Raspberry Marshmallows

Marshmallows are one of those things I never really thought to make at home.  It's so much easier to grab a bag of Jet-Puffed when I've got a craving for hot cocoa or Rice Krispies Treats.  Since I wanted to add some new goodies to this year's roster of homemade Christmas gifts I thought to myself, "why not marshmallows?"  I've seen other people make it so how hard could it be?

My only criteria was I wanted to make them with some kind of fruit.   I saw these raspberry marshmallows on Not So Humble Pie and I knew I found what I was looking for.  I loved their pink hue and the tartness of the raspberries would be a great counterbalance to the sweet marshmallow.

To my surprise the recipe only contained four ingredients (I don't count water!) and were so easy to make.   When you're cutting the marshmallows make sure you use a very sharp knife and lots of the cornstarch and powdered sugar mixture. 


Raspberry Marshmallows (adapted from Not So Humble Pie)

400g fresh or frozen raspberries
500g granulated sugar
20g powdered gelatin
60g egg whites
pinch of salt

Using a flavorless oil like canola, lightly grease a 13" x 9" pan.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook the raspberries until soft and juicy. Mash them with a fork to help release the juices. Once soft, press the raspberries through a sieve to remove the seeds and reserve the liquid (approximately 1 cup) in a large bowl. If the raspberry liquid seems very thin and watery, reduce it over medium low heat until it thickens. Set the mixture aside to cool and start the sugar syrup.

In a small sauce pan over medium heat, cook the sugar with one cup of water. Stir frequently until it comes to a boil and the sugar has dissolved. Then clip on your candy thermometer and maintain a gentle boil without stirring until it reaches 255°F.

While waiting on the syrup, sprinkle the powdered gelatin over the cooled raspberry mixture and whisk. When the syrup is getting close, drop the egg whites and salt into your mixer and beat them on medium speed until foamy.

Once the syrup comes to temp, pour the syrup into the large bowl with the raspberry and gelatin. It will bubble up, which is why I emphasized a large bowl earlier. Whisk the mixture to dissolve the gelatin then pour into your mixer with the eggs. Beat on medium-high speed for several minutes, until the mixture has cooled a bit and tripled in volume. Pour the gooey marshmallow mass into your prepared pan, smooth with an offset spatula and allow to stand and cure for several hours.

Once the marshmallows have cured, cut around the edges with a knife to release the sheet. Dust the surface liberally with a mixture of cornstarch and powdered sugar (1/2 c. of each will do the trick).  As you remove the marshmallow from the pan, toss some of the dusting mixture under the sheet to aid in releasing it. Use as much as you need to keep it from sticking to everything.

Place the marshmallow sheet onto a well dusted cutting board.

Now you can cut it into cubes or pull out the cookie cutters and cut out shapes from the sheet. Toss the cut marshmallows into a bowl with the dusting mixture and toss to thoroughly coat. Transfer to an air tight container.