Marshmallow Marshmallow

When people find out that I make marshmallows from scratch I get one of three reactions.  The first is a look of awe and wonder as if marshmallows are magically made from the poop of the pet bunnies of Keebler elves.  The second is one of odd disgust.  Why would you MAKE marshmallows, you weirdo!  The third is genuine curiosity.  HOW does that happen, marshmallows, but how?

So, here's why and how, the odd disgust I can't do anything about.  Go get some Jet Puff ya hater.  Homemade marshmallows are infinitely better than store bought.  They've been referred to as Crackmallows by some Mallow Afficianados, aka, my friends.  The how is more simple than you think and basically involves boiling sugar and adding it to gelatin and a really long time in a mixer built for endurance.  I'm not kidding.  They're not complicated but by the time the mallows are done with their 15 minute turn in my Kitchen Aid the motor is hotter than a cup of tea in Hades kitchen.  

I use Alton Brown's basic recipe for marshmallows but I've found a few things that have helped me and I'll share them with you.  But seriously, A.B. is practically perfect in every way and the ways that he's not are just none of our business.  

Just as a side note if you never master the actual art of spreading the hot marshmallow goo out into a pan so that it can set into marshmallows then the picture to the right is reason enough to learn to make marshmallows.  I mean COME ON!

Now on to some particulars.  

I've mentioned a really good stand mixer already as you're going to be putting that sucker through a culinary cross fit... not that I know what an actual cross fit session, or whatever, is like but I've seen sweat selfies so I'm pretty knowledgeable.  Why am I talking about sweat at the same time I'm talking about marshmallows??  I've already talked about magical bunny poop so whatever. 

You're also going to need a candy thermometer and a kitchen scale.  You can maybe get away without a scale but a thermometer is cheap, go get one.  And yes, that one you use when you make fried foods works just as well.  A large jelly roll sheet, that's the one that you make your cookies on.  It's a rectangle.  Parchment paper is the first of my tips that makes this a bit easier.  A heavy bottomed pan is the last piece of hardware that's necessary.  

Start by sprinkling 3 packets of gelatin over a half a cup of ice water in your mixer bowl. I would show you a picture of this but it's really just not very exciting.  Now move over to your kitchen scale and measure out your sugar, 12 ounces of it.  Isn't may scale so cute.  My beau got it for me.  He's so thoughtful and he loves my marshmallows and my dog, I'm keeping him.  Ignore the eggs.  They're not part of this whole process.  I'm just a terrible housekeeper. I forgot to put away my eggs after breakfast.  

Once you have this measured out mix it into your heavy bottomed pan with your corn syrup, your other half a cup of water, and salt.  

Lid it up and turn it on medium high and let it go for about 3 minutes.  Take the lid off and let it boil undisturbed, seriously no stirring or swirling or anything.  Leave it alone for about 7 minutes until your candy thermometer reaches 240 degrees.  Watch it closely, don't go anywhere.  This can feel like its taking forever and then suddenly it's too late. 

 Once it reaches this temperature you will start your mixer on low and carefully pour the molten contents of your pan into your mixer.  Once it's all in switch that sucker to high for 15 minutes.  While your mixing prepare a 50/50 mixture of corn starch and powdered sugar.  I make more of this than the original recipe calls for so I just go with the ratio instead of measuring.  Lay your parchment paper out in your cookie sheet and spray lightly with non stick spray then dust with your corn starch mixture.  

 Again, I'm going to have to ask you to ignore the rest of my kitchen and just focus on the pan that's prepped for the marshmallows.  Now back to our mixture that is almost ready for the vanilla, which you are going to add in the last minute of mixing.  Be careful because adding it makes it temporarily unstable and it might splatter.  Then you have a beautiful, fluffy, gooey, bowl full of sugar delight. 


Scrape it into your prepared pan.  Get as much out as you can but you're never going to get it all of it and that's just more for you to lick off the whip later.  The faster you work here the better all that goo that's stuck on the whip is going to be when you hide in a corner and keep it a secret from everyone else.  

 Here's where is gets fun.  You've got to get this spread out in your pan.  Alton advises a spatula but I just wet my hands with warm water and use those.  Once you get it all spread evenly you sprinkle it with more of your cornstarch mixture and let it sit overnight or several hours.  Whichever you have the patience for.  

 Cutting it up can be tricky.  I like to use a pizza cutter and my cornstarch mixture for when it gets sticky.  Cut them as big or small as you like and dust each side in your cornstarch mixture before storing them in an air tight container.  Sneak one into your coffee, hot cocoa, onto a stick to roast it around a camp fire.  Oh, that reminds me.  I must warn you that toasting a homemade marshmallow will send you into marshmallow nirvana and you'll be useless for at least 2 to 3 hours.  

 Ingredients

3 packages unflavored gelatin

1 cup ice cold water, divided

12 ounces granulated sugar, approximately 1 1/2 cups

1 cup light corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

Nonstick spray

Find Alton's Original Recipe Here