Homemade Marshmallows

Sorry for the really mediocre photograph. It really doesn't do these justice. I got my friend Meghan to try this recipe out for me on her food blog a few months ago, and I finally made them myself a couple of weeks ago. So much fun! This was sure to be just the first installment of homemade marshmallows over the holiday season!

• 3 packets unflavored gelatin
• 1 cup ice water, divided
• 1.5 cups sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 kosher salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup corn starch
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• Nonstick cooking spray

1. Pour gelatin into bowl of a stand mixer and add 1/2 of the ice water. Stir gently to combine and then set aside.

2. In a small saucepan, mix the remaining 1/2 cup ice water, corn syrup, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer until mixture comes to 245 degrees. This takes about 20 minutes, so stir periodically and watch the temperature.

3. When mixture reaches 245 degrees, remove from heat and slowly pour it into your gelatin mixture while mixer is on low speed.

4. When all of the sugar mixture is incorporated, turn mixer up to medium high and whip for 12-15 more minutes, adding vanilla and any food coloring the last couple minutes of beating.

5. While mixture is beating, combine cornstarch and powdered sugar in a small bowl. Then spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick cooking spray and coat with the cornstarch mixture. Tap out excess and save it for later.

6. When the marshmallow mixture is done, it should be thick and fluffy and lukewarm. It should be similar to jarred marshmallow fluff in texture. With a spatula, scrape mixture into the prepared pan. It can help to run your spatula under warm water first. Spread the mixture out evenly.

7. Let the mixture sit out in the pan for about an hour, until it develops a dry layer on top. Then, sprinkle the top with the the cornstarch mixture and cover with plastic wrap to sit overnight.

8. When they're ready to cut, just pull the marshmallow sheet out of the pan--it should come right out. Cut the marshmallows into the desired size and shape (I used a pizza cutter and it worked great), then dust with the cornstarch mixture to keep them from sticking. Place in an air-tight container and these will last for a few weeks.

I added orange food coloring to mine, then dipped them in white chocolate and yellow sugar to give them a festive candy-corn feel. They were a delicious, beautiful, sugar overload! One other note: make sure to put your marshmallow dishes in hot water right away or clean-up will be a miserable task!