Top Eight Free: Your Guide to Allergy-Free Eating

Once you’ve tried homemade marshmallows, you’ll never settle for those supermarket bags.   These are truly amazing, both to make and to eat.  Watching the syrup fluff up is one of those magical-seeming science experiments that make candymaking fun.

Thanks to Cooking for Engineers for the great information on the science and history of marshmallow making, as well as the recipe that inspired this corn-free version.

3 tablespoons unflavored gelatin

3/4 cup water, seperated

2 cups white sugar

2/3 cup golden syrup

1/4 teaspoon salt

potato starch

Tools needed: stand mixer with paddle attachment and a candy thermometer

Oil a 9 x 13 baking pan and then powder liberally with the potato starch.   Pour 1/2 cup of the water and the gelatin into the bowl of your stand mixer.   Allow to sit for 10 minutes.

 Meanwhile, mix the remaining 1/4 cup  water, the sugar and syrup together in a medium saucepan.  Cook over medium heat until the mixture reaches 250 degrees on a candy thermometer.  Do not stir once the mixture starts to bubble, or you risk having the syrup crystallize.  Wash down any crystals that form on the sides of the pan with a clean pastry brush dipped in cold water. 

Once the mixture has reached 250 degrees, remove it from the heat and immediately drizzle it into the gelatin mixture with the mixer running at low speed.  Once the syrup has all been poured in, increase the speed to high.  (You may need to do this slowly to prevent splatters, or cover the bowl with a tent of plastic wrap.)  Beat for 10 minutes on high until white and fluffy. 

Pour and/or scrape the fluff into the prepared pan and allow to dry overnight.  Turn out onto a board dusted liberally with potato starch and cut into cubes with a pizza cutter.  Dredge all sticky sides in the potato starch and store in an airtight container.  Marshmallows should keep for several weeks (if they last that long!)