Marshmallows are a fantastic treat for breaking the rut of traditional baked goods. Once you learn how to make basic marshmallows, you can experiment with different flavors, food coloring, shapes and coatings.
Marshmallows are also an easy and tasty way to accommodate many food allergies, as they have no milk or wheat, and can be coated in many ingredients like traditional corn starch for nut allergies. Many kids at the bake sale will thank you!
I made this batch for my daughter’s wonderful occupational therapist, Stacy, and am sharing the recipe in her honor!
Toasted coconut marshmallows, yield: 64 cubes, approx 1 and 1/2″
Ingredients:
3 envelopes Knox gelatin
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1/4 tsp salt
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract*
water as noted
14 oz flaked sweetened coconut
*Tip: in my experiments with this recipe I find that imitation flavorings do not fair well. Stick with pure extracts instead. When changing things up, start with very small amounts of different flavors of extracts. I found 1 tsp of lemon extract with some yellow food colouring makes a delightful springtime treat
1. Line a 9×9 inch pan with saran wrap and spray with Pam. (gl
ass or metal-it won’t be baked)
Cross 2 long pieces of saran wrap over the pan as shown. The pieces should lay somewhat flat inside the pan, touch at the corners, and be extend long enough over the edges to fold back over completely once the marshmallow mixture is added. Spray Original Pam or similar oil spray lightly but thoroughly over all the saran, including the pieces hanging over the edge.
2. Put 1/2 cup cold water into a large bowl and pour the gelatin over it. If you have a stand mixer, now is a good time to use it. Let set at least 10 minutes.
3. While gelatin is setting, combine sugar, corn syrup and 1/4 cup water in a medium pan. Bring mixture to a rapid boil on high heat, stirring occasionally. Boil for one minute. The mixture should turn fairly clear after the minute.
4. Immediately pour sugar mixture into the gelatin. **CAUTION: MIXTURE WILL BE VERY HOT AND WILL STICK TO YOU IF YOU SPLASH IT** Start mixing on slow and work the speed up to high (just a minute or two) in order to avoid mixture splashing out of the bowl. Beat on high speed for 12 minutes.
*TIP: You may notice a mildly odd smell emitting at this point. Do not worry, the final product will be yummy!
5. After 12 min, add vanilla extract and beat one more minute to incorporate, scraping the bowl once or twice. Your mixture should form medium peaks.
6. Pour mixture into prepared pan, scraping bowl to get out remaining gooey goodness. Fold the saran flaps over the mixture and press mixture into the pan evenly, making sure all exposed mixture is covered with the wrap. Set overnight at room temperature.
.7. Toast the coconut: put coconut in a pan and heat on medium, stirring constantly, scraping coconut up from the bottom to the top to ensure even toasting. Heat until coconut starts to darken slightly, about 3 minutes. Remove from pan immediately.
I toasted my coconut to a pale tan color. You may prefer to toast it a little darker so their are specks of darker brown.
Some people prefer to toast coconut in the oven instead. You can find directions on My Baking Addiction
TIP: You can make the coconut at any time while the marshmallow is setting. It stores well in an airtight container at room temperature.
Are you ready for the fun part? It’s time to create your final marshmallows!
8. Set out your marshmallow mixture, cooled toasted coconut in a shallow dish, an airtight storage container (I lined mine with wax paper), and a sharp, clean pair of kitchen scissors.
9. Unwrap the marshmallow and cut into desired size. I made 64 by cutting the marshmallow into 4 equal quarters, then cutting each quarter into 16 pieces, stopping to dredge every four or so finished cubes.
10. Dredge each finished size marshmallow into the coconut, completely coating all sides with coconut then place into storage container.
Marshmallows can last up to 2 weeks stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
