Homemade Vanilla Marshmallows

March 16, 2014 | No Comments

This week’s Reddit challenge was Molecular Gastronomy. I was going to make a gooey creamy macaroni and cheese, using Sodium Citrate. I was planning on adding caramelized onions, and some bacon, and It would have been decadent and delicious, but alas, I did not plan ahead. I tried to get Sodium Citrate locally, but could not find it anywhere.

I was looking at different Molecular Gastronomy, and Modernist cooking websites, hoping to get some last minute ideas. I came across a website that talked about gelatin in modernist cooking. I then researched recipes that used gelatin. I started reading lots of recipes for marshmallows. I love marshmallows, and I felt sure I could handle the few steps it would take to produce the delicious treats. There it is friends, my contribution to Week 11 of Reddit’s 52 Weeks of Cooking challenge is Homemade Vanilla Marshmallows.

I lightly toasted this marshmallow over the flame on my stove. It looks beautiful, tasted like caramel, and was a yummy addition to my hot chocolate.

I did not get a chance to take a picture of the creamy marshmallow fluff, so here is the last scraping of it out of the mixing bowl. Look how thick, airy, and creamy it is. The 9 x 13 pan full of unset marshmallow fluff is in the background.

I cut these with a coconut oiled chef’s knife, then dusted all the sides with more of the powdered sugar/cornstarch mixture.

Homemade marshmallows are a little time consuming, but they are well worth it. Feel free to add them to hot chocolate, make smores, rice krispy treats, popcorn balls, or just use the un-set marshmallow fluff as a sundae topping. However you like your marshmallows, please try out this recipe, and be sure and let me know what you think.

Homemade Vanilla Marshmallows

Recipe type: Dessert

Author: Jillian

Ingredients

3 packages unflavored gelatin
1 scant cup cold water (a little less than)
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1 scant cup granulated sugar (a little less than)
1/4 cup light corn syrup
Scant 1/2 cup water (a little less than)
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
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1 Tbsp vegetable oil (for greasing pan)
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
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Instructions

Attach whisk to stand mixer
Place 1 scant cup of water in stand mixer bowl
Add 3 packages of unflavored gelatin to bowl
Let sit
In a small saucepan combine 1/2 cup water, granulated sugar, corn syrup and salt
Stir to dissolve sugar, then stop stirring
Using candy thermometer, heat until 230-240 degrees F.
Once the mixture reaches this temperature, immediately remove from the heat
Pour mixture in bowl with the water and gelatin
Turn the mixer on low speed, then gradually increase speed until you can Turn the speed to high without splashing any liquid out
Continue to whip until the mixture triples in volume, and forms very stiff peaks, approximately 14 to 17 minutes
Add the vanilla extract during the last minute of whipping
While the mixture is whipping prepare the pans
Lightly grease pan with vegetable oil
Combine the confectioners’ sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl
Sift the sugar and cornstarch mixture into the pan, and move around to completely coat the bottom and sides of the pan
Return the remaining mixture to the bowl for later use.
When the mixture is tripled in size, and the vanilla is mixed in, pour the mixture into the prepared pan, using a lightly oiled spatula for spreading evenly into the pan
Sift the top with enough of the remaining sugar and cornstarch mixture to lightly cover
Reserve the rest for later
Allow the marshmallows to sit uncovered for at least 4 hours and up to overnight
For faster setting, place in refrigerator for 2-3 hours
Cut in pan and use spatula to remove squares, or turn the marshmallows out onto a cutting board and cut into 1-inch squares using an oiled knife
Lightly dust all sides of each cut marshmallow with the remaining cornstarch powdered sugar mixture
Store in an airtight container

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Tags: Cornstarch, gelatin, homemade, hot chocolate, kosher salt, light corn syrup, marshmallow, sugar, vanilla, vanilla extract, Vanilla Marshmallows

Categories: Desserts, Fall Recipes, Winter Recipes