Homemade Marshmallows

My daughter Tiegan was definitely born with a sweet tooth. I swear she has a sixth sense, and can smell a box of chocolates hidden a mile away. So I find we end up eating more 'junk' food than I'd like, and although I haven't managed to cut sugar completely out of our diet, I'm always trying to find ways to reduce it and also to cut out a lot of the dyes and chemicals. So when I heard about a blogging friend making homemade marshmallows, I knew I had to give it a go. We are serious s'more makers in the summer, and hot chocolate drinkers in the winter, so I could see making a few batches of these throughout the year, they were declared yummy by all. Most importantly, by Tiegan!

Homemade Marshmallows

2 tbsp Gelatin (I'm sure there's a vegan alternative, I'm just not sure it would be the same amount?)
1/2 cup Cold Water
1 cup Maple Syrup
1/4 cup Water
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 Vanilla Bean
Butter and Icing Sugar for preparing dish

Butter baking dish very well and then dust evenly with icing sugar to prevent the marshmallows from sticking.

Pour gelatin and 1/2 cup cold water into large mixing bowl. Let sit 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour maple syrup, 1/4 cup water and sugar into saucepan. Split vanilla bean, scrape seeds into syrup mixture and then add vanilla bean pod.

Cook syrup mixture over medium low heat. When mixture begins to boil, set timer for 11 minutes and continue to cook without stirring. After 11 minutes, remove syrup mixture from heat and discard vanilla bean pod.

With a hand mixer or stand mixer, gently mix gelatin to break up for about 3 seconds. Then with mixer running on low, slowly add hot syrup. Mix on low for 1 minute, then increase to high and beat 10 minutes more.

Pour mixture into the prepared dish. I used a spatula to spread mixture evenly in dish, or you can also wet your hands and use those.

Lightly sprinkle powdered sugar on top of marshmallows and let sit for four hours or more. Once they are set, use a knife to cut them into squares, or use a cookie cutter to make shapes. We did some squares, but also made mini hearts for gifts - they're the perfect size to slip into a hot chocolate!





I'd still like to seek out a recipe using real marshmallow root to try on our next batch, and I also imagine it would be fun to flavour the marshmallows with peppermint extract, or a favourite liqueur.