Homemade Golden Syrup Marshmallows

One of the sweets I used to love as a child, and a love that has stayed with me, are marshmallows. I remember being excited when mum would occasionally buy a bag of Princes pink and white marshmallows. I loved the soft gooey texture and the instant hit of sweetness. And then there were Flumps – the little cylindrical mallows, also very nice, but a slightly drier crust I remember. And now there are so many different varieties to choose from where is a boi to begin?

And for years I have been trying to come up with the perfect homemade marshmallow, after I discovered you could make them at home. I found a recipe by Martha Stewart that incorporated egg whites and I made these several times, although I was never truly happy with them – they never lasted very long and were too wet. Also the vast majority of recipes call for corn syrup which is not easy to get hold of in the UK. But I recently read that golden syrup makes a good sub for corn syrup in recipes and so I got to thinking. That unique syrup flavour combined with the soft marshmallow texture sounded like heaven! I experimented (with inspiration from www.chow.com) and it worked beautifully.

Warning! Unless you have the arms of Popeye, the stamina of a marathon runner or an electric mixer this recipe isn’t for you sorry!

Now to make the marshmallows, dig out your best sugar thermometer and your mixer and set to!

Yield – as many as you like – big or small!

Ingredients:

Drizzle of Veg Oil (on Paper Towel)

One sachet of unflavoured powder gelatine (about 4 teaspoons)

180 ml cold water

180 grams granulated sugar

120 ml golden syrup

Pinch of salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Dusting

60grams Icing Sugar

50 grams Cornflour

Method:

Oil an 8”x8” baking tin using the paper towel and set aside.

In a cup, mix 120 ml of the water with the gelatine and set aside to soften. Meanwhile in a saucepan mix the sugar, 60ml of the syrup, salt and remaining 60 ml water together. Clip on the thermometer and whilst stirring bring it to the boil until it reaches 115 ^oC. Remove from the heat. Now place the cup of gelatine and water in the microwave for 30 seconds. Next put the gelatine in the bowl of an electric mixer with the remaining syrup and with the whisk attachment in place mix on slow. Take the hot sugar mixture and very carefully and slowly dribble this into the mixer with it still turned on. Continue to whisk on medium speed for 5 minutes. 

Then increase the speed to medium high for another 5 minutes, add the vanilla and crank up the speed to high for 3 more minutes. The mixture will have, in this time, gone from clear golden liquid to molten marshmallowy goodness.

Next pour the mallow mix into the baking tin and using a spatula smooth until level. Now dust very liberally with about a quarter of the dusting mix. Leave this to set overnight! 

Next day, invert the pan onto a cutting mat and ease out the mallow. It shouldn’t need too much persuasion! Liberally dust the top with another quarter of the dusting mix. It is now up to you how you chop them up. With a knife, just tear at it if you can’t wait(!!) or I used a cookie cutter. Always coat all cut edges in the dusting mix.

These apparently last for a few weeks in an airtight container – but c’mon! Seriously!? They taste so good, like marshmallows with a wee hint of caramel from the syrup and they feel like proper mallows too. Delicious – what more is to be said other than – Enjoy…