– by Jennifer Bowles –
Well the holidays are here again, and with them the inevitable parade of craft fairs and homemade treats.
As I’m writing this, my daughter is hard at work preparing a cornucopia of hand-made treats to sell at a children’s craft sale and she’s come up with some fantastic ideas: fun and colourful soaps, hot chocolate in a jar and, my personal favourite, scratch-made marshmallows. When we first came up with this idea I thought it sounded fun. What kid wouldn’t love to make a nice cup of hot cocoa and float a giant strawberry marshmallow on top?
The more I thought about it, the more I was sure it would be fun for us big kids too – perhaps with some more adult flavours. I bounced it around and came up with something fun and delicious, and perfect for a winter night, or a holiday morning – Irish Cream Marshmallows. How great does that sound? Float one in a cup of hot chocolate, or even just in a cup of rich espresso. This no-bake recipe is versatile – if you don’t like Irish Cream then feel free to try your own flavours! Happy Sipping!
Irish Cream Marshmallows
3 envelopes unflavored gelatin powder
½ cup Irish Cream
1½ cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/8 tsp salt
½ cup water
1 tsp vanilla
powdered sugar
Pour Irish Cream in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Sprinkle gelatin over top. Swirl mixture gently until the gelatin is absorbed.
In a sauce pan heat the sugar, syrup, salt and water over medium heat and stir constantly until the temperature reaches a soft ball stage (240°F).
Slowly pour the heated sugar mixture into the stand mixer while on low. Add vanilla and increase speed and whip for about 15 minutes until thickened and mostly cooled.
Spray a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray and coat with powdered sugar. Pour marshmallow into the prepared pan and let sit at room temperature for 4 to 8 hours.
Once the marshmallows are set and cooled, cut into large, even squares, turn out from pan and toss in powdered sugar to prevent them sticking together.
Enjoy!
