Marshmallows

Marshmallows are another one of those things I recently had to learn how to make. We were going to a party, and they were serving s'mores. Of course, there is still such a thing as allergies. I am looking forward to making marshmallow fluff, for things like fudge and a fondant my sister can have. This one takes a while, but there is not a lot of active time, you just have to let it sit overnight. I found this recipe here, and I didn't change it at all. The marshmallows don't exactly brown like the others, so we have found a new way to make s'mores. We now balance our graham cracker on the sticks, put the marshmallow and chocolate together, and top it with another graham cracker. We roast the whole contraption over the fire. The result it now a perfectly cooked marshmallow, with melted chocolate and crispy graham crackers.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup potato starch
1 tbsp butter
1 cup water divided
2 cups granulated sugar
2 1/4 ounce packets unflavored gelatin
1 tbsp vanilla extract
3 large egg whites at room temperature
pinch of salt
1/8 tsp cream of tartar

Directions:
Sift sugar and starch together.  Butter a 9 by 13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle the sugar-starch mixture over it.  ( Effectively, this is just like flouring a cake pan. Obviously, it is really important to cover the whole surface, so that your marshmallows don't stick. ) Save the sugar-starch mixture for later. Pour 1/2 cup of the water into a bowl, and empty the gelatin powder into it. Let stand.

Pour remaining 1/2 cup of water plus the sugar into a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally until the sugar is dissolved. When sugar is dissolved and syrup begins to boil, leave it undisturbed for about 5 minutes. 

Carefully pour hot syrup into the bowl, and stir until gelatin is dissolved. Mix with a blender, gradually increasing the speed to high. Beat for about 10 minutes until the mixture has tripled in volume and thick, shiny, soft peaks have formed. Add vanilla extract. 

In a separate bowl, pour in the egg whites and a pinch of salt. Mix eggs until they begin to foam.  Sprinkle in the cream of tartar, and beat on high for about 3 minutes until shiny and firm peaks form. Incorporate egg whites into syrup/gelatin mixture.

When mixture is fully blended, after about 2-3 minutes, spread into prepared pan. Sift sugar starch mixture over top of the marshmallows. Allow to set overnight. If the air is dry, cover partly with plastic wrap. In the morning, run a spatula around the edges, and turn out onto a surface that has been covered with the sugar-starch mixture. Cut the marshmallows into 1 inch squares. Don't saw back and forth, use a sharp knife and press down. Coat the marshmallows in the sugar-starch mixture. Store in a covered container in the fridge. They last for 1-2 weeks.