I Love Marshmallows

I have always wanted to make homemade marshmallows.  I just always assumed there would be too much involved in the process of making them so I never did.  But on a rainy day...just kidding, it wasn't raining, but it always sounds more dramatic when you start a sentence that way.  No/Yes? Anyways, I was checking out one of my favorite blogs Smitten Kitchen and came across a marshmallow recipe that sounded way too easy to pass up.  Tyler & I got our butts out of bed early one Saturday morning and got busy making what turned out to be the most incredible marshmallows.  Best when put in hot chocolate of course. 

 Marshmallow
 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
3 1/2 envelopes (2 tablespoons plus 2 1/2 teaspoons) unflavored gelatin
1 cup cold water, divided
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large egg whites or reconstituted powdered egg whites
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Start by oiling the bottom and sides of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch rectangular metal baking pan and dust bottom & sides with confectioners' sugar.  In the bowl of a standing mixer or large bowl pour 1/2 cup cold water in it and sprinkle gelatin over top.  While gelatin is softening, use a 3-quart heavy saucepan and cook granulated sugar, corn syrup, 1/2 cup of cold water, and salt over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until sugar is dissolved.  Increase heat to moderate and boil without stirring until a candy or digital thermometer registers 240°F, about 12 minutes.  Remove pan from heat and pour sugar mixture over gelatin mixture, stirring until gelatin is dissolved.  Using the whip attachment, beat mixture on high speed until white, thick, and nearly tripled in volume, about 6 minutes.  In a separate medium bowl with cleaned beaters, beat egg whites until they hold stiff peak.  Beat whites and vanilla (or your chocie of flavoring) into sugar mixture until just combined.  Pour minture into baking pan (and worry about getting every last bit out).  Sift 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar evenly over top.  Chill marshmallow, uncovered, until firm, at least 3 hours and/or up to one day.  After chilled run a thin knife around edges of pan and invert pan onto a large cutting board, lifting up one corner of the inverted pan with fingers, loosen marshmallow and ease onto cutting board.  With a large knife trim edges of marshmallow and cut marshmallow into roughly 1-inch cubes (or use an oiled pizza cutter).  Sift remaining confectioners' sugar back into your now empty baking pan, and roll the sarshmallows through it, on all six sides, before shaking off the excess and packing them away.