Homemade Marshmallows

Make them fresh, use them with in 36 hours of making them.

Ingredients:

2 Teaspoons of butter (real butter not margerine)

3 envelopes of unflavored gelatin (usually found in the canning or jello section Knox is a name brand)

1 cup of cold water (divided)

2 cups of sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1/8 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of CLEAR vanilla extract (you can find this at big/specialty grocery stores or craft stores in the cake section. Regular vanilla will turn your marshmallows brown)

Toppings of your choice: chocolate, colored sugar, crushed peppermint, sprinkles (be creative)

Directions

1. Line a 9X13 pan with foil and grease the foil with butter.

2. In a large metal bowl sprinkle gelatin packets over 1/2 cup of cold water and set aside.

3. In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 1/2 cup of water stiring to mix well. Bring to a boil stirring OCCASIONALLY. Once mixture Boils, STOP STIRRING and let mixture cook till candy thermometer reads 240 degrees. Remove from heat.

4. Gradually add gelatin to hot sugar mixture. Beat on high speed (I use my kitchenaid stand mixer) until mixture is thick and doubled in volume (about 15 minutes) Lastly, beat in vanilla.

5. I cover my hands in butter than spread the mixture in to the prepared 9X13 pan. Cover with foil and let set 6 hours or overnight.

6. Use foil to lift out marshmallows, then with a pizza cutter coated in cooking spray, cut in to 1 inch squares. Dip in to toppings of choice, or throw in to some hot cocoa!

7. Store in an airtight container.