Homemade Vanilla Marshmallows

Not to sound stunned or anything, but I never really thought you could make marshmallows at home. I guess I always just thought they were one of those magical confections concocted in a factory somewhere. I mean, there's nothing natural in there, so how could you make them at home? Well, as it turns out you CAN make them at home and they taste 100 times better than any store-bought variety. So far I've only made them around the holidays to enjoy with hot chocolate or on its own, but I'm dying to try them on a campfire, wedged between a couple celebration cookies!! Yum!!



This recipe is a Martha Stewart original.

Ingredients:

• Nonstick Cooking Spray
• 3 (1/4 oz) packets of Unflavoured Gelatin
• 1/2 cup Cold Water
• 2 cups Granulated Sugar
• 2/3 cup Light Corn Syrup
• 1/4 tsp Coarse Salt
• 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1 Vanilla Bean, scraped
• Confectioners' Sugar, sifted for coating

Instructions:

1) Lightly spray a 9-by-9-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Line pan with plastic wrap, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides; set aside.

2) In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water; let stand for 10 minutes.

3) In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup water. Place saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil; boil rapidly for 1 minute.

Before

After

4) Remove from heat. With the mixer on high, slowly pour the boiling syrup down the side of the mixer bowl into gelatin mixture. Add salt and continue mixing for 12 minutes.

5) Add vanilla extract and vanilla bean seeds; mix until well combined. It will start to get thicker and pull away from the sides as you mix.

Oh so sexy ;)

6) Spray a rubber spatula or your hands with cooking spray. Spread gelatin mixture evenly into pan using prepared spatula or your hands.

7) Spray a sheet of plastic wrap with cooking spray and place, spray side down, on top of marshmallows. Let stand for 2 hours.

8) Carefully remove marshmallows from pan. Remove all plastic wrap and discard. Cut marshmallows into 2-inch squares using a sprayed sharp knife.

Marshmallow-y goodness!

9) Place confectioners' sugar in a large bowl. Working in batches, add marshmallows to bowl and toss to coat.

Now you're all set for hot chocolate dipping, eating as-is, sharing with friends and family or even roasting over a fire! Still have to test the fire idea, but since I don't own a wood stove, and it's March in Newfoundland, I'll stick to my hot chocolate for now.