Homemade Marshmallows
I swiped the graham cracker recipe from Gale Gand, why not this one too? As a one-time employee of one of her pastry shops, I’m sure she won’t mind. That or she’ll march down to Louisville and give me what-for with a number 230 tip. I guess I’ll take my chances. Thanks Gale!
4 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons light corn syrup
12 tablespoons sugar
2 egg whites
1 tablespoon gelatin
2 tablespoons cold water
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Combine the water, the corn syrup, and the sugar in a saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer. Bring to a boil and boil to “soft-ball” stage, or about 235 degrees F.
Meanwhile, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Sprinkle the gelatin over the 2 tablespoons cold water and let dissolve. When the syrup reaches 235 degrees F, remove it from the heat, add the gelatin, and mix. Pour the syrup into the whipped egg whites. Add the vanilla and continue whipping until stiff and mostly cooled. Transfer to a pastry bag with a large plain tip. Pipe directly onto powdered sugar-covered cookie sheets and let set until ready to use, at least 1 hour or overnight.
so cooking spray in the bottom of the pan or powdered sugar? I think I missed something!
Hi Inger! Cooking spray goes in the pan. The powdered sugar comes into the picture when you’re cutting them.
Thanks for the question!
– Joe
Hi Joe,
My pre-teen friend and I finally got to the marshmallow-making this week, and it was a big success. It surprised me how quickly it all went together. We live at 7500′ altitude so had the added step of calibrating the candy thermometer in hot water (it read 200 degrees so we only boiled the sugar to 323) and it came out perfectly. Your directions and photos are *excellent*. Thanks!
Great to know that high altitude marshmallows work, Kathy. Very kind of you to write in and let me know!
– Joe
Oh, and our next project will be Cardinal Slices. One week we’ll practice ladyfingers, the next meringue, and then we’ll go for the whole thing!
Oooh yeah….let me know how that goes. They can be a bit of a challenge, but I can tell already you’re up for it. Best of luck!
– Joe
Passionfruit marshmallow is one of life’s great pleasures. I’m not sure if you can find passionfruit pulp in the US, but it’s available in supermarkets here in Australia, and it makes the most amazing tangy, sweet, summery marshmallow.
What an idea! Thanks very much, Jesse. I’ve seen that stuff somewhere, now I have motivation to go out and find it.
Cheers,
– Joe
Mr Pastry,
I found a video recipe for marshmallow, and instead of using egg whites, the cook only used a syrup mixture (with corn syrup added to it), and a gelatin mixture of water, and gelatin. I would like to know what difference this would make?
Thank you!
Hey Prof!
Is there anyway you could revisit these? I have a couple of questions and also I’m overseas so I’m not sure how US gelatin is comparable to Zelatyna in Poland. When I mixed Zelatyna and water using your proportions I got a partially dry solid/powder mass. I diluted it, and my marshmallows came out OK. Could you give a further explanation on if the gelatin should be partially stiff with the cold water or completely pourable? Also as these marshmallows contain egg whites, how long can you store them?
Thanks! Elle
Hey Elle!
Your result with the gelatin was right. The idea is to hydrate the gelatin with a small amount of water. You get a product resembling rubber, then you just melt it into the hot syrup when it reaches the proper temperature.
So you were mostly doing it the right way, though I have a feeling that the extra water might have made them a little gummy.
– Joe