Marshmallow From Scratch - No Corn Syrup

Making marshmallow at home is fun and easy. The results are much fluffier, softer - heck, it tastes much better and nothing like the bags you find at your megalomart.

The ingredients for this recipe are:

• 1/4 cup water
• 2 x 28 Gram packets of gelatin (2 x 1 Oz. )

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pinch salt
• Powdered sugar (for dusting the sticky goo)
  

If you had enough corn and corn syrup in your life, you might appreciate that this recipe has none.

Step 1: Gelatin-ing

2 packets of gelatin go into 1/4 cup water. Stir well. Move on.

Step 2:

2 cups of granulated sugar go in a pot with 1/2 cup water.

A stainless steel heavy bottom pot works well. Later, you might use a mixer in the pot so non stick may get scratched.

Cook, stirring as needed to prevent scorching and make a syrup, until soft ball stage is reached. You can determine the correct timing in one of 2 ways:
1) Soft ball test: take a bit of syrup using a spoon. Drop the syrup in a cup of cold water. If you can form a soft ball in the water by gathering the syrup you are there. Before this, syrup will not "bunch up".
2) Using a thermometer: 115 Celsius (240 Fahrenheit)

When syrup is done, remove from stove and stir in the gelatin emulsion. Stir thoroughly.
If in a hurry, you might want to place the pot's bottom in a sink full of cool water.
Once cool enough to touch pot with your hand - move on.

Step 3:

Using mixer, mix :-)

Add a pinch of salt and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

You can add food coloring at this point.

I tried with mint once - works nice. Almond extract didn't :-/

Mix until it fluffs up and very viscous. When you tilt the pot it should ooze down but slowly.

Step 4:

Pour mixture into pan or baking sheet.

Prior to pouring, make sure pan is greased and liberally dusted with powdered sugar. This stuff is sticky! Skimping is wimpy and senseless.Use powdered sugar.

Set aside and wait for it to set further. One hour minimum - 4 if you can hold the kids back that long.

Sprinkle top liberally with powdered sugar.

Cutting can be done using:

1) Shot glass
2) Cookie cutter
3) Knife (the thinner the better) - into squares
4) Scissors, dipped in powdered sugar - cut into strips then squares.

Roll each piece in powdered sugar. If you try to store pieces uncoated they will stick to each other. On second thought, they probably will stick even if they are coated, so just eat them while they are fresh.