Peppermint Marshmallows
Why I Love This Recipe
Spike your hot chocolate with peppermint! Minty and fluffy, homemade marshmallows are perfect for holiday gift-giving.
Ingredients You'll Need
3 packages unflavored gelatin
1 cup cold water, divided
1 cup light Karo syrup
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp peppermint extract*
Red gel food coloring (optional)
Baking or cooking spray
Powdered sugar for dusting/stick-proofing
* Use vanilla bean paste or 1 Tbsp vanilla extract + the scrapings of 1 vanilla bean pod for a beautiful vanilla bean-flecked marshmallow (eliminate the food coloring).
Directions
Place 1/2 cup cold water in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Sprinkle the gelatin over top and set aside.
Clip a candy thermometer to a small sauce pan. Heat corn syrup, sugar, salt, and the other 1/2 cup cold water over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Turn to high and cook to 240 F (use a candy thermometer), 6-8 minutes longer.
Turn mixer to low and slowly pour the hot syrup over the gelatin. Add the peppermint extract. Increase the mixer speed to high (and because I had an unfortunate experience once, I do this gradually over about a minute to prevent sugar lava from slinging on me… again) and let run for 15 minutes until you have a glossy, smooth, and thick marshmallow mixture.
While the marshmallow is whisking, heavily coat the inside of an 8×8 pan with baking spray (there’s no such thing as over-greasing!). Coat with powdered sugar and tap out the excess. Pour in the marshmallow mixture (it will come all the way to the top). Drop 6-8 drops of red food coloring over the top and swirl with a knife held vertically. (Alternately, you could add this to the stand mixer and let the whisk go around the bowl 2 or 3 times.) Let sit for 4 hours until solidified and cooled.
Turn the marshmallow squares out onto a heavily powder-sugared surface. Using a long greased knife, cut the marshmallows into 1-inch pieces (they’ll be 2 inches tall if you don’t cut them in half horizontally, which I did). As you’re cutting the marshmallows, keep all sides of the marshmallows dusted with powdered sugar and store in an airtight container.