I've tried a lot of marshmallow recipes, but the Butter's Famous recipe tops them all. It's from Butter Baked Goods: Nostalgic Recipes From a Little Neighborhood Bakery
Homemade Marshmallows Without Egg Whites
What I've discovered through multiple marshmallow making adventures is that marshmallows without egg whites are a little firmer and seem to stay fresh longer. My favorite up until now has been the Epicurious recipe, but the Butter Baked Goods recipe is a tad bit fluffier. It has a different amount of corn syrup, more salt and a lot more vanilla. It's also a tad easier in that you don't need to bother with a candy thermometer or hunting down potato starch. These marshmallows are rolled in straight-up powdered sugar.
Flavoring Homemade Marshmallows
Whether you dip your marshmallows in chocolate or sandwich them between graham crackers is up to you too, but once you have 64 marshmallows to play with, you may find yourself getting a little creative. And then there's the issue of flavoring. Todd's been asking for a coconut variation, but I'm still working my way through marshmallows made with various brands of vanilla and seeing how different vanillas compare. Make sure you use a brand of vanilla you really like, because with two tablespoons you'll taste it. The vanilla flavor is a bit bold on Day 1, but after you cover the marshmallows in chocolate and let them sit for a while, it becomes more subtle.
Pan Size
Another thing to keep in mind is if you plan on sandwiching the marshmallows between graham crackers, you might want to pour the mixture into a 9x13 inch pan so the marshmallows will be shorter in stature. Using a 9 inch square pan makes them big and bouncy and perfect for dipping or decorating, but for sandwiching you'll want a longer, thinner piece. Since my marshmallows were so tall, I had to cut them in half horizontally and squish them to fit the crackers. Next time I'll cut them precisely to fit the crackers.
Small Batch Marshmallows
I love this recipe. I recently had a craving (and about a pack and a half of gelatin to use up), so I made a half batch and used a 9x5 inch loaf pan. The recipe worked perfectly. Since I was making the marshmallows in a new kitchen over a new stove, I decided to use a candy thermometer to determine the best time to take the sugar mixture off the stove. I removed it from the stove at about 238 degrees F. The amount of time given, 1 minute of a rolling boil, is about right.
Here's the recipe courtesy of Butter Baked Goods.
Recipe
Butter's Famous Marshmallows
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 3 envelopes unflavored gelatin (21 grams total)
- 2 cups granulated sugar (400 grams)
- ½ cup light corn syrup (should be around 160 grams)
- ½ teaspoon teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons pure vanilla
- Generous amount of icing sugar to coat the marshmallows about 2 cups
Instructions
- You will need a 9x9 inch pan, buttered (Note: a 9x13 inch pan will also work).
- In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, pour in 1⁄2 cup of the water and sprinkle with the gelatin. Set aside to allow the gelatin to soak in.
- In a medium saucepan over high heat, add the sugar, corn syrup, salt and remaining 1⁄2 cup of water. Bring to a rolling boil and continue to boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat. If you want to use a candy thermometer, remove when mixture reaches 238 degrees F.
- Turn the mixer to low and mix the gelatin once or twice to combine it with the water. Slowly add the hot sugar mixture, pouring it gently down the side of the bowl, and continue to mix on low. Be really careful at this point because the sugar mixture is smoking hot! It’s not a job for little ones.
- Turn the mixer to high and continue to whip for 10 to 12 minutes until the marshmallow batter almost triples in size and becomes very thick. Scrape down the sides of the bowl frequently to avoid the batter overflowing as it grows. Stop the mixer, add the vanilla, and then whip briefly to combine.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan and use a spatula or bench scraper to spread it evenly in the pan. Work quickly, as the marshmallow becomes more difficult to manipulate as it sets.
- Grease a sheet of plastic wrap with butter and lay it across the top of the marshmallow. Press down firmly on the plastic wrap, to seal it smoothly and tightly against the mixture.
- Leave the marshmallow to set at room temperature for at least 3 hours or overnight. The marshmallow will be too sticky and soft to cut if you try too soon.
- Sprinkle a work surface or cutting board with the icing sugar. Run a knife along the top edge of the pan to loosen the marshmallow slab. Invert the pan and flip the marshmallow out onto the counter or board. Scoop up handfuls of the icing sugar and rub all over the marshmallow slab.
- Use a large knife to cut the slab into 1- × 1-inch squares. Roll each of the freshly cut marshmallow squares in the remaining icing sugar to coat them completely. If you—and most of your kitchen—are speckled with marshmallow by the time you finish this recipe, fear not! It’s mostly sugar, so a little hot water and elbow grease will have things as good as new in no time.
Notes
- TOASTED COCONUT MARSHMALLOWS My personal favorite! Just substitute the 3 cups icing sugar with 3 cups unsweetened shredded coconut. To prepare the coconut: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Sprinkle the coconut onto a cookie sheet in one even layer and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, until the coconut is a lovely golden brown, stirring every 5 minutes to make sure it toasts evenly. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Follow Steps 8 and 9 to coat the marshmallows completely in toasted coconut.
