Discover the Joy of Festive Cooking: "The Italian Christmas Cookbook" is Now Available on Amazon!Buy on Amazon
Marshmallows are undoubtedly the stars of many American movies. These soft, snow-white candies are typically enjoyed skewered on a wooden stick and heated directly over a fire. And as movies teach us, Roasted Marshmallows are best enjoyed sandwiched between two cookies.
But did you know you can make Homemade Marshmallows? Making them isn’t that complicated: you’ll need just a few ingredients including Sugar, Cornstarch, Egg Whites, and Glucose. This special ingredient (glucose) isn’t too difficult to find online and in baking supply stores. It cannot be substituted with any other product as it’s essential for giving the Marshmallow Recipe its characteristic texture.
What many don’t know is that the first traces of Marshmallows date back to ancient Egyptian times. Initially, they were made from processing a plant whose scientific name is Althaea officinalis, commonly known as Marshmallow. Their production resurged in France in the mid-nineteenth century, but the processes were still lengthy.
It wasn’t until the 20th century that the recipe took its current form, involving the extrusion and cutting of candies through special machines. And naturally, this happened in the United States, thanks to Alex Doumak, the inventor of Marshmallows as we know them today.
Ingredients
Copy Ingredients
Instructions
To prepare the Marshmallows, start by soaking the gelatin sheets in cold water.
In a separate saucepan, combine the remaining 80 grams of water with sugar and glucose. Heat until the mixture reaches 116°C (241°F). It’s essential to use a kitchen thermometer for this step.
Meanwhile, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form using an electric mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Gradually pour in the hot syrup while continuously whisking. Keep mixing until well combined and when lifting the whisk, the mixture forms stiff, glossy peaks.
Heat the soaked gelatin with its water in another small saucepan until completely dissolved. Add this to the mixer while still whisking. Continue beating until the mixture has completely cooled down.
Line a rectangular baking pan (approximately 34×25 cm/13×10 inches) with parchment paper. Mix cornstarch and powdered sugar, then spread half of this mixture on the bottom of the pan. Pour in the marshmallow mixture, level it with a spatula, and cover with the remaining powder mixture. Let it set at room temperature for 12 hours.
Your Marshmallows are now ready to be cut into small pieces of about 2×3 cm (about 1×1.2 inches). Before eating or storing them in a container, gently shake off any excess powdered sugar mixture.
