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Homemade Marshmallows

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Makes about ninety-six, one-inch marshmallows 1x

Time 30 minutes + time to set

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • Neutral oil (like grapeseed or corn) for greasing
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted, plus more for dusting
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons (a little less than three 1/4-ounce envelopes) unflavored gelatin
  • 3/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup light corn syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch

Instructions

  1. Grease the inside of a 13 × 9-inch baking dish; dust the bottom and sides with some confectioners’ sugar, tapping out any excess. Put 1/2 cup cold water and the vanilla in a large heatproof bowl (use the bowl of a stand mixer if you have one) and sprinkle the gelatin evenly over it; let soften while you make the sugar syrup.
  2. Put 1/2 cup water into a medium saucepan along with the granulated sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves, then set a candy thermometer in the pan, making sure it’s not touching the bottom of the pan, and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook without stirring until the mixture hits 240°F (soft-ball stage). Remove from the heat and carefully pour over the gelatin; beat with an electric mixer until the mixture is thick and glossy and has nearly tripled in volume, about 10 minutes if you’re using an electric mixer or a few minutes less with a stand mixer.
  3. Clean the beaters well and, in a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they hold stiff peaks. Fold them into the sugar-gelatin mixture until just combined, then use an oiled spatula to scrape it into the prepared dish; smooth out the top. Let set for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
  4. Combine the confectioners’ sugar and cornstarch in a bowl. Dust a thin layer of the mixture over the top of the marshmallow, then run an oiled knife along the edges of the dish to loosen it. Invert onto a cutting board and cut into cubes, oiling the knife as needed to keep it from sticking. Toss each marshmallow in the cornstarch mixture to coat. Store at room temperature in a sealed container for no more than 1 week.

– How to Bake Everything

Recipe variations

Chocolate Marshmallows
Combine 1/4 cup cocoa powder and 1/4 cup hot water in a small bowl and whisk until smooth, then stir it into the gelatin mixture just before pouring in the sugar syrup in Step 2. Substitute cocoa powder for up to half of the confectioners’ sugar in the coating; if you like, add 1 tablespoon cinnamon to the coating.

Lemon Marshmallows
These are like a mini lemon meringue pie; you can swap the lemon for any other citrus if you prefer: Beat 1 1/2 tablespoons grated lemon zest into the gelatin mixture just before adding the hot sugar syrup.

Peppermint Marshmallows
Perfect with a big mug of hot chocolate: Substitute 1 teaspoon peppermint extract for the vanilla extract. Crush about 15 peppermint candies into a very fine powder and combine with the confectioners’ sugar and cornstarch.