- RASPBERRY MARSHMALLOWS In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm 1⁄4 cup raspberry jam (any variety will do) until it becomes runny, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Place a fine sieve over a small bowl and pour the warm jam through the sieve to catch any seeds and create a puree. Add the puree and one drop of red food coloring at Step 4 of the recipe.
- MINT MARSHMALLOWS These are fantastic in hot chocolate! Add 1 teaspoon of mint extract and 1 drop of green food coloring at Step 4 of the recipe. Make sure you do this at the end of the whisking process—if you add it too early it prevents the marshmallow from achieving its proper volume.
- COFFEE MARSHMALLOWS Add 1⁄2 cup of strongly brewed coffee or espresso instead of the water in Step 1, and add another 1⁄2 cup instead of the water in Step 2.
- CINNAMON MARSHMALLOWS Another yummy option for your hot chocolate or, even better, melted on top of your sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving. Add 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon at Step 4. From Butter Baked Goods: Nostalgic Recipes From a Little Neighborhood Bakery
Anna says
Alycia, yes --- you could use an electric mixer. It will take more time, but it can be done.
Alycia Juba says
Can these be made without a stand up mixer?
Anna says
Hi Wendy! I'm so glad you like the recipe. Have you ever made marshmallows with Mexican vanilla? Reading your comment makes me want to run to the kitchen and try it. The strawberry and raspberry puree versions sound good too.
Wendy says
I am a professional chocolatier and confectioner. For YEARS I've been making marshmallows using hand-crafted syrup (not corn syrup), digital thermometer, etc. I have tried numerous other recipes over the years but hadn't seen this one. Made the vanilla mallows as stated the first time - they were PHENOMENAL but I can never leave well enough alone. I used Tahitian vanilla beans in place of the extract - you could do half and half too - because I wanted the visual of the little vanilla bean speckles. Again - fantastic. I swapped strawberry puree for the raspberry jam - again, fantastic. Now I'm working on adapting my lemon mallow recipe to this one. They'll be making an appearance - dipped in chocolate - in my online shop soon! Best mallows EVER!!!
Anna says
So glad you are having fun with it!! I haven't tried the coconut variation yet.
d says
I LOVE this recipe!! So far, my favorites are vanilla bean coated in toasted coconut and mint flavored dipped in dark chocolate. Thanks for sharing, Anna. I'm already thinking about different variations for next Christmas.
beth says
WOW! looks good.
going on the to try list!
Anna says
Nielsen Massey's vanilla or paste would be excellent in these. I know because I just made another batch with NM. I would recommend using 1 tablespoon rather than 2, though. I' think Sonoma Syrups Vanilla Bean Crush would be amazing. The reason I'm not posting anything new this week is because I keep making these marshmallows over and over!
Sue says
Good info about the corn syrup weight! I was going to ask that. The only vanilla I have is Nielson-Massey. Do you think that will be ok? I might make these on Sunday. What kind of chocolate do you like to use for dipping?
d says
Anna, what brands of vanilla have you tried? What is your preference so far? I'm thinking to try Nielsen Massey's Vanilla Bean Paste.
d says
I'm trying these this week!! Can't wait.
Erin says
Thanks for the recipe and recommendations. Homemade marshmallows are such a treat.
Anna says
Hi Liliana, I'm glad the information helped. I'm making a second batch today and will add more tips as they come. I'm sure you know this, but the 2 cups of sugar is equal to 392 grams and the 1/2 cup of corn syrup weighed about 144 grams.
Liliana says
Thank you, Anna. Your explanations are very helpful. Yes, we normally use the sheets/leaves. In supermarkets we can only buy the sheets, but I buy sometimes envelopes from other shops. It was really helpful the total amount that you used for this recipe. I can hardly wait to try this recipe, especially because marshmallows have been on my to-do list for long time. Since I discovered your blog, I have added more things to it.... Thank you again for your wonderful recipes.
Todd says
Please ship a batch of these to Chicago.
Anna says
Sonya, I'm looking forward to your opinion.
Liliana, that is a great question. I used a total of 21 grams of gelatin. Here in Texas most people use a brand of powdered gelatin called Knox. It comes in a box with 4 little 7 gram packets. For this recipe I used 3 of the packets. Of course now I have one packet left, so I need to go by more gelatin to make more marshmallows!
From what I understand, in Europe people use gelatin sheets.
Liliana says
Thank you for this recipe. Could you please tell me the what type of gelatin you use and which is more important, how many grams per envelope. (I live in Denmark...)
sonya says
Thanks for the recipe! I've made homemade marshmallows a few years ago, but it will be nice to compare that recipe to this one!
lisa keys says
wonderful recipes--I may have to make these
Sarah says
P.S. The basic layer cake recipes from this book have also become staples.
Sarah says
I've spent some time in Vancouver and discovered these beauties a few years ago - and snatched up the cookbook as soon as I saw it. These marshmallows are hands-down my most requested treat I make for friends. The recipe is very forgiving, lending itself well to experimentation. Nom nom!