Squishy Marshmallows...clouds in your mouth!

Photo source: http://dujourmag.com/blog/kitchy-weekends-marshmallows/

Okay, I've used someone elses photo as my camera is on the blink as we say here in Oz.

But can I say that dujour mags' recipe is not a patch on mine.

Mine is super easy and super yummy and my daughter says it's like eating a cloud...cute.

If you prefer more solid ones, add more gelatine. This is another thing that needs a bit of space in the fridge for storing so make sure you've got room before you start!

Equipment:

Measuring jug

Extra Large mixing bowl

Lamington tray and loaf tin lined with paper

Electric beaters

Large spoon

Measuring cups

Freezer bag for coating

Large container for storing. I use my Tupperware marinating container and an old biscuit tin lined with baking paper. Don't stack them in layers like in the pic for storage, as they will go gooey.

Ingredients:

2 cups white sugar

2 tablespoons gelatine powder1 teaspoon vanilla extract

700mls boiling water

1-2 cups dessicated coconut, icing sugar or cornflour to coat

Method:

Put the sugar into your large bowl.

Measure the boiling water into the measuring jug, and add 500mls of it to the sugar and stir for a minute or two to dissolve it.

Add the gelatine to the remaining 200mls of boiling water left in the jug, and stir until it dissolves.

Add the vanilla extract to the sugar solution.

Now, you can allow it to cool slightly, but I don't bother. Add the gelatine mixture to the sugar mixture and start beating with your mixer.

You need to keep beating until it's shiny, white and thick. It usually takes about 7-10 minutes here. It will cool significantly in the process.

Once it's really thick, kind of like the texture of meringue when you make pavlova, or thick softly whipped cream, it's ready.

Quickly pour it into the lined trays and refrigerate it for about 2 hours. Sometimes, like yesterday, we put 4 or 5 random drops of food colouring on the surface and run a skewer through the unset marshmallow, to make marbled marshmallows. Pretty! That's an idea I pinched from Donna Hay :)

Then simply cut into large squares and toss in dessicated coconut or icing sugar or cornflour. We do it by putting the coating in a freezer bag, and adding 2-3 marshmallows at a time and tossing them around in the bag.

This makes about 40 large marshmallows.

Sometimes I find that the marshmallow separates slightly and we end up with a layer of flavoured gelatine at the bottom. I don't know why this happens. It could be insufficent beating, temperature, humidity or something else. Maybe someone knows?

But it's only a bare millimetre thick and doesn't affect the flavour of the marshmallows, and in fact if we marbled them, it looks quite pretty. So don't be concerned if this happens.

Enjoy!