There's nothing better than homemade marshmallows. It's gives me so much pleasure watching them billow up in the mixer to a big cloud of gooey fluffiness right through to cutting through the set mallow with a knife and stuffing handfuls into my mouth. You won't be able to resist this bit. I promise you.
One of my boys has been away with school this week and I fancied making a treat for his return home but with a taste of autumn. I decided to adapt a marshmallow recipe from the wonderful James Martin but with a flavour twist of pumpkin spice, turn them into something a little more special for when the nights are drawing in and you're sat in front of a lovely warm fire.
The only specialist equipment you need for making these is a sugar thermometer but in these halcyon days of baking, I think this is a great investment, whether you're interested in making your own sweeties, macarons or jam. All the hard marshmallow work is done by the mixer and you need a little patience whilst they set, but then you're in for such a treat!
These little clouds of fluffiness are perfect just as they are, but they can be made even more luxurious by dipping them in melted chocolate or crowning a mug of steaming hot chocolate with one. When they start to melt and go that little bit gooey underneath, that is sheer heaven :) Or if you could bear to part with a box of them, what friend wouldn't love you forever?!
Pumpkin Spice Marshmallows
adapted from a marshmallow recipe by James Martin
Ingredients
- 450G CASTER SUGAR
- 1 TBSP LIQUID GLUCOSE (I use Dr Oetker tubes)
- 9 SHEETS OF GELATINE
- 80G LIQUID EGG WHITES (I use cartons of Two Chicks)
- 1 TSP VANILLA EXTRACT
- 1 TSP PUMPKIN SPICE (if you don't have this, you could use allspice)
- VEGETABLE OIL FOR GREASING YOUR TRAY
- 5 TBSP CORNFLOUR
- 5 TBSP ICING SUGAR
Method
- First of all, soak the gelatine sheets in 140ml water to soften them
- Then place the sugar, glucose and 200ml water in a medium saucepan
- Bring it to the boil and then continue to heat the mixture until it reaches 127 degrees on the sugar thermometer
- Place your egg whites in a freestanding mixer and when the sugar temperature reaches around 115 degrees, start whisking them on a medium speed
- When the sugar mixture in the saucepan reaches 127 degrees, add the soaked gelatine and its water carefully and stir the mixture until the gelatine dissolves and remove it from the heat
- Ensure that your egg whites are now whipped to stiff peaks
- With the whisk still running but now on slow speed, carefully pour the sugar mixture down the (in)side of the bowl taking care not to hit the whisk in case it splashes and burns you
- Whisk for a minute until the mixture becomes shiny and then add the vanilla and pumpkin spice
- Turn up the mixer tp medium-fast and continue to mix for around 10 minutes until the mixture holds its shape on the whisk
- Meanwhile, oil your baking tray lightly
- Sift together the cornflour and icing sugar (equal parts of each) over the surface and sides of your baking tin
- Spoon in your prepared marshmallow and then smooth the surface with a wet palette knife
- Allow the marshmallow to set for at least one hour in the fridge
- With the remaining mix of icing sugar and cornflour, generously dust your work surface and then prising your marshmallow gently out of the baking tin, turn it out onto the work surface
- You should be able to cut through it with a knife although it will be a little sticky
- Cut it into squares and then roll each square completely in the icing sugar
- They're best eaten immediately but you can store them in an airtight container -- keep the remaining cornflour and icing sugar in case you need to roll them again if they get sticky
- And enjoy :)