been really interested in candy-making and confectionery since I was about 12. So when I got the idea of making homemade marshmallow Peeps, I was excited to make my own marshmallows for the first time. (Well, the first time on purpose. There was the one time my divinity didn't turn out. . . .)

The thing I found most surprising was how easy it was. I had my candy thermometer out, I was separating eggs, I was ready to scrub down my beaters between beating the egg white and the marshmallows—and I didn't need any of that. (This was largely because my stand mixer can't beat only one egg white, and no way was I doing that by hand! But also because I settled on using a marshmallow recipe that didn't call for a candy thermometer.)

First, pour half a cup of water into a large bowl—I recommend using the one you plan to mix the marshmallows in. Then sprinkle three packets of unflavored gelatin over the water. Allow the gelatin to "bloom" (what it's doing at right) for at least ten minutes. (I thought it might be a problem that I let mine go longer, but it wasn't at all!)

You can use some of this time to prepare a 9x13 pan for the marshmallows by greasing it and dusting it lightly with powdered sugar. (I used cooking spray to grease it.)

Now, in a saucepan, combine two cups of granulated sugar, two-thirds of a cup of corn syrup, and one-quarter cup of water. Bring to a full boil, stirring occasionally, and boil hard for one minute. Then pour the mixture over the bloomed gelatin, add one-quarter teaspoon of salt and one tablespoon of vanilla extract (okay, I forgot the vanilla, and stuck a vanilla bean in the storage container with the cut marshmallows), and whip it. If you have a whisk attachment, great! If not—regular beaters work great, too.

At three minutes of mixing:

Six minutes:

Nine minutes:

And done!

The consistency is a bit stiffer than marshmallow creme, and retains its shape better.

Spread into the prepared pan and allow to cool (I sprayed my spatula with cooking spray and that helped reduce the sticking).

I let mine cool over night, then sprinkled more powdered sugar on a work surface, and put some more in a bowl. Using kitchen shears, I cut the marshmallows into strips, then squares, and dredged them in the bowl of powdered sugar. I know I have some pictures of the cut marshmallows, but I can't find my camera. :( The marshmallows keep for a week (at least) in an airtight container.

I was worried these wouldn't be fluffy enough without the added "loft" of a beaten egg white, but the consistency was even lighter than a store-bought marshmallow. They were especially good dipped in chocolate!

What do you think? Are you ready to try making your own marshmallows?