Homemade Marshallows Are S'more Delicous (From NPR)

Homemade Marshmallows Are S'more Delicious

All Things Considered, August 30, 2008 · Commentator and cookbook author Nancy Baggett says it's really not so hard to make marshmallows from scratch. More moist, more tender, and more flavorful than store-bought marshmallows, your S'mores, hot chocolate and Heavenly Hash will never be the same again.
Recipe: 'The All-American Dessert Book'
by Nancy Baggett



Homemade Honey Marshmallows
Makes 96 generous 1-inch marshmallows
Considering how easy it is to make marshmallows and how appealing they are, it's surprising that they are so infrequently made at home. They are moister, tenderer, and more flavorful than the store-bought kind, especially when a little honey is incorporated to round out the taste. Use them to make Indoor S'mores or Heavenly Hash Faux Fudge, toast them in the fireplace, or float them on mugs of steaming hot chocolate.
It's easy to produce a variety of marshmallow flavors and colors simply by adding some citrus, mint, or other flavoring oils (not extracts) and an appropriate food color to the basic recipe. You can also turn out eye-catching "gourmet-shaped" marshmallows using whatever cookie cutters you desire (see the variation). Homemade marshmallows are wonderful dipped in chocolate.
2 ½ tablespoons unflavored gelatin (3-4 packets)
½ cup plus 3 tablespoons water (divided)
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
¼ cup honey
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
3-4 drops almond extract, to taste (optional)
3-5 drops candy flavoring oil, to taste (such as oil of lemon, lime peppermint or crème de menthe)
2-4 drops liquid food color, as desired
¾ cup powdered sugar for dusting marshmallows.
Line a 9x13-inch baking dish with wax paper, allowing the paper to overhang the ends by about 1 inch. Evenly coat the paper with nonstick spray.
In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the ½ cup cold water. Let stand, stirring once or twice, until the gelatin softens, about 6 minutes.
In a heavy 3- to 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, stir together the granulated sugar, corn syrup, honey, salt and the remaining 3 tablespoons warm water until well blended. When the sugar dissolves, raise the heat and bring the mixture to a full boil, stirring. Boil for 20 seconds. Stir in the gelatin mixture, vanilla and almond extract (if using), and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds longer. Remove from the heat and continue stirring until the gelatin completely dissolves.
Pour the mixture into a large bowl. Add the flavoring oil and/or food color, if desired. Using a mixer (with a whisk-shaped attachment, if available) and gradually raising the mixer speed from low to high, beat until the mixture is stiffened, lightened and very fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes.
Coat a rubber spatula with nonstick spray, and use it to scrape out the marshmallow mixture into the baking dish, spreading it evenly to the edges. Very evenly coat a sheet of wax paper with nonstick spray, then pat it down on the marshmallow surface. Let the mixture cool and firm up, at least 6 hours and preferably 24 hours. (The mixture will become firmer and easier to handle if left for the full 24 hours.)
To cut the marshmallows: Sift about one third of the powdered sugar onto a cutting board. Lift the marshmallow slab out of the baking dish. Peel off the top sheet of wax paper. Invert the slab onto the powdered sugar and peel off the other sheet of wax paper. Sift about a third of the remaining powdered sugar over the top of the slab. Using lightly greased kitchen shears or a lightly greased, large sharp knife, cut the slab crosswise into 12ths and lengthwise into 8ths to form 1-inch marshmallow cubes. Dust all the cut surfaces with powdered sugar to reduce their stickiness. As necessary, clean off and regrease the knife.
The marshmallows will keep, stored loosely packed in an airtight container (with wax paper between the layers) in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Let come to room temperature before serving.