I always wanted a KitchenAid stand mixer. Watching food show after food show and talk shows with countless demonstrations, there was one thing that was a constant in each kitchen: a shiny new stand mixer. Martha Stewart made it seem effortless to put in all the ingredients and whip up a batch of cookies. Bread suddenly becomes easy to make when the kneading is done by a machine instead of by hand. Alton Brown, with his jazzed up, flame painted mixer showed it was far from a unitasker, making many things, including these marshmallows. And then there are all the attachments. Ice cream, pasta, ground meat. My kitchen was incomplete without this piece of equipment.
So, we bought one when it was a Today’s Special on QVC. I don’t remember how much we paid, but it was a good deal for the Pro 500 machine that is proudly displayed on the countertop at all times, and it was paid in only six easy payments! (Sorry, I’m a shopping television junkie!) It came, the brushed stainless steel gleaming, all of the attachments perfect. I hate to admit this, but it sat unused for awhile. A pretty long while. I wasn’t into baking as much as I am now and it never seemed necessary to use the heavy mixer to do a simple task.
But then I was bored of making cookies and muffins and plain old buttercream. I wanted to make recipes that couldn’t be made without this stand mixer. I wanted to break it in, to bake like all the famous chefs on all those famous shows. So bake I did. Italian meringue and Italian meringue buttercream are my two favorite things to make period. And I can’t imagine doing it with a hand mixer or – gasp – by hand. Then there are sticky buns and loaves of glorious homemade bread, unlike anything from even the best bakeries. Not to mention all of my favorite Momofuku cookies require the stand mixer. So now, my KitchenAid stand mixer and I are inseparable, together we’ll be whipping up many more recipes, including what I foresee to be countless batches of homemade marshmallows.
I’m pretty marshmallow obsessed. From plain mini ones to Peeps, I can’t get enough of the sweet, fluffy goodness, which is only improved by being melted. I’ve never made my own marshmallows, though, and knowing how good my favorite marshmallow frosting is, I knew I’d just fall in love with these. And I was right.
Easy to make, they do require a candy thermometer, but you can handle that. The KitchenAid stand mixer does almost all of the work, whipping a syrupy liquid into thick, sticky marshmallow-y goodness. A bunch of vanilla gives them amazing flavor. It’s a messy job getting them from the bowl to the pan, but the sticky residue on your fingers can be used for a quality check 😉 Then you have to have a lot of patience as the marshmallows must sit for at least 4 hours to firm up. If you try to cut them before then, you will have a huge mess on your hands. Huge. Even after sitting overnight, cutting them is a messy job, but so worth it. The marshmallows have a mild vanilla flavor without being cloyingly sweet or artificial tasting. Then there is the pillowy texture, firm enough to be able to take a nice bite, but soft enough to melt in your mouth. Move over store bought marshmallows, there’s a new love in my life.
Marshmallows
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Yield: Varies
Ingredients
- 3 packages unflavored gelatin
- 1 cup cold water, divided
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, place the gelatin and ½ cup of water.
- In a small sauce pan, place remaining ½ cup water, sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Place over medium-high heat, cover, and cook for 3-4 minutes. Uncover and clip a candy thermometer on to the pan. The mixture will look almost like it did before being placed on the heat, this is okay. Continue cooking until the candy thermometer reaches 240 degrees F, about 7-8 minutes. When the mixture reaches 240, remove it from the heat and remove the candy thermometer.
- Turn the mixer on low and slowly power the sugar syrup into the gelatin mixture. After all the syrup has been added, turn the mixer to high and beat for 12-15 minutes, until the mixture is voluminous, thick, sticky, and glossy. Add vanilla and beat for one minute to combine.
- While the mixture is whipping, combine cornstarch and confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl. Oil a 9 by 13 inch baking pan. Coat completely, bottom and sides, with some of the cornstarch and sugar mixture. Tap any excess back into the bowl. When the marshmallow is ready, quickly pour it into the pan. The faster you do this the better, as the mixture will get stickier. Use an oiled spatula to smooth the marshmallow before coating the top lightly with the cornstarch and sugar.
- The marshmallows must sit uncovered for at least 4 hours and up to overnight before being cut or they will be too sticky. After the marshmallows have rested, cut them into roughly 1 inch bite size pieces. Roll the sides in excess cornstarch and sugar. I just used what was left in the pan. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks. I lined zipper bags with wax paper and placed them in there. But they won’t last 3 weeks.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Alton Brown
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
I’m going to cry I’m so envious. All I want in life is a KitchenAid stand mixer…
and some of these marshmallows, please 🙂
★★★★★
I hope you get a KitchenAid one day soon! Better go bake something to cheer you up 😉
yeah!
★★★★★
I cry too…I’ve always dreamt of owning my very own kitchenaid stand mixer!
Laura, these homemade marshmallows sound divine!
Thanks, Ruby! Hopefully you will get a stand mixer soon too!
Homemade marshmallows are one of my faves! Store-bought marshmallows can NEVER compare to the real thing. Glad you’re getting the chance to put your mixer through its paces!
I totally agree that homemade marshmallows are amazing. I don’t know how I’m supposed to eat store bought ones now. Luckily the stand mixer will help me keep making them 🙂 Thanks, Elizabeth!
These are sooo much better than anything you can buy. Very light and flavorful.
★★★★★
Glad you liked them!
Love the homemade marshmallows with the hint of vanilla. I never knew they could taste this good. Melt in your mouth goodness. The KitchenAid Stand Mixer is so cool. Makes baking fun!!
★★★★★
The tastiness of these marshmallows was surprising. They are just so good. Love baking with the KitchenAid for sure!
I’d love to make my own marshmallows and add flavors! Did these taste differently from store-bought ones?
You could add tons of different flavors to these. Cinnamon, peppermint, ginger . . . the possibilities are endless. Julia, these are so much better than store bought ones. They are one of my new favorite things of anything I’ve made.
I have heard that homemade mallows are amazing! I have never tried one before but would love to heat one up for s’mores. Mmmm!
They are for sure amazing! They would be great in s’mores, but they’re so good I have to be dragged away from them just as they are 🙂
KitchenAid mixers are wonderful. We’ve had ours about 30 years, and it’s still going strong. But I’ve never used it to make marshmallows! And that’s something I definitely need to do sometime. Yours looks terrific – so nice. Good stuff – thanks.
Thanks, John! You should definitely try making marshmallows – they are amazing! Awesome that you’ve had your KitchenAid for 30 years. I hope mine lasts that long.
What an amazing recipe! I totally would love a KitcheAid mixer and some of those marshmallows 🙂
Thanks, Natalie! I don’t know why I didn’t make homemade marshmallows sooner – so yummy!
I made marshmallows about this time last year for a book release/event I was doing for this book called Marshmallow Madness. Like 50 flavors of homemade marshmallows and they are insanely creative. If you like Tosi recipes, these are creative but not quite as…eccentric if that makes sense. Anyway…your ‘mallows turned out great!
And I would pay you to use that stand mixer and make me some italian buttercream. It’s the BEST and yours always sounds so good!
Different flavors of marshmallows sound so yummy! I am excited to experiment with them, as they really are a blank canvas. Italian buttercream is my fave too! Thanks, Averie!