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Thursday, April 14, 2022

M is for Marshmallows

#AtoZChallenge 2022 Blogging from A to Z Challenge letter

My brother is an excellent cook, and one of the things he makes at Christmas is homemade marshmallows. Now, I'm not ordinarily much of a marshmallow fan. I like them toasted over a fire. I like them in hot chocolate. I LOVE Peeps at Easter time. 

That sounds like I AM a marshmallow fan, but really, I'm not. I don't like them dipped in chocolate (or dipped in anything else, for that matter). I REALLY don't like them plain. But my brother's homemade marshmallows? They are a horse of a different color, and I decided to take a stab at making them myself.

I used the recipe from Epicurious (there are plenty of them out there, all basically the same). 

Full disclosure: it is VERY, VERY MESSY to make marshmallows. VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY. 

The ingredients are simple:

3 envelopes unflavored gelatin
Water
Light corn syrup
Granulated sugar
Salt 
Vanilla
Powdered sugar. LOTS of powdered sugar

Ingredients assembled.



While the gelatin softens in cold water in the bowl of a stand mixer (mine is a Kitchen Aid that I received as a wedding present nearly 29 years ago and is still going strong), I made the sugar syrup by bringing water, corn syrup, salt, and granulated sugar to a boil and cooking to soft ball WITHOUT STIRRING which is very difficult for ADHD me to resist. The syrup is then poured in a stream into the gelatin mixture while the mixer is on low, then the the mixer is gradually turned up to high for five minutes while the mixture magically turns from weird, spongy-looking gunk to marshmallow cream; last, the vanilla is added and mixed in.

Gelatin softening in water.


Oops.




Syrup going into gelatin gunk.


Getting fluffier.


Marshmallow fluff



Meanwhile, my husband wandered into the kitchen.

Husband (peering into the mixing bowl at spinning marshmallow cream): Are they going to be pink?
Me: I wasn't planning on it. 
Husband: Your brother makes pink ones.
Me: My brother makes peppermint ones. These are just vanilla.
Husband: They would look good pink.
Me (getting gel food coloring from pantry and adding a drop to mixture): Happy?
Husband: That looks better. Can you make them peppermint?
Me: Do you have somewhere else to go?

The mixture, the INCREDIBLY STICKY mixture, is then poured into a prepared 9x13 pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray and coated with powdered sugar. Make sure you thoroughly coat the countertops, the floor, your clothes, and the cat as you do this, because it's a lot more fun this way. The sticky, gooey marshmallow mixture does not come out of the bowl without a fight, and unless you have four arms or didn't send your husband out of the kitchen for being annoying, you're not going to get all the goo out of the bowl and into the pan. Just let it go and move on.

PINK marshmallow fluff



With damp fingers, press the mixture evenly into the pan. Please note the words "damp fingers." Trust me on this.

Going in the pan


Pat, pat, pat


Kitchen supervisor



The marshmallows need to stay in their 9x13 home at room temperature for at least 4 hours, and longer if it is humid (in my case, it wasn't, but I let mine sit for close to 8 hours before cutting them, partly because I wanted to make sure they were dry enough to cut and partly because I forgot them until my husband asked me how long until they would be ready to eat).

Gently loosen the marshmallow from the edges of the pan and turn onto a cutting board that has been generously sprinkled with powdered sugar. LISTEN TO ME ON THIS and verrrrrrry gently lift the marshmallow from the pan and flip it onto its tummy onto the prepared cutting board. VERY carefully. If you don't want to believe me, then do it your way, but when you are trying to clean powdered sugar from all the surfaces within six feet of the cutting board, you will wish you had listened to me. 

Poof!



Use a sharp knife (or a pizza cutter, which is even better) to cut the giant marshmallow pillow into squares. You might need to dip the blade in powdered sugar to prevent it from sticking, but that was one problem I DIDN'T have in this process. Dip the cut edges in powdered sugar.

Yes, I cut them crooked. They are ARTISAN.


MARSHYMALLOWSSSS!!!


The marshmallows can be layered between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container and stored for up to one month. But you won't have to worry too much about storage. These marshmallows are so smooth and creamy, you will have eaten them all long before a month is up!

Pain in the ass recipe? Yes. Worth it? Completely!


