“I have to tell you, Carrie, that when we get the invitation to this event, I don’t think about the Christmas tree part – I’m remembering the homemade marshmallows!”
So I was told by a client at our fourth annual pick-your-own-Christmas-tree event, where the main draw is supposed to be a Christmas tree but it’s just fine that some people remember the homemade marshmallows and molasses spice cookies just as much!
I’m often asked for the recipe, so here’s how to make your own marshmallows. (Or just use Circa Real Estate Group the next time you buy or sell a home in Colorado Springs and eat all the homemade marshmallows you want, with zero work, at our annual Christmas event!)
These marshmallows are delicious plain – but they’re seriously amazing in hot cocoa!
Homemade Marshmallows Recipe
.75-oz unflavored gelatin (3 envelopes of Knox gelatin)
3/4 cup water, divided
2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cups light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tsp peppermint extract (optional)
red food coloring (optional)
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 T cornstarch
Lightly grease the sides and bottom of a 9 x 9-inch baking pan.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, sprinkle the gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water and allow it to dissolve for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine sugar, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a very hard boil and cook for one minute (no need for a candy thermometer). Make sure you stir it frequently, and be careful – this mixture is very hot!
Pour the boiling syrup on top of the gelatin, add the salt, and whisk on high for 10 minutes. Toward the end of the mixing, add the vanilla extract.
(At about 8 minutes in, I begin dipping my finger into the mixture and dropping a small dollop on the counter to test how close it is to “done”. If you drop a dollop on the counter and within 30-60 seconds, it starts to firm up like you would imagine a marshmallow would, you can probably stop whipping.)
Pour the mixture into greased baking pan and allow the marshmallows to set until firm – usually about 3 hours.
Once firm, combine 1/4 cup powdered sugar and 2 T cornstarch in a bowl. Use a pair of kitchen scissors, dipped in warm water, to cut the marshmallows into strips and then cubes, frequently dipping the scissors in warm water to keep from sticking.
Toss each marshmallow in the powdered sugar mixture and that’s it – you’re done! Store in a semi-airtight container for up to one week. (Allowing just a bit of air to get to them keeps them from getting soggy.)
