Chef Gina Makes Gourmet Marshmallows, 3 ways

Active Time: 30 min

Total Time: Overnight

Yields: 48 Medium Marshmallows

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Vanilla Marshmallow/Base:

Ingredients

.75 OZ UNFLAVORED GELATIN, OR 3 ENVELOPES KNOX BRAND GELATIN
½ CUP COLD WATER
2 CUPS GRANULATED SUGAR
2/3 CUPS LIGHT CORN SYRUP
¼ CUP WATER
1 TBS VANILLA EXTRACT
½ CUP POWDERED SUGAR
¼ CUP CORN STARCH

Gingerbread Marshmallow:

Ingredients

BASE INGREDIENTS LISTED ABOVE, PLUS:
(NO VANILLA EXTRACT)
1 ½ TSP GROUND GINGER
1 TSP GROUND CINNAMON
½ TSP GROUND NUTMEG
½ TSP GROUND CLOVES

Funfetti Marshmallow:

Ingredients

BASE INGREDIENTS LISTED ABOVE, PLUS:
ONLY ½ TSP VANILLA EXTRACT
¼ TSP ALMOND EXTRACT
A FEW DROPS FOOD COLORING OF CHOICE (I USE PINK)
½ CUP SPRINKLES

Directions

Line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, add gelatin to ½ cup cold water and let sit while you make the rest of the recipe. Fit with whisk attachment *If making the gingerbread flavored recipe, add remaining ingredients now to this gelatin mixture.
Combine sugar, corn syrup, and ¼ cup water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until sugar dissolves, then stop stirring. Allow this sitting mixture to come to a rapid boil and allow to boil, untouched for a full minute.
Remove from heat and carefully pour the boiling syrup into soaked gelatin with mixer on low. Once boiling sugar is completely poured in, turn the mixer on high speed and mix for 10-12 mins. The mixture will become fluffy and cool to nearly room temperature
While mixing, grease a rubber spatula with a neutral-flavored oil (I use coconut) to prepare for transfer from bowl to a baking dish, this gets sticky!
With approx. 1-2 mins left of mixing, add vanilla extract *If making funfetti marshmallows, add food coloring and almond extract now too. Once mixing is done, quickly fold in sprinkles with a greased spatula.
Pour fluff mixture into prepared baking dish. Let sit, uncovered, overnight to dry out. Once it is no longer tacky to the touch, mix powdered sugar and cornstarch and sprinkle over top of marshmallows and over large knife. Keep coating knife as needed with powdered sugar mixture until all marshmallows are cut. Toss cut marshmallows with powdered sugar mixture to coat all sides. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 weeks.

Notes

Several recipes call for the “boiling sugar mixture” to get to a temperature of 242 degrees (or firm ball stage), I found the rapid boil for one minute is easier to gage and you don’t risk overheating the mixture (thus it getting too hard)
The flavor options are endless, you could add cocoa powder to the gelatin mix in step 2 and/or peppermint extract in step 6 for chocolate or mint chocolate marshmallows. Once you get the basic recipe down, get creative!

About Chef Gina Veneziano

Chef Gina has spent a lifetime in food – from the butcher shop to food trucks, and catering kitchens to innovation kitchens. She prides herself in being the only person to successfully recreate her grandmother’s famous meatballs. You can usually catch her, apron on, and a glass of prosecco in hand – cheers!