28 comments:

  1. I'm going to have to try this because I love marshmallows and we can't get them in India. I enjoyed your additions to the recipe about damp fingers and powdered sugar. What's your kitchen supervisor called?
    Visiting from the A to Z Challenge.

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    Replies
    1. I highly recommend homemade marshmallows! The kitchen supervisor is named Finn and he likes to watch things turn in the microwave :D

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  2. I have looked at many marshmallow recipes and thought, they look nice, and then backed away because I am bad enough with chocolate getting everywhere, I can only imagine what I would be like with marshmallow 😂 Some of the recipe vids on YouTube make it look so easy, but they never show the pain.😂
    Tasha
    Tasha's Thinkings: YouTube - What They Don't Tell You (and free fiction)

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    1. There was definitely a lot of powdered sugar on many, many surfaces in my kitchen. The gooey part stayed with the bowl and utensils, so at least that wasn't scattered far and wide!

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  3. I don't especially like marshmellows, nor will I ever make them, but your artisian marshmellows above look very tempting.

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    1. I don't like them, either, except as peeps, but these, I like. They are a horse of a different color!

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  4. I do like marshmallows, but this would not be something I want to do.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. You should try it! You will be amazed at what a marshmallow can really be!

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  5. What a process! I admire your patience.

    Beth
    https://bethlapinsatozblog.wordpress.com/

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    1. Thanks! It was not easy, but I will definitely do it again!

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  6. Makes me want to try... or maybe taste first. Maybe I"ll talk someone else into making them. LOL They look awesome. Good Job

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    1. Do it and let me know how you like them! I wish I could send them to everyone, but I'm not sure they would travel very well when there's a risk of them melting

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  7. I don't think I want to make my own, I can absolutely see myself trying to clean powdered sugar off of surfaces for the better part of a monnth. But I'm certainly looking forward to Peeps this Easter, and potentially discounted Peeps the day after Easter. @GetLostInLit

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    Replies
    1. I was quite disappointed that all the peeps had disappeared by the day after Easter, as I was hoping for the same!

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  8. We put powdered sugar on the beignets here, so we know to handle that stuff carefully and be careful breathing around it.

    If i had a stand mixer, i might try this, it sounds good.

    By the way, that's kitchen "snoopervisor."

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I don't care much for powdered sugar as a rule, but I do make a Christmas cookie that has it sprinkled over the top, and I invariably take a deep breath as I open my mouth to take a bite and end up coughing all over the place!

      I definitely would not try this without a stand mixer. I think a hand mixer's motor would burn up!

      "Snoopervisor" is perfect! Or PURRFECT!

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  9. They look very pretty in pink.

    I don't even want to think about the mess I'd make trying to make them.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. The pink was a lovely touch, but I kept expecting them to be minty, thanks to my brother!

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  10. Amazing ..the amount of work you put in them...have always heard of marshmallows but never had them...hope everyone enjoyed ur fruit of labor!!

    Happy Easter

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    1. I fully admit that I ate most of the marshmallows, but everyone who got to try one loved them!

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  11. You totally have me wanting to make these! It sounds fun (and messy indeed!). And I'd love the vanilla kind much more than the peppermint kind.

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    1. SO SO messy! You have to be careful when using peppermint in things like this, or else it ends up tasting like toothpaste! I think I will stick to vanilla as well!

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  12. I really do like marshmallows, but this is too much work for me. Maybe I can find some marshmallow goodies on sale after Easter.

    Arlee Bird
    Tossing It Out

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    1. This is one time that I will say it was worth the work. And I hope you found sale marshmallows after Easter, because I sure didn't!

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  13. I've always wanted to try making marshmallows. I make caramel every Christmas and it seems to have a similar vibe - it's also super, super sticky and quite messy but delicious in the end. Weekends In Maine

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    1. I tried to make caramel once and it did NOT turn out. I guess I should try again!

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  14. Marshmallows remind me of camping tales we read about with roasting them on the fire. Not a common snack in India , very interesting and laborious process there ... and your husband s suggestion of pink reminded me of my own father who would always have some suggestion to my mom s cooking

    Jayashree writes

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    1. I do love roasted marshmallows over a fire! I want to make some more of these and try that with them. My husband is a good cook, but I don't always appreciate his suggestions. I don't micromanage HIM when HE cooks :)

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