I Wanna Make Marshmallows!

My Homemade Marshmallows

Adapted from Delicious Magazine April, 2011 Edition

April 2011 Edition of Delicious

Ingredients

• 120ml liquid, cool
• 23g powdered gelatine (2 sachets of Dr. Oketer Gelatine Powder)
• 440g Caster Sugar
• 160ml Golden Syrup
• Oil for Greasing
• Corn flour for coating or icing sugar
• A sugar thermometer

Flavours

Delicious suggest using strong flavours that the sugar won't overpower; spices, coffee, chocolate, nuts, vanilla, liqueurs, berry fruit, and citrus. Not so good flavours would be apple and pear and other more subtle flavours. For fruit flavoured marshmallows use a puree or even a smoothie as the liquid in step 1. Likewise if using spices they need to be heated gently in water for 20mins to form a infusion which can also be used as the liquid in step 1 but don't forget to strain it and let it cool down first. For fatty flavours such as nuts, cocoa, or coffee and alcohol based drinks or extracts such as Baileys, or vanilla extract reduce the volume of the mixture and therefore shouldn't be added until step 5 and just use water in step 1. 

Recipe

1. Pour the liquid into a bowl and sprinkle over the gelatine and set aside to allow the liquid to soak up the gelatine
2. Heat the golden syrup, sugar and enough water to cover in a saucepan on a low heat until the sugar has dissolved.
3. Turn up the heat and bring the mixture to the boil. Wait for the mixture to reach 130 degrees Celsius and then take it off the heat and allow it to cool for a minute. (I found 4 minutes after the mixture begins to boil is about 130 degrees. Above 140 degrees it begins to burn)
4. Whisk the gelatine and liquid on a medium speed and then start to gently add the syrup down the sides of the mixing bowl. The mixture should grow in volume like a stiff meringue. (This took a long time to happen)
5. Once all the syrup has being added continue whisking until the mixture becomes really thick and cools down a bit. A bubblegum texture should form on the surface. Add any flavours now and whisk briefly.
6. Line a tin with cling film and grease well with oil and pour the mixture in. Cover and allow to cool for at least 2 hours in a cool place. 
7. When firm remove the cling film and coat in corn flour, and then chop up using a greased scissors and greased hands! The marshmallows can be eaten straightway or kept in an airtight container for upto 2 weeks. (I found they improved overnight) 

To read more about my attempt at marshmallows and to see photos of the recipe in action view my post  Marshmallow Madness or have a look at some other treats, Biscuit Cake and Summer Treats!