Very Easy Homemade Marshmallows! (5 ingredients, w/o corn syrup)

Hi everyone!

Having leftover gelatin powder from making mousse? Dont know what to do with it? Here's my suggestion: MAKE MARSHMALLOWS!

It was surprisingly simple! I found many recipes, many step-by-step pictures/videos which involved dubious and scary looking sugar syrups, needed me to buy corn syrup/glucose/golden syrup (which comes in a huge bottle and I dont want additional stuff in my kitchen because I want to CLEAR STUFF, not add stuff) so I decided on this really simple, and seemingly manageable (it really is!) recipe!

First, I called Phoon Huat and went round to get this candy thermometer! I think it is quite important that you get a candy thermometer especially if you're a novice at making marshmallows! So that you can tell when the sugar syrup is ready!

Ingredients

1 1/2 tbsp gelatin

1/2 cup ice cold water

1/2 cup honey

1/8 tsp salt (just a pinch or any amt you like)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract (I'd recommend upping this maybe to a tbsp or 1.5 tbsp if you do not like the taste of honey)

Adapted from Z's Cup Of Tea

Step 1: Chill a large mixing bowl (or the one attached to your mixer) and the whisks attached to it in the freezer (or a balloon whisk if you do not have a mixer) for a few minutes (doesnt really matter how long actually! As long as they're really cold)

Step 2: In a small pot, put 1/4 cup of the ice cold water, all the honey and the pinch of salt. Place the candy thermometer in the pot. Heat the pot over medium heat for about 3 minutes then increase the heat slightly until its a gentle boil. Cook until it registers 200ºF on the candy thermometer

Step 3: Take out the mixing bowl and the whisks you have chilled. Put the remaining 1/4 cuup of ice cold water into the bowl. Add the powdered gelatin to the cold water and mix well. It should look like the picture above.

Step 4: Pour the syrup slowly into the softened gelatin, whisking gently until all the syrup is poured in (my mixer was at its slowest speed!) 

Step 5: When all the syrup has been poured in, you can increase your mixer's speed or leave it as 1 if you're scared (that's what I did haha) until the mixture becomes white (like the above picture). Dont worry, it takes awhile (about 5mins or more?). Whisk till it forms soft peaks when you lift your mixer.

Step 6: Add in the vanilla extract (more if you do not like the taste of honey) and continue whisking for about 1-2 minutes until fully incorporated.

Step 7: Line a container you wish to put your marshmallows in with parchment paper and pour the mixture into the container with the help of a spatula. Spread evenly. I recommend you to use a box that is rather small so that your marshmallows will be thick (conventional height kind) and not too thin!

Step 8: Place it in the fridge/freezer to set overnight (I placed mine in the fridge). Most blogs just say to leave it in the open to set overnight, but I think for Singapore's humid weather, the marshmallow will not set, so best to put it in the fridge!

Additions: You can add food colouring (I added 1/8 tsp of pink food colouring) when I added my vanilla extract (I made a 2nd batch). Or you can experiment with adding different types of extracts/oils/juices/food colouring etc!

The next day...

Step 1: Test if the marshmallow is set, if it is, it should not stick to your finger at all (mine did but I just took it out nonetheless because it only stuck to my finger a leeeeetle bit)

Step 2: Pour hot water over a knife and use it to separate the marshmallow from the parchment paper. Also use the knife to cut the marshmallow. If it sticks, put the knife back into the hot water again before continuing. Think you should work fast else it will get sticky in Singapore's disgusting weather haha.

Step 3: Melt chocolate over a double boiler (ie place a bowl on top of a pot of boiling water ensuring that the bottom of the bowl doesnt touch the water) and drizzle it over your marshmallows!!! YUM (: After drizzling, put it back into the freezer/fridge for the chocolate to firm up then you're ready to eat!

You can also roll them in powdered sugar (classic marshmallows), cocoa powder etc

OR you can use your cookie cutters and cut nice cute shapes from your marshmallow!

Mine tasted very much like honey, so yup, think next time I'll be upping the vanilla extract or maybe I'll try using agave nectar (sub the honey for agave nectar). For vegetarians, you can use agar I guess, but I've read some reviewers who've achieved success and some who have not, so try it out for yourself and tell me okay!

I was surprised at how simple it is to make marshmallows! My parents were shocked when I told them I made the marshmallows hehe. So if you want to surprise your friends, or your family members (perhaps show them how good you are hahaha) make marshmallows! Simple, yummy, and everyone's favourite childhood snack!