4th of July Marshmallow Madness!

 Write what you know, so the saying goes. I definitely know my way around a marshmallow, so I thought this would be a good addition to the new blog!These marshmallows were a game-changer for me- I made them once a few years ago and have not bought a Jet-Puffed package since. 

 We're having company the weekend to celebrate the 4th of July, so I went back and fourth forth about what kind of dessert to serve (bear with me, I am the the queen of the groaner!). Because one of our guests has a gluten intolerance, I thought I'd make some marshmallows that she could enjoy while the rest of the crowd assembled s'mores on homemade pizelles (woohoo for my housewarming gift!). My three and five year old thought it would be a cool touch to add some color, so we broke out the food dye and went to town. 

I highly recommend Wilton liquid icing instead of using food coloring. They will keep you from dumping bottle after bottle of red food coloring into your white frosting/batter/marshmallow as you mumble words you pray will not be repeated when your kids go to school as your frosting/batter/marshmallow turns every shade of pink with no red to be found. These concentrated dyes will give you intense color quickly! Please learn from my food dye fail a few children's parties back and wear gloves lest you spend an entire weekend sporting smurf-like hands. I usually buy these at Michaels (hello printable coupons!), but you can find them at any craft store with a baking section.

Marshmallow Recipe, adapted from Alton Brown:

3 packets of gelatin
1 cup of water
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup corn syrup
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Let 1/2 cup of the water and the gelatin packets sit in your stand mixer for a few minutes. Meanwhile, combine the other ingredients (except the vanilla) in a saucepan with a candy thermometer on high until the temperature reaches 240 degrees. Carefully (seriously!) pour the boiling mixture into your stand mixer and gradually bring the speed up to high. Let it go for about 10 minutes. 

Every time I get to this step I say a silent prayer that my KitchenAid doesn't spontaneously combust. I've made these marshmallows well over 20 times now, and my mixer is holding strong!

Add the vanilla and mix until combined. At this point you can also add any coloring or additional flavors (coconut extract, mint...the possibilities are endless!). By now you'll have what looks like marshmallow fluff. Feel free to grab a spoon (gotta take one for the team and test it, right?) and snag a taste. You can stop here and use this mixture for KILLER rice krispie treats, s'mores brownies, cupcake filling, etc. Or you can keep on trucking and finish off your marshmallows. 

In a 9x13 pan coated with cooking spray then a liberal amount of powdered sugar, gently use a spatula (I like to spray mine with cooking oil and dip in powdered sugar first) to ease the marshmallow fluff into the pan. Dump about a third of a cup of powdered sugar on top and use your hands to smooth the surface and spread the fluff evenly. 

Now, the waiting game begins. Put the pan, uncovered, somewhere that no one in your family will be tempted to pillage and allow it to sit for a day or two. 

When you're ready, use your fingers to loosen the giant marshmallow and place it on your cutting board. Spray a pizza cutter with cooking oil then get to work cutting your marshmallows into squares (I usually do long strips then cut them into small squares. 

You can get wild and crazy (kid cook alert here!) and use cookie cutters to make fun shapes. These will keep for quite some time when stored in Tupperware in a cool place. 

These are awesome in s'mores, on a skewer or straight from the bowl. You can change them up to fit the holiday or even just the mood. 

The Catfish was overjoyed to taste-test the first skewer. She gobbled it down and looked very patriotic afterward when covered with sticky red, white and blue marshmallow!

Enjoy, friends! If you make these, please let me know how they turn out!

What are your favorite homemade 4th of July treats?