Love Your Friends, Make Them Marshmallows

What exactly is a marshmallow? We toss them in hot chocolate, melt them into Rice Krispie treats, and top our sweet potato casseroles with them.  They're obviously made with (a lot) of sugar, but what else gives them that soft, melty-chewy texture?  And can you make them at home?  (The answer to that last one is an unequivocal 'yes.')

Per Wikipedia (and other assorted websites), the marshmallow first appeared in ancient Egypt, where Egyptians used sap extracted from the marsh-growing mallow plant (Althaea officinalis) to create a type of candy; in the Middle Ages they used it medicinally to soothe sore throats. The French later used the sap in combination with whipped egg whites and sugar to produce a meringue called pâte de guimauve, but it was apparently very labor intensive to whip to the desired consistency.  Sometime in the 1800s, producers determined that they could use gelatin mixed with corn starch to get to the right chewy/fluffy consistency, and thus avoid the need for the mallow-plant extracts.

Today, marshmallows are exclusively made with gelatin, which makes them an incredibly easy treat to make at home.  The best part is that they can be colored and flavored in any way that you would like, and coated in any number of toppings.  The texture of homemade marshmallows is infinitely better than those you buy at the store--they're softer (more tender?) and while sweet, are lacking that processed-sweetness that you get with the Jet-Puffed variety.  I've been making marshmallows for several years now, tweaking my recipe from this one from Gourmet Magazine.  The only semi-special equipment you'll need is a stand mixer (a hand mixer works too, but you'll have to hold it for 15 minutes) and a candy thermometer.  After I made this last batch (flavored with almond extract/Amaretto and Kahlua), I realized I could probably increase the flavor content by soaking the gelatin in my liquor of choice instead of water.  I haven't tried it yet to see if it will work, but it's definitely worth an experiment next weekend...

Fluffy Homemade Marshmallows


Ingredients:
3 (1/4-ounces) envelopes unflavored gelatin
1 cup water, divided
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract


Optional:
2 teaspoons of any flavor extract (mint, maple, orange, etc.) OR
2 tablespoons or so of your favorite flavored liquor
A few drops of food color or food gel


Directions:
Line a 9" x 13" pan with foil then spray liberally with non-stick cooking spray.


Sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup water in bowl of mixer and let soften while making syrup.

Heat sugar, corn syrup, salt, and remaining 1/2 cup water in a small heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil over medium heat, without stirring, washing any sugar crystals down side of pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water. Put thermometer into syrup and continue boiling, without stirring, until it registers 240°F (soft-ball stage). Remove from heat and let stand until bubbles dissipate.

With mixer at low speed, pour hot syrup into gelatin in a thin stream down side of bowl. Increase speed to high and beat until very thick, about 15 minutes. Add vanilla and other optional extracts and beat 1 minute more.

Spoon marshmallow into baking pan and press evenly with dampened fingertips or a sptaula dipped in water to smooth top (it will be very sticky).

Let stand, uncovered, at room temperature until firm, about 2 hours.

Dust the top with powered sugar (or cocoa powder or toasted coconut) and invert onto a cutting board. Cut into 3/4-inch-wide strips, then cut each strip into 3/4-inch squares and toss in a bowl or dish to completely cover each square with powdered sugar.