September 30, 2004
Marshmallows
We were hanging out one Saturday at the Bookseller, as we were inclined to do back when less busy, and the subject of Martha Stewart came up. One of the volunteers there mentioned, as evidence that Martha was off the deep end, having seen her advocate making one's own marshmallows. We immediately came to the defense of homemade marshmallows; they are vastly more enjoyable than boughten ones, unless said boughten ones are toasted over a campfire.
I found the following recipes online thru a google search as a convenience; both had in fact been posted by my wee wifey.
Easy Marshmallows:
* 1 package Jell-O (any flavor) -- (3 oz.)
* 1/2 cup boiling water
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
* confectioners sugar
This is a slightly softer marshmallow than a standard recipe, but as long as it isn't damp it's just fine.
Dissolve gelatin in boiling water, in saucepan, low heat. Add sugar; cook and stir until Jello is dissolved (do not boil). Blend in corn syrup. Chill until slightly thickened. Beat at high speed until thick, about 8 to 10 minutes. Pour into 8-inch square pan, lined with wax paper greased with butter or margarine.
Chill overnight. Turn firm mixture out onto a board heavily dusted with confectioners sugar. Carefully peel off wax paper and dust surface with sugar.
Cut into 1-inch squares or into shape, using cookie cutters dipped in sugar. Roll cut edges in sugar. Store tightly covered.
Really Good Marshmallows:
Ingredients
* 2 pk plain gelatin; or 2 TBSP
* 1/2 c cold water
* 2 c sugar
* 3/4 c corn syrup
*3/4 c hot water
* 2 ts vanilla
Instructions
Soften gelatin in cold water in a large bowl.
Place remainder of ingredients in good sized pot. Heat & stir.
In the meantime prepare a pan 8x8 by wrapping in aluminum foil & spraying
with Pam (or some similar item).
Keep stirring & watching the candy thermometer until it reaches 245F. Pour
into a bowl & beat on highest speed
Pour in a thin stream over softened gelatin. Continue beating for 15
minutes. Add vanilla or any other flavorings near the end of the beating.
Using a rubber spatula, scrape into the prepared pan. Let sit overnight at
room temperature.
Dip serrated knife in cold water to cut apart.
To finish: roll in equal amounts of cornstarch & powdered sugar OR coconut
OR chopped nuts OR a package of jello.
Variations: substitute brown sugar, substitute dark corn syrup, add
different flavorings, substitute juice for water.
Now you've got my curiosity piqued, triticale. How would you compare Really Good Marshmallows with commercial marshmallow?
And your nomme de blogue makes me think about submitting my recipe for Sugarless Wheatless Birthday Cake to the Carnival of the Recipes ;-)
Posted by: Dave Schuler at October 1, 2004 11:49 AMTriticale, do these marshmallows make good S'Mores?
Or are they just for eating by themselves.
Softer, moister, more flavorful. Depending on the gelatin and how much you beat the mixture they range from chewy to melt in your mouth. For S'mores they would have to be toasted very carefully, and some experimentation with the abovementioned gelatin level and amount of beating would be in order. As a card-carrying Girl Scout, I hate to admit this, but I consider S'mores more trouble than they are worth.
Posted by: triticale at October 1, 2004 09:57 PMre s'mores being to much trouble... take a 12 inch run of foil, place bottom graham cracker, chocolate bar, toasted marshmallow, and top graham cracker on foil, then wrap the s'more in foil. Finally put stick through package (works best with metal fork style multi pronged s'more stick) and toast for a minute a side over low coals. Yields a toasted cracker and melted chocolate/marshmallow filling... Good stuff!
Posted by: SimeonBeta2 at October 2, 2004 03:33 PMThank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!
I have been looking for a marshmallow recipe for a LONG time! This looks perfect!
Posted by: caltechgirl at October 2, 2004 07:57 PMWe made these in high school chemistry eons ago. Between knowing where the glassware had been and the inconsistant results of lazy high school seniors mixing by hand I was afraid to try them and have been discouraged from making them on my own. Perhaps I will be brave enough to try your recipes in my own kitchen (where I know where the glassware has been and have an electric mixer).
Posted by: Punctilious at October 3, 2004 09:12 AMMarshmallow candy dates back to ancient Egypt where it was a honey-based candy flavored and thickened with the sap of the root of the Marsh-Mallow plant (althea officinalis). Marsh-Mallow grows in salt marshes and on banks near large bodies of water.
Posted by: gift baskets at November 23, 2004 05:07 AM