Pre-Production

This is me in one of the warehouses that supplies our food - gigantic feeling!

Photo by Andrea Boje

Marshmallows!!!!

1 cup cold water, divided
2 T granulated gelatin
2 cups refined white sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1/4 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp vanilla extract or the yield of half of a freshly scraped vanilla bean
nonstick spray
cake pan (I have used all sizes from square to rectangular with success)
1/4 cup potato starch
1/4 cup powdered sugar

In standing mixer, combine 1/2 cup cold water with gelatin, ensuring all is wet. Allow to "bloom" for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine water, sugar, corn syrup, and salt. On medium heat, allow sugars to dissolve, brushing sides of pan with wet pastry brush if sugar crystallization occurs. Insert a candy thermometer into pan, turn heat up to high and allow to boil, without stirring, until thermometer reaches softball stage (let it go to 240 degrees for best results), about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, let bubbles dissipate a bit, then turn mixer to low and pour hot sugars slowly in a stream down the side of mixing bowl, as to avoid splatters. Turn mixer to medium and then high, allowing to develop for about 15 minutes. When mixture is very stiff, incorporate the vanilla for thirty seconds, turn of machine.

Spray cake pan with nonstick spray, and scoop marshmallow mixture into it. Using wet hands, press down the mixture until it is fairly even. Allow to set at room temperature for 4 hours.

Sift potato starch and sugar into rimmed pan or plate. Loosen sides of marshmallow in pan with your fingers, then invert from pan onto clean surface, cut into desired shapes and dredge into mixture of powdered sugar and potato starch.

May be stored for up to 1 month in airtight container at room temp.

Recipe modified from Gourmet July 2008