This week, we decided to junk our initial plan when we saw the Too Cute Tuesday Saint Louis branch had a better idea: Homemade marshmallows. Not very difficult, these were all the rage a Christmas or two ago when I saw them in higher end gift giving magazines.
Sam got ready for the process of spreading the marshmallow mixture by oiling her hands…it didn’t help a ton.
No matter what, it’s kind of messy… but delicious messy.
We used this recipe but most of the other ones we ran into online seem similar: http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Marshmallows
The mixture worked hard for us while we did our other dishes. That’s right, at Too Cute Tuesday, we practice no trace crafting.
It was just Sam and I this week but since Dorrie is nice and also has a standing mixer, we crashed her house to craft. That said, we practiced no trace crafting.
You will also appreciate this week that I bought a bottle of riesling for the cocktail portion of the evening only to find Dorrie’s wine bottle opener was broken.*le sigh
Even without our cocktail though, we still had a great time!
Materials
Corn starch
Powdered sugar
Oil
Parchment paper
Pan
Non-flavored gelatin
Corn syrup
Granulated sugar
Pot
Cooking thermometer
Standing mixer
Water
Vanilla flavoring
Scissors
A willingness to get sticky
Cocktail of the Night: Some cheap riesling Nicole got at the grocery store for $6, couldn’t open because the wine opener wasn’t working, then left at Dorrie’s house. D’oh!
Cleaning up, if it involves a crapload of sugar, can be the best part.
1. Mix equal parts corn starch and powdered sugar. We did one cup of each and had way more than needed.
2. Put gelatin (3 packets) and cold water (1/2 cup) in the bowl of the standing mixer. Let develop.
3. While the gelatin is doing its thing, mix 2/3 cup corn syrup, 2 cups granulated sugar, and 1/4 cup water in a pot over medium heat. Stir and heat mixture to 244 degrees F.
4. Once mixture is at that temperature, dump it into the mixing bowl with the water and gelatin, which is now puffy.
5. Mix at the fastest setting for 15 minutes. During the last minute, add flavoring and/or coloring desired. We added a couple teaspoons of pure vanilla extract because we like regular marshmallow flavor.
6. While things are mixing, take a pan and line with parchment paper. Oil it and dust the corn starch/sugar mixture from step one.
7. Pour the marshmallow mixture into the pan. Sprinkle with additional corn starch/sugar mixture. Let set at least four hours (or in our case, overnight).
8. The next day, cover your scissors in the corn starch/sugar mixture and cut up your block o marshmallow into convenient sizes.
I won’t lie, Sam and I did take some tastes while cleaning up. “Wow, this tastes like marshmallow!” she said. That’s always a good sign at Too Cute Tuesday.
The true test was of course trying them the next day. And they’re actually good!
The magical Sam will now hold the whisk with only the force of her gaze… and the power of marshmallow goo.
So there you have it, an easy way to impress people the next time you serve hot cocoa and cleanup that involves a bowl lick. Aren’t you crafty, and a bit sticky?
Too Cute Tuesday is a weekly event involving friends, a craft, and a cocktail. To learn more, check us out on Facebook or browse our crafty archives.