Sugar pillows

A few years ago, I got inspired by some acquaintances to try making homemade marshmallows--if you've never had them, you're missing out.  There's nothing quite like the wonderful sugar pillow of a homemade marshmallow.  Plain are exceedingly easy to make and adding flavor is just a small variation.

I have some cranberry sauce leftover from Thanksgiving still and some (recently opened) canned pumpkin puree that I wanted to use up--so inspired by a high school friend, I decided to try making marshmallows with them.

Since the fruit adds a bit of water, you need to adjust the basic recipe some to compensate (both below).  The sugar carries flavors amazingly well so be careful of over-flavoring if you do other variations--one I think I'll have to try at some point is using apple butter and a hint of cinnamon as the fruit addition.

Plain:

1.5 pkgs of gelatin (for my packages that was 12 grams)

1/2 cup water

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

equal parts powdered sugar and corn starch mixed together (about 1/3 cup each is what I used)

Bloom the gelatin in the bowl of your stand mixer with half the water.  Stir together the remaining water, sugar, and corn syrup.  Cover and put on medium high heat for 3 minutes.  Remove cover and continue to boil until a candy thermometer reads 240F.  Start the stand mixer with the whisk attachment on low.  Pour the sugar  down the side of the bowl, taking care to not splatter onto yourself.  (If you have a splatter cover for the mixer, this is the time to put it on.)  Crank the speed to high and leave for 10-12 minutes.  Add the vanilla and whisk for one more minute.

While the marshmallows are whipping, spray a 9x9 baking dish with cooking spray, and coat with a tablespoon or so of the powdered sugar/corn starch mixture.  Shake off the excess and put back into the original mixture.

Spray a spatula with cooking spray and set aside.  Working quickly, remove the bowl from the mixer and shake as much marshmallow from the whisk as you can.  Pour the mixture into the baking dish, scraping as needed with the spatula.  Smooth the mixture gently and let stand for at least 6 hours.

Generously dust a cutting board with some of the powdered sugar mixture.  Turn the marshmallows onto the cutting board. Using a pizza cutter, slice the marshmallows into the desired size and coat with the powdered sugar mixture until no longer sticky.  Store in an airtight container.

Fruit Marshmallows

2 pkgs of gelatin (for my packages that was 12 grams)

1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons water

1/4 cup fruit puree

1.5 cups sugar

1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons light corn syrup

pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

equal parts powdered sugar and corn starch mixed together (about 1/3 cup each is what I used)

Instructions as above, except add the fruit and any spices to the 1/4 cup water and gelatin.

For the pumpkin, I used:  1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and a dash each of clove, ginger, and nutmeg.

For the cranberry, I used just leftover cranberry sauce (which was cranberries, maple syrup, sugar, orange juice and a shot of Grand Marnier).