DIY Marshmallow Vending Machine
From Peeps and Mallomars to sno-balls and Rice Krispie treats, marshmallows are everywhere. But did you know that they didn’t start out as fluffy candy pillows? They are made from sugar syrup cooked to the soft-ball stage, whipped together with gelatin and vanilla. This simple recipe can yield a variety of confections.
How to Make Marshmallows
Making your own marshmallows is not only more economical than buying them in store, but it’s far better in texture and flavor. It’s also customizable in many ways; you can cut them into whatever shapes or sizes you want, and even add other flavors to the syrup like lemon zest, maple, or cocoa powder.
Heat the sugar and water in a saucepan over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally. While the mixture is heating, mix the gelatin in a separate bowl with cold water until it blooms (that is, softens and expands). After about 10 minutes, remove the DIY Marshmallow Vending Machine sugar mixture from the heat and pour it over the gelatin in the mixer. Whisk on high speed for 8-10 minutes until the marshmallow batter is thick and fluffy, and it should be slightly warm to the touch.
Before adding the vanilla, dust a spatula and your hands with cooking spray or canola oil. This will help the marshmallow mixture not stick to you as you try to pour it into the pan. Pour the mixture into a 9 x 9-inch pan, smoothing the top with a greased spatula or wet hands. Cover the pan and let sit at room temperature for 4 hours or overnight to set.
Once the marshmallows have cooled, sprinkle them with a generous coating of powdered sugar. You can cut them into squares, hearts, or any other shape using cookie cutters, then toss each piece in the powdered sugar again and store in an airtight container for up to a month.
Materials
Marshmallows are fluffy, light confections that make a delicious addition to hot chocolate and S’mores. But while they look simple enough, marshmallows are actually complex treats that take advantage of unique food-science properties. They’re made by trapping air in a sugar-gelatin scaffolding, which is why they have to be kept at room temperature until just before use.
One of the most popular types of marshmallows are Peeps, the sugar-covered chicks and bunnies made by Just Born. People tend to get creative with these brightly colored treats, using them for everything from costumes and science dioramas to sadistic lab tests and Peeps jousting (which is basically just two Peeps standing face-to-face in your microwave, armed with toothpicks).
When making marshmallows at home, you’ll need powdered sugar and corn starch to keep the mixture from sticking to itself—and whatever it touches. You’ll also need a pizza cutter to cut the marshmallows into squares.
Recipe
Homemade marshmallows are delicious and easy DIY Marshmallow Vending Machine factory to make. They can be roasted for s’mores, added to natural cereal treats, used in homemade hot chocolate, and eaten on their own. They can also be dipped in chocolate, which is fun for kids to do.
Homemade marshmallow fluff has a shorter shelf life than store-bought, and it will start to lose its fluffy consistency after about a couple of days. This is because it has more sugar and less air. To combat this, try to make it right before you need it. This will help ensure that your marshmallows are as fluffy and delicious as possible.
The recipe below uses the classic marshmallow recipe but replaces the light corn syrup with pure maple syrup and adds a touch of salt. It also calls for grass-fed gelatin, which is an incredibly nourishing animal product made by boiling the skin, cartilage, and bones of a cow. In our culture that is so obsessed with boneless meat, this ingredient might seem strange but it’s a great way to use the entire animal and connect with where our food comes from.
You can also make this recipe more exciting by adding mix-ins. Chocolate chips, cacao nibs, and chopped candied ginger are delicious additions to the marshmallow. Just fold them into the marshmallow mixture before scraping it into the pan.