Marshmallow

After catching a glimpse of a campfire on television two nights ago, I got a mad craving for warm marshmallows. The last time I roasted a marshmallow was while relaxing with friends at Emily Murphy Park on one of the last warm afternoons of last fall. However, I cannot remember the last time I made s'mores. There was a time in high school when they were a camping staple. At Ranger camp, my friends and I perfected the art of s'mores and spider dogs. As Greg and I have begun to collect camping gear, I'm sure there will be plenty of campfires, Coleman stove dinners and marshmallows this summer.

In looking forward, I'd like to test my hand at homemade marshmallows. Greg dislikes marshmallows (how that is possible I'm not sure), but perhaps he'd like them better if he knew they were void of mystery ingredients. These marshmallows will make a perfect accompaniment to Something to Sing About and hot chocolate in a blue enamel mug. Here the recipe I plan to try courtesy of the Food Network.

Homemade Marshmallows

3 packages of unflavoured gelatin

1 cup ice cold water

1.5 cups sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup icing sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

Butter on wax paper

Place the gelatin in a bowl along with 1/2 cup cold water.

In a small saucepan combine the remaining 1/2 cup cold water, sugar, corn syrup and salt. Place over medium high heat, cover and allow to cool for 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover and cook for another 7-8 minutes until the mixture is 240 degrees F (use a candy thermometer clipped to the side of the saucepan). Once the mixture is 240 degrees, remove it immediately from the heat.

Mix the bowl of gelatin with a hand mixer on a low speed. While mixing, slowly pour the hot sugar syrup down the side of the bowl into the gelatin. Once the sugar syrup has been added, increase the speed to high. Continue to whip until the mixture is very thick and lukewarm, which will take 12 to 15 minutes. Add the vanilla in during the last minute of whipping.

Combine the icing sugar and corn starch in a small bowl. Lightly cover a 9x13 baking sheet with butter. Add the sugar and cornstarch mixture and move around to completely coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Return the remaining mixture to the bowl for later use.

When ready, pour the mixture into the prepared pan, using a lightly oiled spatula for spreading evenly into the pan. Dust the top with enough of the remaining sugar and cornstarch mixture to lightly cover. Reserve the rest for later. Allow the marshmallows to sit uncovered for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

Turn the marshmallows out onto a cutting board and cut into 1-inch squares using a pizza wheel dusted with the icing mixture. Once cut, lightly dust all sides of each marshmallow with the remaining mixture, using additional if necessary. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

Image via Dolifelici.