Marshmallows!!

I have been wanting to make marshmallows for awhile now, since I first read a recipe. They sounded so easy, yet the final product is filled with such a mysterious texture that I wasn't sure this could be pulled off in the home kitchen. Surely such a processed food item must need industrial food technique? But the time was right, my ingredients purchased and so I dove right in. And let me just say, while, no, I don't want my children to eat these, I am not going to deny the campfire marshmallow or smore, it's like camping law, but now, because this endeavor really was that easy, I will insist that there only be homemade mallows on said camping trip! Here is a great recipe, and their own beautifully photographed tutorial, I had a different one but they sound pretty much the same except mine was egg free.There are definitely some questionable ingredients for me. Gelatin, knox brand isn't exactly something I want to eat. There are some kosher gelatins that I may try to get my hands on, hoping for a slightly better product. Step one is softening the gelatin, which just doesn't smell good and it really absorbs water fast, I though maybe I botched because by the time I walked and got the spoon to stir it, it looked like the mess above.
Next the heating of the sugars. Ah corn syrup, those of you who actually know me, know my rants about high fructose corn syrup, and I don't necessarily like to use corn syrup, but the marshmallow was the bigger focus- this is a place you should read ingredients (if not always!) as the generic brand's second ingredient is HFCS! It is hidden everywhere- you know b/c corn syrup isn't bad enough. My thoughts here: at least the rest of the sugar is organic, and those kids of mine are only getting two anyway. So you heat the sugars, requiring a candy thermometer, and use a brush with water to prevent crystals forming on the side.
Add to the geletin in your stand mixer and mix on Medium High, not just medium or one notch past medium, one just before high- I made the mistake of just a high medium and it took longer than the 8-13 minutes to get the peaks needed.

Pour into an oiled pan that is dusted with sifted powdered sugar, cocoa or toasted coconut. sit for an hour and then you can cut. Or you can throw a lid on it and cut it in a couple days, or perhaps a week, they last a month, so I think I would store them like this and cut them when we go camping and put them right on the stick.

My recipe was from jam it, pickle it, cure it a wonderful book that I have taken out of the library several times. They also have homemade graham crackers, which I will be sure to try before the summer.

I think this would be a great gift to give along with some hot cocoa mix. We have some leftover from our party that I am going to sink into my first cup of cocoa this year, which I am now looking forward to even more.