How to Marsh Mallows - A Marshmallow Recipe

Don't get me wrong, I completely enjoy store-bought marshmallows.  They're so versatile, whether melted and added to cereal, or toasted between some chocolate and a couple graham crackers.  I vaguely wondered what they were made of, but let it go at that.  Never did it occur to me that I might want to, you know, make them.

That all changed one Christmas when a family friend brought us a Christmas treat plate that included homemade marshmallows.  Honestly, I didn't even realize they were marshmallows until I took a bite of pure beautifulness.  This year, I tried them out for myself.  I forgot to take pictures along the way, though, so... next time I make some I'll update the instructions.

Homemade Marshmallows
Difficulty: Easy-Medium
Time: Hmmm... not long to cook, can take a while to cut and coat depending on what you do.  This is a great family activity.
Requires: Mixer (stand or hand), and a Candy Thermometer is preferable but not required.

• 2 tbsp of unflavored gelatin (actually measure this out, don't trust the amount in the package as that weight is just an 'average')
• 1/2 cup of water, 3/4 cup of water
• 2 cup of sugar
• 2x1/2 cup of corn syrup (1 cup total)
• 2 tsp vanilla
• Butter for coating pan

1. Dissolve 2 tbsp gelatin in 1/2 c. water.  Set aside.
2. Cook 2 c. sugar, 1/2 c. corn syrup, and 3/4 c. water to 240 degrees using a candy thermometer (hard ball)
3. Remove from heat and add:  1/2 c. corn syrup and 2 Tsp. vanilla.
4. Then pour into a large bowl and beat with a hand mixer.  Don't wait for the mixture to cool; it needs to be hot.  Add 1 tbsp of gelatin at a time as you're beating and beat for about 10 minutes.  The mixture should be white and pretty thick. 
5. Pour mixture into a buttered pan (8x8 for tall, 9x11 or 9x13 for shorter).  You can be lazy and use cooking spray, but I warn you, it really doesn't work as well.  In dry climates, you need to let stand at least six hours.  In humid places like where I live, it's best to let them sit overnight.  Oh, and don't cover them!
6. Cut with a wet knife, or a wet pizza roller.  Roll in coconut (toasted and not-toasted are both delicious), toasted pecans, powdered sugar, or whatever else sounds tasty. 

When they come out, they look something like this:

I then toasted pecans and coconut in the oven.  Just spray the sheet with cooking spray, and watch the coconut carefully.  It'll go from nothing to burnt real fast.  Toast for about 10-15 minutes for both at 325.

I also ground up some chocolate wafer cookies to use as one of my coatings.  The effect was similar to a homemade oreo.  To be truly indulgent, you could use oreos, but that adds a lot of fat and calories.

I even dipped some in chocolate.  Don't overheat your chocolate - it'll melt your marshmallows.  All together, I had five different coatings of deliciousness: