Sunday, December 6, 2009

Peppermint Marshmallows



Homemade marshmallows, so perfectly light and springy. They just melt in your mouth.

I have yet to find a store bought marshmallow that can beat homemade. Not even the absurdly priced marshmallows from Williams Sonoma ($16!) that Mother Humble left behind can quite equal them. Granted, those Williams Sonoma marshmallows are really good, but these are better.

Continuing my Chocolate-Peppermint theme, I've decided to make some hot cocoa tonight with homemade peppermint marshmallows. In just a minute these light and fluffy pillows turn an ordinary cup of hot cup of cocoa into a creamy, peppermint infused mug of the warm and fuzzies.



Not so Humble Peppermint Marshmallows:
Adapted from Marthastewart.com

2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 oz unflavored gelatin (four packages)
2-3 drops peppermint oil
2 large egg whites
rice flour

Coat a 9x13 metal pan with nonstick spray. Place a piece of parchment into the bottom of the pan and coat it with nonstick spray as well. Separate your eggs and place the whites into your stand mixer or mixing bowl and set aside.

In a large heavy bottomed saucepan (the bigger the better) heat 3/4 cup of water, sugar and corn syrup over medium heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Once the mixture boils attach your candy thermometer and turn up the heat to almost medium high. Bring the mixture to 260°F without stirring, this should take roughly 7-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan bring two cups of water to a boil. Using a heat-safe bowl, add 3/4 cup cold water and sprinkle the gelatin on top. Allow the gelatin to bloom for about five minutes then move the bowl to the pot of simmering water. Set the bowl into the simmering water and whisk until gelatin has totally dissolved. Mix in the drops of peppermint oil and set aside. Now would also be the time to beat the egg whites to stiff but not dry peaks.

Once the sugar hits 260°F take it off the heat and slowly, while whisking, add the gelatin to the pot of sugar. It will bubble up. A lot. This is where you'll be happy you chose a pot with high sides. Take this mixture over to your egg whites and while beating slowly add it to your bowl. Beat the mixture on medium high speed for about 7-8 minutes until it has nearly tripled in volume and quickly move the mixture to your greased pan.

Working quickly, spread the marshmallow evenly into the pan and allow to cool for several hours.

Once cool cut around the outside of the pan and turn out onto a greased piece of parchment. It should pop right out. Using a long thin knife (or if you want really nice clean cuts, use a guitar string) and cut into pieces. Toss the pieces in a bowl of rice flour to remove any stickiness.

These are also yummy dipped in chocolate, rolled in crushed candy canes and then tossed into a hot cup of coffee or espresso. Mmmmm... peppermint mocha.

14 comments:

  1. Just found your blog today and I'm loving it!

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  2. If you're looking for the best idea since sliced bread, look no farther than the Cocomotion, a glorified stir/hot plate that makes the BEST hot cocoa in the world. I kid you not.

    http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=1894448

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  3. i have been on a peppermint kick; i would love these for my hot cocoa!

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  4. Is there a vegetarian version that doesn't use gelatin? Would pectin work?

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  5. I'm pretty sure pectin wouldn't work. There are some kosher gelatin's on the market that are vegan. Agar is also an option since it is a gelatin that is derived from seaweed.

    The kosher gelatin should work fine as is, however the agar might require some testing and adjustments. Another option is to check out the vegetarian and vegan recipes for marshmallows out there on the web. Any plain marshmallow recipe can be flavored with peppermint extract or oil to create a vegetarian peppermint marshmallow

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  6. great recipe! Just made it today (after working through a failed marshmellow recipe that I found in the newspaper) and they came out just right!

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  7. Can you use a glass pan instead of a metal one? I would think it would cool just as fast.

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  8. Absolutely. A glass casserole would work just as well.

    The marshmallow batter after beating isn't very hot, so beyond ability to remove it from the pan (sticking) there isn't much to worry about.

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  9. Hi! I tried making them, but they turn out too soft. :( Should I reduce the egg or add in more gelatin? I am already using 7 teaspoons/30g of gelatin! Many thanks in advance.

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  10. Adjusting the egg and the gelatin probably isn't the issue here. More than likely, the sugar isn't reaching the correct temperature. If it doesn't hit 260° the marshmallows will not firm up when they cool.

    I would make sure your candy thermometer is reading the correct temperature. To check this, boil some water and see what temperature your thermometer reads. Given your altitude, water should boil at a set temperature and you can judge how accurate your thermometer is. If it is off by +/- a certain number of degrees, remember this and take it into consideration when using it to make candy.

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  11. Wow! Someone else who makes marshmallows! We don't add egg whites to ours, and we toss them in powdered sugar instead of rice flour. But, the general recipe is the same. My kiddos love them and they make great gifts for the holidays...especially when we dip them in melted bittersweet chocolate and toasted almonds or coconut.

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  12. Ms. Humble,

    Allow me to suggest taking a look at Alton Brown's marshmallow recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/homemade-marshmallows-recipe/index.html

    The ingredients are similar -- though it uses substantially more corn syrup, and does not include egg white -- but the technique is a bit less stressful. In particular, I find that my stand mixer is not very effective at whipping a paltry two egg whites, and it avoids the complex double-boiling of the gelatin to no ill effects.

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  13. Hi Ms Humble,

    You are right. It's the sugar temperature. After a few batches of marshmallows that are too soft, I think I had finally nailed it. :D

    THanks for the advice! I didn't get a candy thermometer. I thought cooking/baking should be more intuitional. I relied on the cold-water test, which gives me a very good idea on the state of the sugar. :)

    Thanks again!

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