Smitten?s Homemade Marshmallows

I impulse shop.

I am not even gonna sit here and justify how when I went to Walmart I picked up a 2 lb bag of confectioner sugar that was only $1.09 and i bought it thinking: Marshmallows.

Then I saw a recipe and realized that there was a lot more to marshmallows than powdered sugar. In fact, the powdered sugar is nothing compared to the other ingredients needed. Once i got my ingredients I sought the Diva: Ms. Smitten Kitchen to make her marshmallows. What you are about to read is a huge success. It helps that my friend Carissa tried this recipe first and emailed me RAVING about it saying it was fool proof.

Not that she was calling me a fool?or doubted my skillz in the kitch-

but i have been known to jack up a recipe every now and then?

Homemade Marshmallows (courtesy of Deb from Smitten Kitchen who adapted this recipe from Gourmet Magazine)

Makes about 96 1-inch cubed marshmallows, supposedly (i got about 89)

1 cup confectioners? sugar
3 1/2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1 cup cold water, divided
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large egg whites
1 tablespoon vanilla

To start, set 1/2 cup cold water with gelatin in a mixing bowl to soften up. DO NOT TAKE A WHIFF OF THIS STUFF- it is stinky! (apparently, i sniff everything!) And not to worry- the stink goes away once you beat the crap out of the sugar.

While that is chilling out in the mixing bowl,

Boil sugar, corn syrup and water for about 12 minutes (if you have a candy thermometer- boil till 240*) (but seriously, bless Deb for testing this out for us poor souls without ALL the tools) when the sugar has reached its temperature, pour onto gelatin mix in your mixing bowl. Fold the mix until its all mixed up?

Then beat the sugar and gelatin on high for 6 minutes till its three times its size.

be warned?. this be sticky!

I was indeed playing with the sticky bits? next in a separate bowl, beat eggs whites, salt and vanilla with a hand held mixer till stiff peaks are formed. Fold the egg whites into the marshmallow mix.

Then mix it up in the mixer again to make sure its def mixed?

Its glossy! and Sticky! and can be jarred and made into fluff at this point? but we want marshmallows.

In a 9x13 inch baking pan, coat with a thin layer of oil and a dusting of powdered sugar. Pour the fluff mixture into the pan.

Dust the top with powdered sugar and put it in the refrigerator for 3 hours.

LONGEST THREE HOURS OF MY LIFE. But I spent them wisely cleaning all the stuff that was now coated in boiled sugar and fluffy fluff mix... hot water is key.

but in the end?it was worth it. I removed the giant brick of marshmallow from the pan and sliced it into 89 pieces?(plus one that went right into my mouth)

After cutting the marshmallows, roll them in more powdered sugar to prevent stickage. And if you can help it, save some for toasting?

Because toasted homemade marshmallows are like crack?

till you burn your lips. But even then you still cant get enough.

And you bag them up in ziploc baggies, take to work while people compare them to the likes of City bakery (::raisin the roof::) and be sad when they are all gone and you type up this post wishing there were still some left for you to burn your lips on.

Or even to just shove into your mouth as is.

They are THAT good people.

I will never buy a marshmallow again.