Wednesday, May 4, 2011 Homemade Marshmallows Rock \m/

I'm making candy for my Baking Two final. Cotton Candy, Hot Pepper Lollipops, Apple Jellies and Coconut Marshmallows.

Boo yeah!

Homemade marshmallows are unbelievable. You'll never be able to eat store bought again. Playland has these bad boys on sticks and every time we go you can be sure I stop and get one for the ride home. I don't think they've ever made it past the state line. Nummy with a capital NUMMY!

Here's the ridiculously easy recipe...

2 Tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons powdered gelatin (Sorry, if you're vegetarian you'll have to look up the vegan recipe that uses agar-agar)

8 oz (by weight) of cold water

12 oz (by weight) white sugar

12 oz (by weight) light corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1 bag of coconut, toasted

Candy thermometer

Piping bag with large round tip

You'll need a mixer, stand up is better but I'm sure you can accomplish this with a hand mixer, you may need to borrow a hand.

Place gelatin in the mixer bowl with 1/2 of the water, make sure there are no lumps. Allow the gelatin to absorb the water, this is called "blooming" the gelatin.

In a small saucepan combine the remaining 4 oz of water with the sugar, corn syrup and salt. Place the candy thermometer in the saucepan and heat the mixture to 240 degrees.

Have a clean pastry brush and a bowl of water handy. Sugar likes to stay in its crystal form, so while it's cooking you may need to use the wet brush to clean the sides of the saucepan. Even one sugar crystal will remind the others what shape they like to be in, so this is an important step.

Have the mixing bowl raised and ready. When the syrup gets to 240 turn the mixer on low and pour the syrup into the gelatin. Once all the sugar syrup has been added increase the speed of the mixer to high. It will turn white, gain volume and mesmerize you with its sticky strings of sugar pulling off the sides of the bowl. Whip it for at least 5 minutes. The temperature of the bowl should drop to lukewarm and you'll start to see a difference in the way it's whipping about. Add the vanilla and then turn off the mixer once it's incorporated.

Here's where you need to work quickly.

Fill the piping bag about halfway and pipe the marshmallows onto a tray of toasted coconut. Flipping them is a bit tricky, you don't want to touch the marshmallow with your fingers because it'll stick. So pour a little toasted coconut on top of each marshmallow and then carefully flip them over to completely cover. If you don't want coconut a 50/50 mixture of powdered sugar and cornstarch will do the trick.

These are DDelicious! I can't wait for s'mores season to get here!

-HH