Hot chocolate is a staple at our house.  We drink a lot of it.  And we love to serve it with different mix-ins and toppings.  Marshmallows is of course a favorite at any household, I would assume.  So why not make them homemade?  It is so easy and they taste so much better than the store-bought varieties.  Plus when they are homemade you can use cookie cutters and have them in fun shapes.  Try experimenting with the flavorings as well.  This is for a basic vanilla marshmallow but you could substitute the vanilla for other flavored extracts such as mint, orange, etc….The possibliities are endless.

Don’t forget to try these marshmallows in our hazelnut hot cocoa.

Vanilla Marshmallows

Ingredients:

Nonstick cooking spray
3 (1/4-ounce) packages unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Confectioners’ sugar, for coating

Directions:

Lightly spray a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Line pan with plastic wrap, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides; set aside

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water; let stand for 10 minutes. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup water. Place saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil; boil rapidly for 1 minute. Remove from heat, and, with the mixer on high, slowly pour the boiling syrup down the side of the mixer bowl into gelatin mixture. Add salt and vanilla and continue mixing for 12 minutes.  {Set a timer and walk away.}

Spray a rubber spatula or your hands with cooking spray. Spread gelatin mixture evenly into pan using prepared spatula or your hands. Spray a sheet of plastic wrap with cooking spray and place, spray side down, on top of marshmallows. Let stand for 2 hours.

Carefully remove marshmallows from pan. Remove all plastic wrap and discard. Cut marshmallows with small cookie cutters that have been sprayed with cooking spray or into 2-inch squares using a sprayed sharp knife. Place confectioners’ sugar in a large bowl. Working in batches, add marshmallows to bowl and toss to coat.