How to Make Marshmallows - CHOW Tip

Shauna Sever, author of Marshmallow Madness!: Dozens of Puffalicious Recipes, dreams in marshmallow. She shares how to make these sweet, fluffy, puffy treats in your own home.

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TRANSCRIPT
Most people think that marshmallows come from some sort of magical marshmallow factory but actually you can make them at home in your own kitchen. In a microwave safe bowl, put four and one half teaspoons of unflavored powdered gelatin with one half cup of cold water, whisk it well to blend and let it soften for five minutes. In a medium sauce pan, put three quarter cup of granulated sugar, one quarter cup of light corn syrup, another one quarter cup of water, and a little pinch of salt. Get that going over medium-high heat and clip on a candy thermometer. While your sugar syrup is boiling, in the bowl of a standing mixer, put one quarter cup of light corn syrup and turn on the mixer to low speed. When the syrup reaches about 220 degrees, that's when you want to melt your gelatin. Just put it into the microwave for about thirty seconds and scrape that into the mixer bowl with the corn syrup. Once that sugar syrup reaches 240 degrees, pull it off the stove and bring it right over to the mixer that you've already got going on low speed and very slowly pour the sugar syrup into the gelatin and corn syrup mixture. Gradually increase the speed to high and you want to beat this all together for seven to eight minutes and it's going to get really thick and opaque and fluffy. During the last minute of beating, beat in two teaspoons of pure vanilla extract. And when the marshmallow batter is finished you want to spray any baking pan or mold with non-stick cooking spray. Pour the marshmallow batter into the pan and use an offset spatula to smooth it into the corners. Over the top of it sift some marshmallow coating, which is one and one half parts of confectioner sugar to one part corn starch and let that set at room temperature for at least six hours, until it's firm. Loosen it around the edges with a little thin spatula or knife. And to cut them you can a pizza cutter or you can use kitchen scissors. And now you've got loads of homemade soft fluffy marshmallows to blow the minds of all your friends.