Flavored Marshmallows

I'm not sure what came over me.  I was driving to Los Angeles yesterday and it dawned on me that I'd like to make marshmallows.  I get most of my ideas while driving, which maybe is why I am such a poor driver.   Sometimes my ideas are a little...impractical.  Like making plus 200 marshmallows, perhaps on the impractical side.  By the end of it I felt like I was living in an Easter colored bounce house made of marshmallows. 

Marshmallows are strange.  No one thinks of making them at home.  And I can understand that.  They're a bit time consuming and it's almost cheaper to just buy them at the market.  But I can guarantee you that your jet-puff grocery bought marshmallows lack the springy loveliness of a homemade marshmallow.  I'm not sure what makes for the difference but homemade marshmallows are incomparably more delicate, certainly lighter.  It occurred to me that if I were to assign babies a flavor, they would probably taste like homemade marshmallows--in a world where I had the power to do that sort of thing.  

Also another plus for homemade marshmallows are the exciting flavor possibilities.  If all you're looking for is a plain marshmallow, I suppose Kraft does just fine but my mouth bores easily.  

I made:

Coconut marshmallows with coconut flakes

Raspberry marshmallows

Lemon marshmallows

Maple Praline Marshmallows

Vanilla Marshmallows

My favorite was the maple praline with crunchy bits of praline.  I was very pleased.  

Ingredients:

3 1/2 packets of Knox gelatin

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup cold water (divided)

1/2 cup light corn syrup

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon desired flavoring (i.e. vanilla extract, coconut extract)

2 egg whites

1. whisk together the gelatin and 1/2 cup cold water in a large mixing bowl and set aside

2. in a pot heat the granulated sugar, corn syrup, and remaining 1/2 cup cold water at medium heat for about 10 minutes (make sure that the sugar does not burn)

3. add the sugar syrup to the gelatin and beat together for about 10 minutes or until the mixture begins to almost triple in volume and it begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl

4. in a separate bowl beat the egg whites with cleaned beaters until they hold stiff peaks

5. beat the egg whites into the marshmallow mixture until well combined

6. add flavoring and food coloring if desired and beat until the coloring has blended completely

7. oil and dust a large casserole dish with confectioners sugar

8. pour the marshmallow mixture into the dusted dish

9. sprinkle additional confectioners sugar over the top of the marshmallows

10. allow to sit for at least 3 hours

11. after at least 3 least hours have elapsed take a knife and insert it at several points along the edge of the dish and pull inwards to tear the marshmallow sheet away from the sides

12. invert the marshmallow sheet onto a surface that has been dusted with confectioners sugar

13. with kitchen shears cut the marshmallows into 1 x 1 inch squares and dust all sides with confectioners sugar