Making Homemade Marshmallows
You know what one of the best things about spending the summer in the US is? S’mores! Gobs and gobs of s’mores.
I actually had to teach our German friends how to make the North American camping staple when they were visiting the US. It’s kind of weird teaching 20-something-year-olds how to make s’mores. Roasting marshmallows and squeezing them between graham crackers and chocolate is something you’re born knowing around here.
Fortunately, when my sister and her hubby came to visit, they knew just what to do. In fact, s’more making runs so deep in our blood that we decided to step things up a notch. Now I’m not talking doubling up the marshmallows on our roasting sticks here. That challenge was mastered years ago (back when we could actually handle that much sugar!). We decided to turn in a different direction…
We made our own marshmallows!
The little cutie showing them off is my sister. She’s a professional cake decorator, so who better to get involved in a little marshmallow making? Here’s the recipe we found for about 20 marshmallows from an old magazine article (I’m thinking Martha Stewart):
Homemade Marshmallows
1. Drop the gelatin and 1/4 cup water together in a mixer. Don’t stir! You’re going to have to beat the stuff a long time to give the marshmallows their fluff, so a standing mixer is best.
2. Combine sugar, corn syrup, and water in a saucepan. Stir frequently over medium/low heat until mixture reaches 238 degrees F. We used Martin’s handy Christmas gift to measure the temperature for us. Oops – one degree too hot. No biggie.
3. Slowly add the hot mixture into the mixer as it runs on low. Increase the mixer’s speed to high and whip for 15 minutes. The mixture will begin fluffing and looking white like melted marshmallow. In the end, the fluff should be three times its original size. Add the vanilla and beat slightly.
4. Pour into an 8×8 inch pan (you did read the instructions ahead of time and greased it and sprinkled heavily with powdered sugar, right?). Spread and dust the fluff with powdered sugar. Don’t worry about being perfect; it’s too gooey.
5. Wait at least four hours. Wait. And taste the bowl to begin the sugar buzz early. And wait some more. (We finally had to just leave the house!)
6. After a million hours have passed, spread powdered sugar across the top of the fluff – which is now marshmallow! – and cut into squares.
7. Pull out the roasting sticks. Marshmallows are apparently good for about a week. We didn’t make it 12 hours.
Do you love making things from scratch, too? I always like to at least once. I’d totally make my own marshmallows again. (My sister reports that they make the world’s best rice crispy treats.)
What about you guys? Any marshmallow making experiences? Is there anything else you’ve always wanted to try and need a few guinea pigs to scope it out? Do share.
We’re not going to leave you hanging there. Tomorrow – homemade graham crackers.
(Images for Making This Home)
Keep it green and simple with 2 more ideas:
July 13th, 2009 at 5:56 am
That’s really cool! I love the idea of s’mores better than the reality of them though. You can have mine. Deal? There is a restaurant in my town that does table top s’mores. It’s pretty cool. They smell fantastic. Home-made bread. That’s my home-made thing. And chicken soup. I bombed both so many times when I was young that my mom and dad won’t try them, but they are good now.
July 13th, 2009 at 6:22 am
Your sister is a cutie pie – and a cake decorator to boot?! Wow! What a fun career!
I am super impressed Katie. Where is the gelatin in the store? Baking aisle, I presume? And corn syrup? Same place? What if you don’t have one of those thermometers? What would you suggest? Buying one? What else do you use it for?
And homemade graham crackers sound perfect – ms foo LOVES graham crackers – and I’d LOVE to make them for her! I can’t wait for that one!!!
July 13th, 2009 at 6:49 am
My kids love marshmallows so I will have to try this! They will even want to make them with me. I am really looking forward to your graham cracker recipe. I tried making some once, and they were good, but haven’t made them since.
I love baking bread. It smells so good and is gone so fast. I’ve always wanted to can or preserve vegetables or fruit, but never have.
July 13th, 2009 at 7:28 am
Christy,
-gelatin and corn syrup are both in the baking aisle. The gelatin is probably pretty close to all the puddings and jellos.
-you can use a basic candy thermometer instead of a digital one, and they’re pretty cheap.
Gretchen, I’ll gladly snatch up your share. Maybe give some to Jennifer’s kids. :)
July 13th, 2009 at 8:16 am
We used to make those, but with a slightly different twist. We made molds out of flour. Spread plain old flour into a cake pan, 1 1/2″ thick or more. Then take an egg. press into flour to make a half egg molds. Make several rows of egg molds. Carefully pour marshmallow stuff inside molds. Let dry, then carefully fish out with fork. gently allow flour to coat all sides and lay onto waxed paper. then after blowing most of the flour off (perhaps outside, but we never did, we just made a floury mess) dip in melted chocolate.
