December 3, 2003

By Cathy Barber / The Dallas Morning News

Cathy Barber writes about food every other week. Contact her at cbarber@dallasnews.com

Homemade marshmallows have emerged as the great equalizer of the food world.

Google the recipe, and you'll find one on a site for home-school families and also one from the French Laundry in Napa Valley, arguably one of the top restaurants in the country. I'd say that pretty much covers it.

Natalie Caudill / The Dallas Morning News These homemade marshmallows leave their manufactured cousins in the dust.

So why do people pay as much as $17 for less than a pound of "homemade marshmallows"? The ingredients — sugar, gelatin, corn syrup — cost practically nothing.

You need a heavy-duty stand mixer, a candy thermometer and a basic understanding of kitchen terms, and you're set.

People are fascinated by homemade marshmallows. Dredged in confectioners' sugar, they're as messy as a good beignet. They're firmer and chewier than the bagged version.

Package a dozen or so in a tin for a hostess gift, or serve them with hot chocolate.

I went with a recipe from marthastewart.com. Criminal or not, the woman still makes a good marshmallow. Check out the snowflake versions on the cover of this month's Martha Stewart Living.

For our purposes, we will start with simple squares.

Here's the recipe from the Web site, reworded slightly and with cook's notes.

The site also has a recipe made in a smaller pan, but if you're going to do it, why not make a big batch?

Making marshmallows

Place 3/4 cup of water and 4 packets of unflavored gelatin in the bowl of a large electric mixer with whisk attachment. Using a spoon, stir to combine, but don't worry if the gelatin doesn't dissolve.

In a medium saucepan, place 3 cups of sugar, 1 1/4 cups of light corn syrup, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and another 3/4 cup of water. Stir well and bring to a boil over high heat.

Be careful; eventually the mixture will foam up, and it's very hot.

Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan and cook until the mixture reaches 240 F.

Start the mixer on low speed and carefully add the hot syrup to the gelatin mixture.

When the syrup is incorporated, increase the mixer speed to high. I used a KitchenAid; they're notorious for overbeating, so I only turned it to 8 (out of 10).

Leave the mixer running for 20 to 30 minutes; the mixture will increase in volume and eventually reach the stiff peak stage.

It will start to look jagged around the edges of the mixer bowl.

While the mixer is running, brush a 9x13-inch pan with vegetable oil.

When the mixture reaches stiff peaks, add 2 teaspoons of vanilla and mix well. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth with an offset spatula. Let it sit out overnight, uncovered (and away from cats and kids).

When you're ready to cut the marshmallows, dust the top with confectioners' sugar.

Martha suggests using a sharp knife coated in oil, but I found that a good pair of kitchen shears — the kind that come apart for thorough cleaning — worked best.

Cut the marshmallows into manageable squares. How big is manageable? They're easier to eat if you pop the whole thing in your mouth, so run a test and see what works for you.

Dust or roll the marshmallows in more confectioners' sugar. Or put two or three in a bag with the sugar and shake them, making sure they don't stick together. Store them in tins with wax paper between the layers.

Be prepared for friends to be impressed and amazed.