It's a Marshmallow World in the Winter

I am a lover of marshmallows. I have been known to eat an entire package of Peeps in one sitting and while that may seem absurd and disgusting, I really have no shame. They are my sugary weakness and I'm proud to shout it from the rooftops. I have even kindly suggested to Mark if he wanted to purchase me a wonderful foodie gift, he could make me a member of the Marshmallow of the Month Club.

Homemade marshmallows have been on my radar for awhile. Every time I see them dancing across the pages of blogs, I find myself wanting to lick the screen. With a lot of patience and a lot more love, the end result is a pile of jet puffed beauties to enjoy in hot cocoa, dipped in hot chocolate, or in the most lovely way- by themselves. Whether you're looking for a snow day sweet treat or something to add to your Valentine's Day care packages, these fluffy pillows of homemade marshmallowy goodness are melt in your mouth amazing.

Homemade Marshmallows

recipe from Alton Brown

3 packages unflavored gelatin

1 cup ice cold water, divided

1 cup light corn syrup

12 ounces granulated sugar, approximately 1.5 cups

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

nonstick spray

Place the gelatin in the bowl of a stand mixer along with 1/2 cup of the water.

In a small saucepan, combine the remaining 1/2 cup water, granulated sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Place over medium high heat, cover, and allow to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover, clip a candy thermometer onto the sode of the pan and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Once the mixture reaches this temperature, immediately remove from heat.

Using the whisk attachment, turn the mixer on low speed and, while running, slowly pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl into the gelatin mixture. Once you have added all of the syrup, increase the mixer speed to high. Continue to whip the mixture until it becomes lukewarm and very thick, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. Add the vanilla during the last minute of whipping. While the mixture is whipping, prepare the pans as follows.

Combine the powdered sugar sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Lightly spray a 13 by 9-inch metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add the sugar and cornstarch mixture and move around to completely coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Return the remaining mixture to a bowl for later use.

When ready, pour the marshmallow mixture into the prepared pan, using a lightly oiled spatula for spreading evenly. Dust the top with enough of the remaining sugar and cornstarch mixture to lightly cover. Reserve the rest for later. Allow the marshmallows to sit uncovered for at least 4 hours, and up to overnight.

Turn the marshmallows out onto a cutting board. For square marshmallows, use a pizza wheel dusted in powdered sugar and cut into 1-inch squares. For fun shapes, pull out your cookie cutters and dust those in powdered sugar before cutting. Store marshmallows in an air tight container for up to three weeks.