Marshmallows!

Well, I have been talking about them a lot recently, I figured it was time to finally make a batch of these famous marshmallows. Except I was a little low on my staples... So I was only able to make a half-batch... They didn't quite turn out as fluffy as usual, but that probably has something to do with having less "batter" to work with... Go figure...

This is actually Martha Stewart's recipe for Vanilla Marshmallows, and I was introduced to it by Auntie Twin. This recipe is yet another reason why I love my KitchenAid!!!

Since I only had one cup of (regular, granulated) sugar, I had to halve all of the other ingredients. Made half the syrup, used half the amount of gelatin, etc... Normally when I make these I use part vanilla extract and part vanilla bean, like the recipe calls for. Since I was only making a half batch, I was too lazy to scrape half of a vanilla bean. So extract alone. I did use some of my vanilla sugar, though, so that helps...

Letting the marshmallows set is usually the hard part for me... I am not very patient, and one of the reasons that cooking and baking are good crafts for me is the end product is usually ready pretty efficiently. But these need to set for a couple of hours... Turns out, I let them set for a day - snow days with Hubby and Little Girl are a good distraction!

While the cutting of the marshmallows isn't exactly fun (it isn't hard or frustrating, it just isn't the most fun thing in the world to do), I like tossing the freshly cut squares of sweetness in powdered sugar. Maybe is it because I am always messy anyway and there is no way to contain powdered sugar, maybe it is watching them go from sticky to individual treats... I don't know... I just like it!

While this batch didn't turn out as aesthetically pleasing as I would have liked, the taste was not affected at all! So I am happy to report that any upcoming marshmallow treats will be made and enjoyed with the real things!! Woohoo!!