Homemade Marshmallows

I got a lovely sugar thermometer for Christmas, I had such great plans of making jams and caramel and other delights which require boiling sugar to a specific temperature. So of course I popped it in my baking cupboard and promptly forgot I had it!

I would see recipes which required a thermometer and disregard them thinking I couldn't possibly make it without a thermometer! What a scatter-brain baker I am.

So the other day I was rummaging deep into my baking cupboard looking for Tupperware lids (I always end up with lots of boxes and no lids! How?) I came across this bizarre metal device... MY THERMOMETER!

This little find came at such a great time as I was just in the mood to do something new and exciting! I had seen Helen from Fuss Free Flavours talking about marshmallows on twitter and really wanted to give them a go, then I spied Niamh from Eat Like A Girl had blogged a really great recipe which explained exactly what each part did and how they worked (I love a bit of recipe science)...

So I added gelatine and extra sugar to my weekly shop and away I went!

I was pretty nervous about boiling the sugar, every time I thought about it I had images of Yasmin in the Great British Bake Off last year making caramel and burning herself and the caramel!

I have to say, it went swimmingly! The sugar boiled beautifully and not a single splash touched my skin. I chalk that up as a win!

I am not going to post the exact recipe, but to follow the one I used head over to Eat Like a Girl and check it out.

Niamh's recipe was really easy to follow but I must say I was a bit confused as to how long to whisk it for and what consistency it should be at the end. So after a quick google I found this video from The Joy of Baking.

It shows exactly what it should look like at the end before leaving it to set. I am really glad I watched it otherwise I might have massively under-whipped mine. In hindsight I think mine could maybe of done with a few more minutes in the Kitchenaid.

I placed the gloopy marshmallow fluff into a shallow baking tray which I had greased and powdered as per the recipe and I left it out on the kitchen bench for around 24 hours (mainly because I was hungover and forgot I had made them!)

I was worried about flies and the like feasting on my fluffy marshmallows so I built them a little house out of stacked cooling racks and a tea towel; worked a treat!

I was absolutely thrilled with how they turned out, they slid out of the tin with ease and were perfect to cut with minimal stickyness.

I even cut out some cute shapes using cookie cutters, my favourite was this little gingerbread man cutter, he looks so happy swimming in his hot chocolate jacuzzi.
I think with my next batch I might even pop these little guys on sticks and dip in chocolate/sprinkles!

The texture was so fluffy and light and the delicate vanilla flavours really shone through. I normally find store bought marshmallows a little sickly but these I could eat masses of (and I did!) and not feel too sick.

I really want to try different colours and flavours next, have you ever made marshmallows? I'd love to see some different styles and flavours!

I have entered this post into Maison Cupcakes Zero Baking Required Blog Event