Chocolate covered marshmallow Easter eggs. mmmmm nothing better. It makes it so you can’t buy those other ones that come from the factories, made last October for this Easter.
~a
July 13th, 2009 at 8:31 am
Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t gelatin an animal product? And aren’t you a vegetarian? Or did you find vegetarian gelatin? Because these look great.
July 13th, 2009 at 8:32 am
I’ve never been able to find vegan/vegetarian gelatin. Even kosher gelatin is just made from fish bones, rather than cow/horse. What would be a substitute for gelatin for those who do not eat it?
July 13th, 2009 at 8:58 am
Annie, the use of flour instead of powdered sugar makes wonderful sense. I’d certainly do that in the future.
As for gelatin…
Christine and Julie, you are so very right. My cousin is a vegan; she found a site where she can order vegan marshmallows. In Germany, we can find vegan gummy candies (gummy candies are huge there, and most contain gelatin).
But when it came to trying this recipe, we did not succeed in finding a vegetarian alternative for gelatin. It’s such a tricky thing to truly make everything vegetarian. At Mexican restaurants, the beans are cooked with lard. Many places cook their food in lard or use chicken and beef broth for “vegetarian” soups. We don’t eat marshmallows other than in s’mores in the US or jellos because of the gelatin. So what would have been the best solution? I am still not totally sure. Any time you alter your diet for moral or environmental issues, there are always these questions.
What would you have done?
Katie
July 13th, 2009 at 9:57 am
I do love making things from scratch, but I’ve never tried marshmallows. This sounds like a great summer activity to do with the kids when they’re just a little older. I’ve bookmarked the recipe to use when I’m ready, thanks! :)
July 13th, 2009 at 10:59 am
I honestly did not know you could make marshmallows. This is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen. Well, not the coolest thing, but pretty darn close. I’m so going to have to try this one day.
July 13th, 2009 at 11:21 am
Katie — in that instance, I don’t think I would’ve had marshmallows! But that’s mainly because chocolate is now out for me, as are graham crackers and corn syrup — all for health reasons — and marshmallows are low on my “must have” list. If I was able to eat those things and loved them, and if I was vegetarian? I’d probably bend the rules.
A quick Google search revealed that Elizabeth Falkner, who wrote NDemolition Desserts, has a recipe for marshmallows that uses xanthan gum instead of gelatin. I happen to have some xanthan gum that I won’t use (I tried it and because it’s made from corn, I had a bad reaction to it), and I’d be more than happy to pass it along! There’s also this Vegan Marshmallows website that has a recipe that calls for guar gum, which is very similar to xanthan gum but it’s made from legumes. Phew! Not exactly run-of-the-mill ingredients, you know?
July 13th, 2009 at 8:23 pm
I’ve always wanted to make marshmellows from scratch! It does seem like a little bit of work though. Maybe I’ll go for it when I get an outdoor firepit. I’m interested to see your homemade graham cracker recipe.
July 14th, 2009 at 3:06 am
Your sister is a cutie! Homemade marshmallows? Now I have seen everything! That’s a first for me! :)
July 15th, 2009 at 10:17 am
We made these today. I usually don’t buy or eat gelatin products, either, but this was too cool to pass up. My kids had no idea you could make marshmallows, so it was a learning experience for all of us. And they were disgusted by the smell of the gelatin and once they learned where it came from, they were totally grossed out. But we are still going to eat them, and invite some friends over to make smores tonight.
Now, on to the graham crackers!
July 15th, 2009 at 10:02 pm
OMG! I totally bookmarked this for future reference. Homemade marshmallows are SO worth the effort. The store-bought ones are nothing like the Real Deal.
July 15th, 2009 at 10:50 pm
How Martha of you guys!! :) I’ll have to try this someday – I don’t think I’ve ever tried homemade ones, they sound yummy!!!
July 16th, 2009 at 11:33 am
Thanks for the awesome gelatin replacement info, SavvyChristine. We’re all over that for next time!
Katie
July 19th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
once you have tasted the home made ones, you will never want to go back to the old store bought ones. These are so soft and delicious. Store bought are months old and chewy and sticky.
Glad you posted this recipe. I love graham crackers and want to try this recipe. Glad your all your posts weren’t lost. I wondered what had happened.
xxoo
~a
July 20th, 2009 at 6:52 pm
You reminded me this is on my someday to try list- glad you found them worth it I’ll have to give your recipe a go one of these days.
Glad I found you on BPOTW.