Our Assistant Innkeeper, Katie Arthur, has begun to make homemade marshmallows for our beverage bar. You will be amazed at just how tasty these are and our guests just love them! They are time consuming but worth every minute! I wish I could give credit to whoever composed this recipe since it sure is a good one.
— INGREDIENTS —
Vegetable shortening for preparing the pan
1 cup cold water
3 Tablespoons (3 envelopes) unflavored gelatin
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Confectioners sugar for coating the finished product
— DIRECTIONS
Using a 9×13 inch pan, cut a piece of aluminum foil to fit covering the bottom, sides and handles completely. Place foil gently in the baking dish covering it well. Coat the foil thoroughly but lightly with shortening. Set aside.
In a standing mixer, place 1/2 cup of cold water in the large bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the surface of the water and set aside.
Place the sugar, corn syrup, salt and the other 1/2 cup of water in a heavy 1 1/2 or 2 quart saucepan. Heat should be fairly low. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture comes to a boil. Cover for three minutes to allow any sugar crystals on the side of the pan to dissolve.
Uncover. Raise the heat to high and insert a candy thermometer. Let the syrup boil without stirring until the temperature reaches 240 degrees. Do not overcook. Remove from heat.
Beating constantly at medium speed, pour the syrup slowly into the gelatin mixture. After all the syrup has been added, increase the speed to high and beat for 15 minutes until the mixture is lukewarm, snowy white and the consistency of whipped marshmallow, adding the vanilla a few minutes before the end of the beating.
(During the beating, occasionally scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula and watch that the mixture doesn’t “crawl up” the beaters.
Pour the slightly warm and thick marshmallow mixture into the prepared pan, and scrape all the mixture off the beaters. Smooth the top.
Let stand uncovered at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours or longer if convenient.
Sift or strain confectioners sugar generously onto a large cutting board to cover a surface larger than your pan.Invert the marshmallow over the sugared surface: remove the pan and peel off the foil. Strain confectioners sugar generously over the top of the marshmallow.
Prepare a long, heavy sharp knife by brushing the blades with vegetable shortening. Cutting down firmly with the full length of the blade, cut the marshmallow into one inch strips (keep the blade sugared to keep it from sticking).
Dip the cup sides of each strip into confectioners sugar to coat them thoroughly (there should be enough excess sugar on the board to do this).
Cut each strip into one inch square. Roll the marshmallows in the sugar to coat the remaining sides and shake off any excess sugar.
Store in airtight container.
Makes one pound, 10 ounces of marshmallows.
The William Henry Miller Inn
http://www.millerinn.com/
Lynnette ScofieldBed and Breakfast Foodie