homemade marshmallows for gifts

[L]

does anyone have a simple yet delicious recipe for homemade marshmallows? I would like to make them for my gift bags.

Thanks!!

[Caitlin McGrath]

This is a good one.

Link: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/rec...

[D-NY]

any idea how long they last?

[D-NY]

oops should have scrolled down "Marshmallows keep in an airtight container at cool room temperature 1 week."

[Cynthia]

I use that exact recipe but leave out the egg white part - it really doesn't add anything at all, and if you leave it out, they will last for ages because all you are left with is sugar and gelatine. I make them every year for my dad. I roll them in hot toasted coconut and they are really great. They last for weeks and weeks in a well sealed container.

[Caviar]

If you can keep them for that long without people eating them, you're using the wrong recipe! :)

[Carb Lover]

Below is a recipe from marthastewart.com to throw into the mix. I have not personally used this recipe, but I saw her make them on her show, and it looked relatively easy and turned out well. I generally trust her site for baked goods and confections since Martha (and her team) are very precise. Noticed that the recipe doesn't call for egg whites or water like the one below, so wonder how that changes things...

Please report your results since I'm considering doing this soon. Thanks and good luck.

Link: http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jht...

[poppytrail]

I've tried this recipe and it makes terrific marshmallows.

If you have problems with the marshmallow sticking to the pan, let me know and I'll tell what I do. When I first started making marshmallows, the marshmallow always stuck to the pan no matter how much p-sugar or corn starch I used.

[Carb Lover]

Now that you have vouched for this recipe, I will likely try this at some point.

When you get a chance, do tell your non-stick secret...

[poppytrail]

I spray or lightly oil a 9x13 pan and then line it with two slightly overlapping sheets of plastic wrap. Spraying the pan first helps the plastic wrap cling to the pan (mine is metal). The plastic wrap should overlap in the center and long-ways. There should also be plenty of overhang. Oil the plastic wrap well with canola oil or some other flavorless oil. No need to dust with p-sugar. Pour your marshmallow "fluff" into the pan. When it dries and sets a few hours later you should be able to lift the entire slab out of the pan in one beautiful piece. Dust the top with p-sugar first! The plastic wrap will "unzip" from slab. Dust all the exposed sides with more sugar. It works for me every time.

[Wendy Lai]

In the Dec. issue of Living, there is a peppermint swirl marshmellow recipe that does call for egg whites. It looks beautiful, I'm going to try that this weekend.

[Carb Lover]

Yes, been meaning to take a look at that issue more closely since it's in my possession. Good luck and please report back w/ your results!

[danna]

I did it last night. It's not good. Very pillow-y and spongy. sticky. called for 8x8 pan, I used 9x9, and STILL it was too tall to cut in reasonable squares. I could not get the swirl to work. Horrible red mess on top, no red at all in the bottom. Maybe I'm just uncoordinated, but I'm pitching this recipe (and probably the results)

[Carb Lover]

Sorry to hear that it didn't quite work out. Noticed that Martha's other marshmallow recipe doesn't call for egg whites (see my OP on this thread). Since your recipe did call for whites, do you think that's what made it too puffy?

[Caitlin McGrath]

I've used the Epicurious recipe, which calls for beaten egg whites, and it didn't make overly puffy marshamllows at all. Sunds like the recipe's off in some way.

[geminigirl]

just wanted to thank you for recomending martha's recipie. I've made them before from Ina's (BC) but I think Martha's recipie is much better! Next time I will also use the saran wrap suggestion listed below as oiling or dusting the pan with cs doesn't seem to do the trick, thanks again

[Buttercup]

I made a similar recipe (linked below) from "How Stuff Works" just yesterday as a fun project with my kids. It was fun but the results were sweeter than commercial marshmallows (if you can believe that) with an odd bitter aftertaste. I'm wondering whether it could have been because my corn syrup was old (2 years?) or if I used too much food coloring (about 5 drops). But the blue marshmallows do look cool.

Link: http://science.howstuffworks.com/ques...

[poppytrail]

It could have been the corn syrup. My first thought was that it may have been the vanilla you used.

[mamaciita]

I thought that the marshmallow "batter" had a weird, chemical taste when I licked it out of the bowl (fresh), but after they set, the weird taste went away.

[mamaciita]

This Christmas, I made my first batch of homemade marshmallows with the intention of floating them in hot chocolate on Christmas Eve.

I'm elated to report that my 'mallows were universally adored whether eaten plain, in hot chocolate, or in s'mores. I can no longer stock graham crackers in my pantry.

I can't wait for our next bonfire.

For my next trick, I'm going to make the toasted coconut marshmallows from the holiday 2007 Gourmet. The s'mores made from those babies may prove to be my undoing.

Here's the recipe--Alton's--that I use.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recip...