I did it! I have been waiting to try my hand at some homemade marshmallows.  I scoured several different recipes, comparing and contrasting the ingredients. Finally, I settled on one that looked like the cheapest and easiest. I am so glad I gave it a whirl. Not only was it super simple, but delicious too! I have a friend and co-worker going through chemo currently who I thought could use a little pick me up. Therefore, my marshmallows will be accompanied in a gift basket with hot cocoa and sweets.  I wanted to share the recipe I used with you...

You'll Need:

About 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
3 1/2 envelopes (which is the same as 2 tablespoons plus 2 1/2 teaspoons) unflavored gelatin
1 cup cold water, divided
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large egg whites 
1 tablespoon vanilla

Oil bottom and sides of a 13- by 9- by 2-inch rectangular metal baking pan and dust bottom and sides with some confectioners’ sugar.

In bowl of a standing electric mixer or in a large bowl sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold cold water, and let stand to soften.

While the gelatin is doing it's thing... In a 3-quart heavy saucepan cook granulated sugar, corn syrup, second 1/2 cup of cold water, and salt over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to moderate and boil mixture, without stirring, until a candy or digital thermometer registers 240°F, about 12 minutes. Remove pan from heat and pour sugar mixture over gelatin mixture, stirring until gelatin is dissolved.

With standing or a hand-held electric mixer beat mixture on high speed until white, thick, and nearly tripled in volume, about six minutes if using standing mixer or about 10 minutes if using hand-held mixer. (I used a stand mixer and it took about 6-7 minutes and whipped up nicely!)

In separate medium bowl  beat egg whites until they just hold stiff peaks. Then, beat whites and vanilla (or your choice of flavoring) into sugar mixture until just combined. Pour mixture into baking pan. Sift 1/4 cup confectioners sugar evenly over top. Chill marshmallow, uncovered, until firm, at least three hours.

Run a thin knife around edges of pan and invert pan onto a large cutting board. Lifting up one corner of inverted pan, with fingers loosen marshmallow and ease onto cutting board. With a large knife trim edges of marshmallow and cut marshmallow into roughly one-inch cubes. (An oiled pizza cutter works well here too.) Sift remaining confectioners’ sugar back into your now-empty baking pan, and roll the marshmallows through it, on all six sides, before shaking off the excess and packing them away.

A few notes about making these homemade marshmallows:

*These keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 1 week

*I used a small biscuit cutter to cut out my marshmallows into round shapes and it worked quite well!

*After cutting my marshmallows I tossed them in a ziploc baggie filled with confectioner's sugar.

*These marshmallows melt easily and evenly in a delicious cup of hot cocoa. YUM!

*Using a pizza cutter would also work to cut them, and makes it easy to make "mini marshmallows" for the wee ones. ;)

-----------------Why make homemade marshmallows?------------------

-Schedule a hot cocoa party and send invites asking people to bring different flavors of hot cocoa or you provide the hot cocoa and each person brings a different flavor syrup. Your marshmallows will be gobbled up in no time at one of these!

-Use them to pamper a friend or a person who could use a pick me up. Put together a little gift basket with your marshmallows, hot cocoa, and a few muffins or sweets.

-Make smores! Do you need any other reason?

*This recipe adapted from smittenkitchen.com.