Homemade Easter Marshmallows (DIY Peeps)

Homemade Easter Marshmallows (DIY Peeps) have a soft, airy, cloud-like texture.  These marshmallow candies are flavored with honey and almond to provide a depth of flavor not typically found in commercially made marshmallows. 

I can still remember the first time I saw a recipe for homemade marshmallows.  I was 12 or 13, and I was thumbing through a dessert cookbook for inspiration.  It was a fairly advanced cookbook, and most of the recipes were beyond my teenage skill set.  The marshmallows pictured in that cookbook looked so light and airy -- so very different than the marshmallows typically found in grocery store aisles.  But then I read through the recipe and started to feel discouraged.  I would need a candy thermometer, gelatin, and corn syrup.  Those items weren't things that my tween self was comfortable using in the kitchen.  And according to the recipe, I was supposed to cook the sugar mixture until it reached a "soft ball" stage.  I had no idea what that meant, and this was before the time of trusty, all-knowing smartphones.  I turned past that recipe, looking for something more attainable.   

Little did I know that homemade marshmallows are not as difficult to make as I had thought.  Yes, they take some time and patience.  Yes, they are a very messy, sticky endeavor.  I won't try to hide that.  I had marshmallow fluff on my collarbone, in my hair, and on the toaster (I'm not sure how that happened).  But the end result is so worthwhile.  I've made homemade vanilla bean marshmallows, peppermint marshmallows, and now these Easter-themed marshmallows covered in bright sanding sugar.  

To make these homemade Easter-shaped marshmallows, I used Wilton's six-piece miniature Easter cookie cutters.  I started with Alton Brown's basic recipe for homemade marshmallows, but substituted some of the corn syrup for honey, and used almond extract rather than vanilla.  Honey nut marshmallows -- why not?  Rather than dusting the marshmallows with cornstarch and powdered sugar, as the recipe suggests, I used pink and yellow sanding sugar so that my marshmallows would have the same color scheme as traditional Peeps.  Admittedly, you'll need quite a bit of sanding sugar.  I used about a cup total.  But don't fear, that's for a batch of four dozen Easter-shaped marshmallows.  If I had been more deliberate when placing my cookie cutters, I think the yield could have been even larger.  As it is, I have plenty of leftover homemade marshmallow scraps, which I'm planning to use for Rice Krispie treats.  

Note: See that one lonely marshmallow chick in light yellow sanding sugar?  The one perching on top of the blue ceramic egg cup?  He was made using Martha Stewart's recipe and tutorial for piped marshmallow treats. Piped marshmallow treats use a different ratio of sugar-water-gelatin to achieve pipe-able consistency, which is why I wasn't able to just use my recipe, below, for piping.  Unfortunately, this was the sole camera-ready chick.  His fellow hatchlings weren't quite so photogenic.  They ended up looking a little more like snakes than chicks.  Cut-out marshmallows are easy, but piped marshmallows are a little trickier!   

(click here for printable recipe)

Homemade Easter Marshmallows (DIY Peeps)

(recipe adapted from Alton Brown)

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 5 hours

Ingredients

• 1 cup sanding sugar (any color or combination of colors)
• non-stick cooking spray
• 3 packages unflavored gelatin
• 1 cup cold water, divided
• 1 1/2 cups white granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup honey (mild-flavor is preferable)
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon almond extract

Instructions

1. Line two 8" x 8" baking dishes with aluminum foil.  Spray bottom and sides lightly with cooking spray.  Sprinkle each pan with 1-2 tablespoons of sanding sugar and tilt pan to coat as evenly as possible.  Set aside. 
2. Sprinkle gelatin into the bowl of a stand mixture.  Pour 1/2 cup of water over the gelatin.  Set aside for mixing later.  Attach metal whisk to the mixer.  
3. Put white sugar, corn syrup, honey, sea salt, and remaining 1/2 cup water into a medium saucepan.  Place on a burner and set heat to medium-high.  Stir with a wooden spoon for the first minute to dissolve the sugar.  After 1 minute, cover pan and continue to cook.  After mixture has been cooking for 3-4 minutes in total, uncover and attach candy thermometer.  Sugar mixture will reach a rolling boil.  Continue cooking until mixture reaches the soft ball stage, or 238-240 degrees.  Remove immediately from heat.  
4. Whisk gelatin on the lowest speed for about 1 minute.  Gradually add liquid sugar mixture to the bowl, still whisking on low.  Once all sugar syrup has been added, increase speed to medium-high (I used 6 on my KitchenAid).  Continue mixing until for approximately 15 minutes, until the marshmallow mixture is thick, white, glossy, and lukewarm in texture.
5. Working quickly, use a rubber spatula to spoon marshmallow mixture into the prepared pans.  Use the rubber spatula to smooth the tops as evenly as possible.  Sprinkle a few tablespoons of sanding sugar evenly on top of each pan, reserving about 1/3 or 1/2 of the sanding sugar for later use.  Set pans aside and allow to cool for at least 4 hours. 
6. After 4 hours, gently remove marshmallow from the pan, and place on wooden cutting board.  Using a knife or cookie cutters, cut marshmallow into desired shapes.  Coat freshly cut sides with reserved sanding sugar.  Store in an airtight container; will remain fresh for at least one week.  

Yield: Approximately 4 dozen marshmallows, cut using 1" cookie cutters.  Yield will be larger if cut with a knife.

Note: If cut using cookie cutters, the remaining marshmallow can be used to make Rice Krispie treats!

(click here for printable recipe)

Thanks for reading, friends!