Honey-Sweetened Homemade Marshmallows

I adapted my recipe for Marshmallows from the Nourishing Gourmet. I doubled hers, and used the process I was familiar with from my older recipe for marshmallows.  

Honey-Sweetened Homemade Marshmallows
4 packets plain gelatin (a little less than 3 Tbls)
1 cup cold water
1 cup honey
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Butter a 9x9 pan. Put 1/2 cup of water in the bowl of a mixer with a whisk , and sprinkle the gelatin over the water. Set aside to soften. (I sprinkle one packet at a time and let it sit in between so it doesn't get clumpy.)

In a small pot, place the honey, salt, and the other 1/2 cup of water. Heat on medium heat. Using a candy thermometer, bring the mixture to 248 degrees. It takes about 7-8 minutes to reach this temperature. Remove from the heat as soon as it’s at the right temperature.

Turn the mixer with the gelatin on low, very slowly pour the hot syrup in a thin stream into the gelatin mixture. Once combined, add the vanilla and increase speed to high. Beat for 10- 15 minutes, or until the mixture is thick and fluffy and cooled down to a lukewarm temperature. Scrape into the prepared pan and leave, uncovered, for at least 4 hours or until set and mostly dry.

Pull the edges away from the side of the pan with a spatula. Sprinkle the top with cocoa powder, toasted coconut, or for classic marshmallows a mixture of half powdered sugar and half corn starch. Flip the pan over on top of a cutting board and let the marshmallow slowly fall out--you can give it a bit of help with the spatula around the edges. Cut into squares and toss in a bowl with your desired coating.

 For S'mores- These did toast up better the next day when they'd dried out for longer, so if you want them for roasting--make at least a day in advance.

Homemade Marshmallows

Jeremy has an awesome vintage 70's cookbook with all kinds of crazy recipes.  I've made these homemade marshmallows quite a few times.  

**FYI: This recipe contains corn syrup or glucose, which is an industrial product but is not synonymous with high-fructose corn syrup.  Corn syrup is very helpful in many kinds of home candy making as it helps prevent the super-saturated sucrose (granulated sugar) solution from bunching up and crystallizing by literally getting "in the way" of the sucrose molecules.  (Thank you Alton Brown.)

This recipe takes 5 hours and a candy thermometer.

Ingredients:
water
2 envelopes unflavored (Knox)gelatin
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup**
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbl powdered sugar
1 Tbl corn starch

Directions: Lightly butter a 9x13 pan.

In a small saucepan pour in 2/3 cup water, sprinkle gelatin over the top. Set saucepan over low heat and stir until gelatin dissolves.

Heat sugar, corn syrup, and 1/2 cup hot water in a 2-qt. saucepan. Stir until mixture comes to a boil, then cover and cook 5 min. (Important to remove sugar crystals.) Then set candy thermometer in place. Boil without stirring. Occasionally wash down the sides of the pan with a pasty brush dipped in water to remove crystals.

Right before mixture reaches firm ball stage (248 degrees F.) place gelatin mixture in the bowl of your mixer. (If it has gelled already just slightly reheat it to loosen the gel.)

When the syrup reaches 248 remove from heat and immediately pour syrup in a fine stream into gelatin with the mixer running on high.

Beat constantly until thick and lukewarm (about 20 minutes) then blend in vanilla.

Turn marshmallow mixture into buttered pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Let stand uncovered in a cool-ish place on a cooling rack until completely cool and set (about 4 hours).

Combine powdered sugar and corn starch and sift over top of cooled marshmallows. Run a spatula around the sides of pan and invert on a cutting board.

Cut marshmallows into squares using a knife dipped in warm water. Immediately roll marshmallows in more sugar/corn starch.

You can allow to set overnight- or eat them right away--enjoy!