Homemade Marshmallows

I recently realized that I've never blogged the recipe for homemade marshmallows. The texture is ever so slightly different and i still prefer real marshmallows in a s'mores, but these are fluffy/spongey, sweet, AND good for you and make an excellent sweet snack. The best part is that you can flavor them however you want.

These are NOT vegan, but here a link to Vegan Marshmallow Fluff which a friend made and passed the kid test.

I use this recipe for Gelatin Marshmallows, and i made and ate them frequently when i was repairing my gut. (For those that don't read all the little bits of my blog, i developed a food allergy to soy at age 21 and spent ~7 years adapting to a soyfree lifestyle with hives, rashes, swelling, and gastric distress anytime i strayed. January 2014, I embarked on a healthy gut diet which operates on the theory that most food allergies are caused by a damaged digestive system. While i still avoid soy in my life, i have not had a visible reaction in a year and a half, and i am so happy about that)

1 c water
3Tbs Gelatin
2-3 Tbs Raw Honey (or maple syrup)

• Pour half a cup of water into a mixer bowl and sprinkle gelatin on top. Pour vanilla (or any flavoring you like) on top if desired. Let it sit.
• Meanwhile, bring the other half cup of water to a boil and stir in your honey to melt. I use an electric tea kettle (because i have one) and mix it in a measuring cup. I also had cocoa powder at this stage if i'm using it.
• Pour hot water over cold water and turn on mixer with the beater attachment
• Turn on your mixer and start at a low speed, upping the speed as the mixture begins frothing. It takes about 10-15 minutes to get a big voluminous mass in your mixer bowl. i usually put it at medium speed and walk away for 10 minutes, then up the speed for another 5 minutes.
• Pour into a mold (either an 8x8 or a bread loaf) and chill for several hours.
• Store in the refrigerator.

*Tip: You really want to beat the sh*t out of these. Think meringue. It should be super super fluffy. I usually stop beating when i can hear the air being folded in. I have not tried letting the gelatin mixture cool a bit before beating, but if i only had a hand mixer, i probably would since you're beating it as the gelatin sets.

*Tip #2: I don't stir my gelatin powder in when i put it in the cold water, because it has a tendency to stick to the bottom. Even so, i will often mix it up with the beater, stop and stir the bottom with a spoon just to make sure there isn't gelatin stuck to the bottom of the mixer. You want all the gelatin to mix in appropriately.