Home Made Marshmallows

[Oregon Blues]

Well, what do you know. It works. Home made marshmallows turn out perfect and nicer than store bought because they are fresh and fluffier.

My family doesn't eat marshmallows, so it was fate bringing a few odds and ends together. I just paid $3.50 for 7 ounces of marshmallow fluff to make fudge. I mean really? Over $7 a pound for sugar with a bit of gelatin? So I looked up recipes to see if I could make marshmallow at home. Then, right about the same time, I made mayonnaise and had 2 leftover egg whites. Hey! 2 eggs whites is what the recipe for marshmallow calls for.

I would say that the heavy weight stand mixer is a must. The recipe says you can beat the marshmallow by hand, but the Kitchen Aide motor was working by the end. Also an absolute must is a candy thermometer.

Since my family doesn't eat marshmallows, I plan on dipping them into semi sweet chocolate and rolling them in chopped walnuts to make something like Rocky Road.

There are a ton of recipes for marshmallow on the web. Directions aren't difficult, but too long for me to type it all out.

 

[Carolyn]

I read your post thinking you might need a recipe & to tell you Paula Deen made them last year on a tv show. Didn't plan to make any but after you explained your rational.....hmmm....mayo and marshmallows from the same two eggs....now that's a thought; besides my DH gifted me with a mixer Christmas past.

 

[Oregon Blues]

I cut the marshmallow into pieces and dipped them into melted semi sweet chocolate. Then I rolled them in finely chopped walnuts. Yum, delicious. And very pretty. Suitable for gift-giving. Home made candy makes great gifts and is always well received.

Next time, I think I will dip them in milk chocolate, or maybe some in milk chocolate and some in semi sweet to get two different
colors.

I weighed out 7 ounces to set aside and I am going to try using that when I make fudge tomorrow. I tested some to make sure they melt OK, and they do.

I'm am thinking about how to inject them with a small dab of raspberry jam and then dip in white chocolate.

 

[Oregon Blues]

Or make them with a bit of mint extract instead of vanilla and then cover them in chocolate and roll in minced pistachios.

So many possibilities.

 

[Nicola]

you know you have to post the recipe now don't you?

 

[gryeyes]

Quote:
Yah, how hard is it to copy & paste, huh?!?!?!

C'mon, OregonBlues! Puh-leeeeze???

 

[Oregon Blues]

Springy, Fluffy Marshmallows
Adapted from Gourmet, December 1998


Makes about 96 1-inch cubed marshmallows

About 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
3 1/2 envelopes (2 tablespoons plus 2 1/2 teaspoons) unflavored gelatin
1 cup cold water, divided
2 cups granulated sugar (cane sugar worked just fine)
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large egg whites or reconstituted powdered egg whites
1 tablespoon vanilla (alternately: 1/2 of a scraped vanilla bean, 2 teaspoons almond or mint extract or maybe even some food coloring for tinting)

Oil bottom and sides of a 13- by 9- by 2-inch rectangular metal baking pan and dust bottom and sides with some confectioners’ sugar.

In bowl of a standing electric mixer or in a large bowl sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold cold water, and let stand to soften.

In a 3-quart heavy saucepan cook granulated sugar, corn syrup, second 1/2 cup of cold water, and salt over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to moderate and boil mixture, without stirring, until a candy or digital thermometer registers 240°F, about 12 minutes. Remove pan from heat and pour sugar mixture over gelatin mixture, stirring until gelatin is dissolved.

With standing or a hand-held electric mixer beat mixture on high speed until white, thick, and nearly tripled in volume, about six minutes if using standing mixer or about 10 minutes if using hand-held mixer. (Some reviewers felt this took even longer with a hand mixer, but still eventually whipped up nicely.)

In separate medium bowl with cleaned beaters beat egg whites (or reconstituted powdered whites) until they just hold stiff peaks. Beat whites and vanilla (or your choice of flavoring) into sugar mixture until just combined. Pour mixture into baking pan and don’t fret if you don’t get it all out (learning from my mess of a first round). Sift 1/4 cup confectioners sugar evenly over top. Chill marshmallow, uncovered, until firm, at least three hours, and up to one day.

Run a thin knife around edges of pan and invert pan onto a large cutting board. Lifting up one corner of inverted pan, with fingers loosen marshmallow and ease onto cutting board. With a large knife trim edges of marshmallow and cut marshmallow into roughly one-inch cubes. (An oiled pizza cutter works well here too.) Sift remaining confectioners’ sugar back into your now-empty baking pan, and roll the marshmallows through it, on all six sides, before shaking off the excess and packing them away.

Do ahead: Marshmallows keep in an airtight container at cool room temperature 1 week.