Homemade Marshmallow Recipe- No Corn Syrup!
Who doesn’t love pillowy marshmallows that turn to sugary goo when melted on a smore or on top of a hot chocolate?! It’s super convenient to grab a packet from the shop but what if I told you you could make these at home from just a few ingredients? My Homemade Marshmallow Recipe doesn’t contain any corn syrup or additives like a lot of manufactured marshmallows.
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Do I need any special equipment?
I would highly recommend a food thermometer when making these marshmallows from scratch. It allows an accurate reading of the sugar temperature which is really important when making marshmallows. It’s a relatively inexpensive kitchen gadget that is super handy to have if you bake at home regularly. You can make these marshmallows without it by testing to see if the sugar is ready yet using cold water. The sugar in this recipe is taken to a hard ball stage, more about the hard ball stage below.
You’re also going to need an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. The marshmallows need to be whisked on high for at least 8-10 minutes so it’s not possible by hand.
Do I need any special ingredients?
In my recipe for Homemade Marshmallows, I don’t use corn syrup. I have seen a lot of US based recipes that use this ingredient. I live in Ireland and as far as I am aware, corn syrup is not sold anywhere in EU. Personally, I prefer to use Lyle’s Golden Syrup in my recipe. It does produce a slightly off white, more yellowy kind of colour so if you wanted to keep them super white you can substitute for glucose or honey.
This recipe also calls for gelatin. I used Dr Oetker’s Gelatin Powder when making my homemade marshmallows(and when making my goat yoghurt pannacotta, recipe here). Usually I prefer to work with gelatin sheets but with Ireland currently in a lockdown I am limited with what shops are open. I picked the gelatin powder up from the local shop and it worked perfectly. This does mean these are not suitable for vegetarians unfortunately. I am currently recipe testing a vegan marshmallow using agar agar and aquafaba(chickpea juice) so hopefully I can provide a vegan alternative soon!
How far do I cook the sugar?
Admittedly, this is the trickiest and most time consuming part. With or without a food thermometer it always takes some time, at least 10-12 minutes. Make sure to regularly swirl the sugar in the pan, every minute or so to prevent burning. You’re looking for the sugar to reach a hard ball stage. Hard ball stage means that the sugar has reached a temperature of 121-130°c or 250-266°f. If you don’t have a food thermometer, you can test this by dropping a tiny amount of sugar into cold water. If it forms a hard ball in the water, it has reached this stage.
How do I prepare a baking tin for these?
I use a small square baking tin like this one, found on Amazon. It’s a perfect size for this recipe. You’re going to grease the tin lightly and line it with baking parchment. Next you’ll mix together the icing sugar and cornflour and sieve a layer of it onto the paper. This will help prevent the marshmallow from sticking to the bottom. You will use this sugar cornflour mix to top the marshmallow with another layer and to toss the set and cut marshmallows in later.
How do I store the marshmallows?
Store these marshmallows in an airtight container at room temperature. Do not put these in the fridge. As this recipe contains egg whites, these are best eaten within 3-5 days of making. I have read in various places that you can freeze marshmallows for up to 3 months but I have never tried this, they never stick around long enough for me to try!
Homemade Marshmallows – No Corn Syrup
Equipment
- Small saucepan
- Food thermometer
- Large mixing bowl
- Electric whisk or stand mixer
- Rubber spatula
- Square 7 inch cake tin
- Sieve
Ingredients
- 100 ml water
- 225 grams caster sugar
- 1 tbsp golden syrup or glucose
- 4.5 leaves gelatin soaked in cold water or
- 8 grams gelatin powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 50 grams cornflour
- 100 grams icing sugar
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, add the water, sugar and golden syrup.
- Heat on low until the sugar dissolves and then turn up to medium heat.
- Boil the sugar mix to 127°c or hard ball stage, swirling the pan often to prevent burning. Use a food thermometer to check the temperature or drop a little of the sugar into cold water. If it forms a small hard ball, it is ready. This will take 10-12 minutes.
- While the sugar is cooking, melt the gelatin. If using sheets, drain slightly and melt in the microwave at 10 second bursts. If using powdered gelatin, follow the instructions on the packet, usually mix with boiling water and let stand until melted.
- Add the melted gelatin and egg whites to the large mixing bowl and when the sugar is nearly at temperature, begin whisking on low.
- Remove the sugar from the heat when ready and allow it a few seconds to cool and stop bubbling.
- Pour the hot sugar into the egg whites in a small slow stream while constantly whisking on low. Pour the sugar against the side of the bowl, away from the whisk.
- Once all the sugar has been added, whisk on high for a further 5-6 minutes until thick.
- Prepare the square baking tin by greasing and lining it. Combine the icing sugar and cornflour and sieve two tablespoons of this onto the lined tray bottom.
- Fold in the vanilla into the marshmallow and pour into the prepared tray. Smooth out evenly and top with a layer of sieved icing sugar and cornflour.
- Allow to set for at least 4 hours or overnight before cutting.
- When set, take the marshmallows out of the baking tray and place on a chopping board.
- Peel the paper away from the sides and cut evenly into 36 pieces.
- Place the remaining icing sugar and cornflour mix into a large shallow bowl and taking a few at a time, toss each marshmallow in this until coated.
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