Make your own: Marshmallows!

I took a trip to my local library and picked up Jenny Colgan's latest book, "Welcome to Rosie Hopkins' Sweet Shop of Dreams." Which is a perfect girly summer read and really is brightening up this dull weather. However whilst the book is a lovely and relaxing read it also has an added bonus, it contains recipes for sweets! So when I found a recipe for marshmallows I just had to make them!

For this recipe you will need

•  9 sheets of leaf gelatine or pectin if you're a veggie like me 
• 16oz caster sugar
• 1tbsp liquid glucose (this is optional, I didn't use it)
• 7 fl oz white
• 2 large egg whites or 2 & half medium egg whites
• 1 tsp vanilla extracts
• food colouring of your choice (again this is optional)
• icing sugar
• cornflour 

How to make the marshmallows:

• Lightly oil your baking tray you need a deep dish one about 12 X 9 inches, then dust it with cornflour and icing sugar
• Soak the gelatine or pectin in 5 fl oz of cold water
• Put the sugar, glucose and water into a heavy-based pan. Bring this to a boil, stir to prevent it from crystallising and carrying on doing so for around 12-15 minutes. If you have a sugar thermometer check this up until it reaches 260 Fahrenheit or 127 Celsius if not just make sure you've let it boil for this time and the mixture is very bubbly.
• Then add/stir the gelatine or pectin along with the water it was soaking in and take off the heat.
• Whisk the egg whites until stiff whilst pouring in the sugar mixture, please be careful when doing this as it is extremely hot I'd advise having someone with you to help! 

• Add vanilla extract and food colouring ( I chose the conventional marshmallow pink) and continue to mixture for 10 minutes until the mixture can hold its shape.
•  Pour this mixture into your tin, level and leave for 2 hours.

• Dust a work surface or board with cornflour and icing sugar 
• Loosen the marshmallow around the sides of the trays and turn it out onto your floured surface.

• Then cut your marshmallows into squares or if you have any interesting shaped cutters you can use those.
• Roll your shapes in the flour mixture so they no longer feel tacky and leave to dry out for a few more hours or even better over night!

There you have your very own home made marshmallows! This was my first time making marshmallows and I think they turned out surprisingly well. I can't wait to make Ruth Clemens ( click here for her amazing blog ) raspberry sherbet marshmallows, using citric acid and raspberry purée!