Pink Vanilla Marshmallows

YES! You can make marshmallows! 

Ingredients:

• 4 1/2 tsp unflavoured gelatine powder
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup glucose syrup (divided)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup icing sugar

Method:

1. Prepare by bringing all ingredients and measuring cups onto your working surface. Read the method to get a clear idea about the order of things because when mallowing everything pretty much happens at once. 
2. Dust your 8"/8" tin with some of the icing sugar.
3. Add the gelatine to the cold water and leave to sit for 5 minutes. 
4. Place the sugar, half the glucose syrup (1/4 cup), water and salt in a small pan, clip on your sugar thermometer and turn the heat onto high. Stir occasionally.
5. In the meantime, pour the remaining glucose syrup (1/4 cup) into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. 
6. Microwave the gelatine on high for around 30 seconds (until completely melted) and pour into the mixer bowl. Set the mixer to low and keep it running.
7. When the syrup reaches 115 °C, slowly pour the syrup into the mixing bowl. 
8. Increase the speed to medium and whisk for 5 minutes. 
9. Increase the speed to medium-high and whisk for 5 more minutes.
10. Finally, whisk on the highest setting for 2 minutes. The mallow will now be completely opaque, fluffy and tripled in size.
11. Pour it into the prepared pan and use an offset spatula to level it out. 
12. Sift icing sugar evenly on top and leave to set overnight. 
13. Use a knife to loosen the mallow from the sides of the tin and invert the mallow slab onto a coated work surface. Cut into whatever size pieces you wish (using either a knife or a pizza cutter for squares) and dip the sticky edges into icing sugar. 

I chose to make pink marshmallows but feel free to tint yours with any mallowy colour you  might prefer. You could also layer a number of colours into the same tin. I've done it and it's pretty straightforward. Working quickly, simply divide the vanilla mallow into two (or three) bowls and add the desired colour to each. When filling up the tin, level each layer with an offset spatula before adding the next to ensure straight and even stripes when cutting the mallow slab into bite size marshmallows later on.   

* As in 'Marshmallow Madness' by Shauna Sever. Note that the original recipe calls for light corn syrup and cornstarch or potato starch but I have substituted these for glucose syrup and icing sugar and the former are impossible to come across where I live. Click here for a mallow related book review and don't forget to join me on Facebook!