Todd has been on a kick lately where he is begging for marshmallows. It might have been all the leftover Easter candy that the Switch Witch forgot to take with her when she brought the toys. Oops. Anyway, I'm really glad that I'm able to provide a simple, wholesome alternative to store-bought - no refined sugar to be found in this recipe! And it's got gelatin, which is a lovely addition to the diet that provides joint-nourishing collagen.
We got our annual shipment of maple syrup back in May. I usually buy two gallons of the good stuff, organic and straight from a farm in Vermont. We store it in the chest freezer and pull out what we need, pouring it into a smaller jug to store in the fridge. This will typically get us through the year!
Making marshmallows is sort of like candy-making 101. You will need a good thermometer - preferably a candy-making thermometer that shows you when you have reached "soft ball stage." But don't let that deter you! It's really not that tricky.
Maple-Sweetened Marshmallows
1 C water
2 1/2 T gelatin
1 C maple syrup
1 t vanilla
1/4 t salt
Arrowroot powder for dusting
Coat an 8x8 pan with butter, sprinkle with a bit of arrowroot powder, and set aside.
Add 1/2 C of the water into your mixer bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the top and allow it to bloom for at least 5 minutes.
Combine the remaining water, maple syrup, and salt in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, watching and stirring continuously as it will try to boil over on you. When it reaches 235-240 degrees, remove it from heat. This will typically take 12-15 minutes, but just watch the temperature to know for sure.
Turn your stand mixer on medium. With the mixer running, slowly drizzle the boiling syrup into the bloomed gelatin and water. Try not to get syrup on the sides of the bowl.
Once all the syrup is into the bowl, turn the mixer on high. Allow the mixture to beat until it has tripled in size, and the side of the bowl is cool to the touch. This could take up to 10 minutes, but again, use your sense of temperature to know for sure. The finished marshmallow cream will hold soft peaks on the beater. Add the vanilla and beat for one more minute.
[If you wanted your own marshmallow cream for fluffer nutters or Rice Krispie treats or something like that, you could just stop here!]
Transfer the marshmallow cream into your prepared 8x8 pan. Dust the top with more arrowroot powder, and use your fingertips to pat down the top surface.
Allow the marshmallows to set for at least 6 hours, covered, at room temperature.
Once they are set, remove the marshmallows from the pan and use a greased knife to cut into squares. Dredge in more arrowroot powder, and store in an airtight container.
These will keep for a few days, maybe a week if refrigerated. You do need to eat them fairly fast, because they will spoil! (Like real, good food should.)
Enjoy!
[This post submitted to Fat Tuesday 8/25/15.]
