Make Your Own Marshmallows

Place the 115 g of cold water in a small bowl.  Slowly, like sprinkling salt on food, sprinkle the gelatin on top of the water.  Take your time as the goal is to let the gelatin absorb the water.  Going too fast will make clump which will not go away and straining them out reduces the required amount of gelatin.

When the gelatin has been added, you may see the water start to move.  The gelatin is absorbing the water and sinking, causing some liquid water to rise.  Let the bowl stand off to the side; we'll get to that in a few minutes.

This is a lot of gelatin for a small amount of water.  You may see videos where people just dump a package of gelatin into the water and stir.  I strongly recommend against that in this case.  Patience is a learned skill and this is why we learn it.

Liberally butter a sheet of parchment paper and push that into your quarter sheet pan, butter side up, focusing on the edges to make the crease.  It won't stay and right now, that's fine.  We want the paper in the shape of the pan for the addition of the hot and sticky marshmallows.  The butter will aid in the release of the yummy goodness when it is cooled.

Combine the sugar, corn syrup, honey, glucose, or additional honey, salt, and water into a pot at least 1 qt in size.  Gently mix the ingredients to ensure that the water has permeated all the sugar, taking care to avoid getting the sugar bits high up the sides of the pot.

Place the pot on the burner and turn to medium-high heat.  Place an empty stainless steel bowl over the pot and allow the sugar water to come to a boil.  Remove the bowl and insert a candy thermometer.

Place the bowl of gelatin over a small pan of warm water on a burner set to low.  This is going to melt the gelatin making a liquid instead of a solid gloppy mess.  Leave the bowl till after the next step.

Once the sugar water comes to a boil, do not stir again.  Allow the mixture to boil to 252° F.  The honey may cause the sugar water to boil up and almost out.  The high walls of your pot should be enough to hold it, but if you get nervous, blow across the top of the pot on the bubbles which will help cool them and help prevent overflow.  Once the impurities from the honey have boiled off, the liquid will settle back in the pan and no issues now.

When the syrup reaches 252° F, pour the sugar syrup into the mixing bowl of your stand mixer.  With the whisk attachment, turn the mixer to speed 2, or low, and let the syrup stir until it reaches 212° F.

Increase the speed to medium, carefully pour the liquid gelatin into the sugar syrup and when fully complete, add the vanilla and turn to high.

Mix for 8-10 minutes or until the mixer sounds tired and the marshmallow mix appears to be a fluffy as it will get.

Turn off the mixer, remove the whisk and bowl, and pour and scrape the marshmallow onto the prepared parchment paper-lined pan.  The marshmallow is like a 2-year-old human: it grabs everything.  Don't try to make it go where it isn't, just focus on getting the marshmallow mix out of the bowl and onto the paper.  It will be the shape it is when it rests and that happens pretty quickly.

Allow the marshmallow mixture to cool overnight.  Yes, I know.  Don't cover them!

Dust the top of the marshmallow with a 50/50 mix of confectioner's sugar and corn starch using a tea strainer.

Turn the parchment paper over onto the same sheet pan and carefully pull back the parchment paper, dusting the exposed marshmallow as you go.

When the paper is removed, place the marshmallow slab on a cutting board and with a sharp dry knife, cut into the shapes you prefer.  Squares are easy.

Place them back onto the sheet pan and dust well with the 50/50 mixture, making sure to dust the new exposed sticky sides.

Congratulations, you've just made marshmallows.  Time for a cuppa hot chocolate and some....marshmallows!