Recipe: Homemade Marshmallows

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice, strained before measuring
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice, strained before measuring
• 6 tablespoons cold water
• 4 envelopes (1 ounce) unflavored gelatin
• 4 large egg whites
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• Paste food coloring, optional Confectioners’ sugar for dusting the pan and the marshmallows
• One 9 x 13 x 2-inch pan, buttered and lined with plastic wrap and dusted with a coating of confectioners’ sugar

Instructions:

Makes about 50 1-inch marshmallows.

1. Half fill a saucepan with water and place over medium heat; bring to a gentle boil.

2. Combine the orange and lemon juices and 6 tablespoons water in a small heatproof bowl; stir in the gelatin with a fork and set aside until the gelatin absorbs the liquid, about 5 minutes.

3. Combine the egg whites, sugar, 1/4 cup water, and corn syrup in the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk to mix and set over the pan of boiling water.  Whisk until the egg whites are hot (about 130 degrees) and the sugar is dissolved about 2 or 3 minutes.

4. Whisk in the softened gelatin (add food coloring now if using) and whip by machine with the whisk attachment on medium speed until white, risen in volume, and beginning to thicken about 3 or 4 minutes.

5. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and sift more confectioners’ sugar over the top.  Cool to room temperature and chill to set completely, several hours or overnight.

6. To cut the marshmallows, invert the pan to a cutting board and peel away the plastic wrap.  Use a sharp serrated knife, wiping it with a damp cloth between cuts, to cut the marshmallows into 1-inch squares.

7. Sift more confectioners’ sugar over the marshmallows and store between sheets of wax paper in a tin or plastic container with a tight-fitting cover.