Best Marthas Homemade Marshmallows Recipes

MARTHA'S HOMEMADE MARSHMALLOWS

Steps:

• Oil an 11x17-inch baking dish with vegetable oil. Line dish with foil, and lightly coat foil with more oil.
• In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, soften the gelatin with 3/4°C of the water.
• Place the sugar, corn syrup, the remaining 3/4°C water, and the salt in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook over high heat until the syrup reaches 234 to 240 degrees F, or the soft-ball stage, on a candy thermometer.
• With the whisk attachment of the mixer at full speed, beat the hot syrup slowly into the gelatin until mixture is very stiff, about 15 minutes. Beat in the vanilla. Pour the mixture into foil lined dish. Allow mixture to rest, uncovered, at room temperature 10-12 hours.
• Using a fine sieve, sprinkle the confectioners' sugar onto a cutting board. Turn the stiffened marshmallow mixture out onto the sugar, and using a small, lightly oiled cookie cutter, cut into shapes. Be sure to dip the cut edges of the marshmallows into confectioners' sugar to prevent sticking.
• Once made, keep in an airtight container - best eaten within two days of making.

MARSHMALLOW SNOWFLAKES

Steps:

• Coat a 12-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray; line with parchment paper. Spray parchment; set aside. Pour 1/3 cup cold water into the bowl of an electric mixer. Sprinkle with gelatin; let mixture soften, about 5 minutes.
• Place sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 1/3 cup water in a medium saucepan. Cover; bring to a boil. Remove lid; cook, swirling pan occasionally, until syrup reaches 238 degrees (soft-ball stage) on a candy thermometer, about 5 minutes.
• With mixer on low speed, whisk gelatin mixture, and slowly pour the syrup in a steady stream down the side of the bowl (to avoid splattering). Gradually raise speed to high; beat until mixture is thick, white, and has almost tripled in volume, about 12 minutes. Add vanilla, and beat 30 seconds to combine.
• Pour mixture onto prepared baking sheet; smooth with an offset spatula. Let stand at room temperature, uncovered, until firm, at least 3 hours or overnight.
• Coat a 1- or 2-inch snowflake-shaped cookie cutter with cooking spray to prevent it from sticking. Cut out as many individual marshmallows as possible; coat cutter with more spray as needed. Use marshmallows immediately or store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.

VANILLA MARSHMALLOWS

Steps:

• Lightly spray a 9-by-9-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Line pan with plastic wrap, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water; let stand for 10 minutes. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup water. Place saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil; boil rapidly for 1 minute. Remove from heat, and, with the mixer on high, slowly pour the boiling syrup down the side of the mixer bowl into gelatin mixture. Add salt and continue mixing for 12 minutes.
• Add vanilla extract and vanilla bean seeds; mix until well combined. Spray a rubber spatula or your hands with cooking spray. Spread gelatin mixture evenly into pan using prepared spatula or your hands. Spray a sheet of plastic wrap with cooking spray and place, spray side down, on top of marshmallows. Let stand for 2 hours.
• Carefully remove marshmallows from pan. Remove all plastic wrap and discard. Cut marshmallows into 2-inch squares using a sprayed sharp knife. Place confectioners' sugar in a large bowl. Working in batches, add marshmallows to bowl and toss to coat.

CRISPY CHOCOLATE-MARSHMALLOW TREATS

Steps:

• Butter an 8-inch square baking pan. Line bottom and two sides with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on both sides. Butter paper; set pan aside.
• In a large saucepan, combine butter, marshmallows, and cocoa. Cook over medium, stirring frequently, until melted, about 6 minutes; stir in rice cereal. Press rice mixture into prepared pan; drizzle with melted chocolate. Let cool to room temperature; cut into 16 bars. (To store, keep in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 5 days.)

CANDY-CANE MARSHMALLOWS

Steps:

• Coat an 8-inch square pan with cooking spray; line bottom with parchment paper. Coat the parchment with cooking spray, and set pan aside. Put sugar, corn syrup, and 3/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Stop stirring; let mixture come to a boil. Raise heat to medium-high; cook until mixture registers 260 degrees on a candy thermometer.
• Meanwhile, sprinkle gelatin over 3/4 cup water in a heatproof bowl; let stand 5 minutes to soften. Set the bowl with the gelatin mixture over a pan of simmering water; whisk constantly until gelatin is dissolved. Remove from heat, and stir in extract; set aside.
• Beat egg whites in the bowl of an electricmixer fitted with the whisk attachmentuntil stiff (but not dry) peaks form.Whisk gelatin mixture into sugar mixture;with mixer running, gradually addto egg whites. Mix on high speed untilvery thick, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Pour mixture into lined pan. Working quickly, drop dots of red food coloring across surface of marshmallow. Using a toothpick, swirl food coloring into marshmallow to create a marbleized effect. Let marshmallow stand, uncovered, at room temperature until firm, at least 3 hours or overnight. Cut into squares.

HOMEMADE MARSHMALLOWS

Steps:

• Combine the gelatin and 1/2 cup of cold water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and allow to sit while you make the syrup.
• Meanwhile, combine the sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Raise the heat to high and cook until the syrup reaches 240 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat.
• With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the sugar syrup into the dissolved gelatin. Put the mixer on high speed and whip until the mixture is very thick, about 15 minutes. Add the vanilla and mix thoroughly.
• With a sieve, generously dust an 8 by 12-inch nonmetal baking dish with confectioners' sugar. Pour the marshmallow mixture into the pan, smooth the top, and dust with more confectioners' sugar. Allow to stand uncovered overnight until it dries out.
• Turn the marshmallows onto a board and cut them in squares. Dust them with more confectioners' sugar.

MARSHMALLOW FOR PIPING

Steps:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer, sprinkle gelatin over 1/3 cup cold water. Allow gelatin to soften, about 5 minutes.
• In a small saucepan, combine 1/4 cup water and sugar, and stir over medium-high heat until sugar is dissolved. Stop stirring, and place a candy thermometer into sugar water; wipe sides of pan with a wet brush if sugar crystals have splattered up. Boil sugar until temperature reaches the soft-ball stage (238 degrees). Remove syrup from heat; add to softened gelatin. Using the whisk attachment of an electric mixer, hand-stir the mixture a few minutes to cool; place bowl on the mixer stand. Beat on medium high with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form and the marshmallow mixture holds shape, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Transfer marshmallow mixture to a large (14-inch) pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch (No. 11 Ateco) tip, and use immediately.

MARSHMALLOW FUDGE

Steps:

• Lightly brush an 8-inch baking pan with butter, then line with parchment, leaving 2-inch overhang on two sides. Lightly butter parchment.
• In a medium saucepan, combine remaining 2 tablespoons butter, sugar, evaporated milk, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, then cook for 3 minutes more, until pale golden and thickened slightly. Remove from heat and stir in marshmallows until mostly melted, then add chocolate and vanilla. Stir until chocolate and marshmallows have melted completely and mixture is smooth. Pour into prepared pan; smooth top with a spatula.
• Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours. Remove parchment with fudge from pan and cut into 36 squares. Fudge can be stored refrigerated, covered with plastic, up to 1 week.