There’s a lot to be said about homemade marshmallows. But it can all be mostly summed up in one word: YUM! Homemade marshmallows are scores better than store-bought and are surprisingly simple to make.
The marshmallows start out with unflavored gelatin and a sugar syrup that’s been cooked to firm-ball stage. The syrup is added to the bloomed gelatin and whipped until light and fluffy. Then flavoring is added, which can range from vanilla to fruity to nutty.
The marshmallows then “cure” for a few hours, before they are cut in to bite-size pieces. But they can also be swirled with food coloring, layered with different colors or flavors, and piped in fun designs (like Peeps!).
For the holidays this year, I wanted to make up a batch of peppermint marshmallows. I started off with a batch of white marshmallows with a red swirl, but I wasn’t too impressed. So I decided to layer the marshmallows in red and white and coat them in crushed candy canes!
The result is delightfully fluffy and minty marshmallows, with a little crunch from the crushed candy canes! They are great on their own but can also be added to hot chocolate for a wonderful hint of peppermint. The marshmallows will keep in an air-tight container for about 3 weeks, if they last that long!
Serve these marshmallows at your holiday party, or wrap them up in cellophane bags tied with red and white ribbon for holiday gift giving. I know that, to keep myself from gobbling them all up, I’ll assemble some marshmallows in to pretty gift bags for holidays! 😉
Click below for the recipe. If you have a question, feel free to ask in the comments. And thanks for reading! Enjoy! 🙂
Pie With Sparkles 