What to do with homemade marshmallows

There are so many ways to enjoy your homemade marshmallows. They are delicious on their own for a sweet treat. I also love serving them as a petit four at dinner parties. You can also pop into cellophane bags, tie with ribbon and give them as a homemade gift. Perfect for Christmas and birthdays! Alternatively, make mini ones and sprinkle on top of a steaming mug of hot chocolate. Yum! However, you can also use homemade marshmallows in lots of easy desserts and bakes. Try sandwiching them between two biscuits with some dark chocolate to create the very best s’mores. The raspberry marshmallows are particularly tasty like this. Alternatively, make smaller marshmallows and add them to a rocky road or fridge cake. If you want to turn them into a show-stopping dessert, try a Mississippi mud pie. Simply google ‘marshmallow Mississippi mud pie’ to find some incredibly easy versions.

What are the ingredients of a marshmallow?

The perfect homemade marshmallow contains sugar, cornflour, gelatine and air. Some recipes add egg whites, but I don’t think they are necessary. Although they make for even softer marshmallows, they won’t last as well. Plus, not adding egg whites means that groups with compromised immune systems (young children, the elderly and pregnant women) can still enjoy the most delicious marshmallows. You can then add all sorts of ingredients to create delicious flavours. In this case, fruit purée and cocoa powder. Vanilla extract is lovely too. I have seen recipes for tiramisu marshmallows which sound incredible. You know how much I love a twist on tiramisu - just look at my brownie tiramisu cheesecake with malted whipped cream ! You can also add food colouring if you want brightly coloured marshmallows. Then you just need cornflour and icing sugar to coat (and stop them sticking together).

How are real marshmallows made?

Although you might think making your own marshmallows is complicated, it really isn’t. I promise you, the recipe is actually pretty straight-forward. You start by dissolving gelatine in water. Then you make a sugar syrup. Once the sugar syrup reaches 115C, you slowly pour it over the gelatine while whisking at high speed. This creates little air pockets in the sugar syrup - a bit like when whipping cream. The result? A light and fluffy marshmallow-like mix. This is then tipped into a container dusted with icing sugar and cornflour and left to set. Personally, I think that is the hardest part! The above is a very brief outline of how real marshmallows are made. The fun really starts when you begin adding your own flavours. From fruit purées to sweet vanilla, spiced cinnamon to intense coffee… the possibilities are endless!

Can you make vegan marshmallows?

Yes. It is possible to make vegan marshmallows. Unfortunately, this recipe isn’t vegan as it uses gelatine. For a vegan marshmallow recipe, you need to use agar agar. This comes as a powder but needs to be boiled in a liquid. Although it helps ‘set’ recipes like gelatine, it isn’t a like-for-like swap.

Marshmallows

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

These sweet, soft and fluffy homemade marshmallows are utterly delicious. Perfect for a delightful treat or topping a steaming mug of rich hot chocolate.

Author: Margie
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 20 - 25 1x
Category: Dessert and Cakes
Method: Mixing
Cuisine: French/Global
Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale

For the raspberry purée:

150g raspberries
1 tbsp caster sugar
Splash of water

To prep the containers:

About 2 tbsp vegetable oil
50g cornflour
1 tbsp cocoa powder
50g icing sugar

For the marshmallows:

4 tsp powdered gelatine (12g), plus 2 tbsp cold water
140g liquid glucose
230g caster sugar
150ml water
2 tbsp cocoa powder

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Begin by making the raspberry purée: tip the raspberries into a small saucepan. Add the sugar and a splash of water. Place over a low-medium heat and bring to a simmer. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally until thickened.
Strain the mixture through a sieve into a clean bowl (or tupperware) to remove the seeds. Leave to cool completely before chilling in the fridge to firm up.
Next, prep the containers: you will need 3 tupperwares roughly about 8cm x 10cm. Brush each container with vegetable oil and set aside. You can adjust the size of the containers depending on how tall you want your marshmallows.
In a small bowl, mix together 1 tbsp cornflour with the cocoa powder until combined. In a separate bowl, mix together the remaining cornflour with the icing sugar. I like to use a sieve for this bit just to make sure they are completely lump free.
Take one of the oiled containers and tip in the cocoa-cornflour mix, turning to coat the base and all the sides. Tap out any excess onto a non-stick baking tray and reserve for later. Repeat with the other two containers using the icing sugar-cornflour mix. Set aside.
For the marshmallows: place the gelatine into a large heatproof bowl (ideally the bowl of a stand mixer if you have one). Add the 2 tbsp cold water and mix well. Set aside.
Next, add the glucose syrup and caster sugar to a large saucepan. Pour in 150ml water and place over a medium heat. Stir gently until the sugar has dissolved in the water. Once the mix begins to simmer, stop stirring. Continue to heat over a medium-high heat, gently swirling the pan, until the sugar syrup reaches 115C (use a jam thermometer to check). At this stage the liquid should be clear and bubbling. Handle the pan carefully as it will be extremely hot.
Remove the pan from the heat and very carefully drizzle the sugar syrup into the gelatine whilst whisking with an electric whisk. You will find this easiest if you use a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
Once all has been added, whisk on medium-high speed for a further 12-14 minutes - or until you have a thick, white meringue-like texture.
Divide the mixture equally into 3 bowls. Mix the raspberry purée though one. Sieve the cocoa powder into another. Leave the third bowl plain.
Spoon the mixtures into their respective flavoured containers and smooth over the top using a spatula or palette knife. Leave to set for at least 2 hours.
Set out your cornflour-dusted baking trays (one with the cocoa-cornflour, the other with the icing sugar-cornflour). Tip the marshmallows onto the respective trays. Dust a large sharp knife with icing-sugar cornflour then cut the marshmallow into equal-sized cubes. Toss to coat each one in the icing-sugar cornflour. Enjoy!

Notes

Fruit: you can ring the changes and swap the raspberries for all sorts of berries. Strawberries, blackberries, blueberries and cherries all make delicious marshmallows. If you don’t want to make your own purée, you can use a shop bought one. Strawberry Red and Funkin have some great flavours.
Size: you can cut the marshmallows into whatever size you like. Sometimes I make jumbo marshmallows, other times I make mini marshmallows. You can also use different sized tupperwares to alter the depth.
Make ahead: these homemade marshmallows keep well in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 3 weeks.
Serving suggestions: homemade marshmallows are delicious as a sweet treat or dinner party petit four. I also love adding them to a warming mug of rich hot chocolate or making gooey s’mores. Alternatively, pop in pretty bags or boxes and give as a homemade gift.

Find it online: https://desertislanddishes.co/marshmallows/