Originally, marshmallows were thickened with the extract from the root of the marshmallow plant. Gelatin replaces the extract in modern recipes. These are sweet, creamy, almost delicate—a world away from stiff supermarket marshmallows. Float them in a cup of hot chocolate, use them as the centerpiece for s’mores, or stir them into homemade rocky road (like the one on page 622). You can also make them in crazy colors and shapes. Just add a few drops of food coloring along with the vanilla, and cut the marshmallows with lightly oiled cookie cutters. This recipe calls for potato starch (sometimes called potato starch flour), a thickener made from the starch of potatoes but with no discernible flavor. It can be found at most supermarkets, often in the kosher section. Makes about 24Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 cup cold water, divided
3 ¼-ounce envelopes unflavored gelatin
2 cups sugar
⅔ cup light corn syrup
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup potato starch
½ cup powdered sugar
Line 13×9×2-inch metal baking pan with aluminum foil. Coat foil lightly with nonstick spray.
Pour ½ cup cold water into bowl of heavy-duty mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Sprinkle gelatin over water. Let stand until gelatin softens and absorbs water, at least 15 minutes.
Combine sugar, corn syrup, salt, and remaining ½ cup cold water in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves, brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush. Attach clip-on candy thermometer to side of pan. Increase heat and bring syrup to boil. Boil without stirring until thermometer registers 240°F, about 8 minutes.
With mixer running at low speed, slowly pour hot syrup into gelatin mixture in thin stream down side of bowl (avoid pouring syrup onto whisk, as it may splash). Gradually increase speed to high and beat until mixture is very thick and stiff, about 15 minutes. Add vanilla and beat to blend, about 30 seconds longer.
Scrape marshmallow mixture into prepared pan. Smooth top with wet spatula. Let stand uncovered at room temperature until firm, about 4 hours.
Stir potato starch and powdered sugar in small bowl to blend. Sift generous dusting of starch-sugar mixture onto work surface, forming rectangle slightly larger than 13×9 inches. Turn marshmallow slab out onto starch-sugar mixture; peel off foil. Sift more starch-sugar mixture over marshmallow slab. Coat large sharp knife with nonstick spray. Cut marshmallows into squares. Toss each in remaining starch-sugar mixture to coat. Transfer marshmallows to rack, shaking off excess mixture.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 weeks ahead. Store marshmallows in airtight container at room temperature.Technique Tip: Checking for DonenessThe recipe tells you to beat the hot syrup into the gelatin until the mixture is “very thick and stiff.” Another clue that the mixture is ready is the temperature: It should be lukewarm.
Gelées are jellied candies flavored with fruit (in this case, cranberries and Granny Smith apples). Together, the deep red and bright green candies make a gorgeous homemade gift for Christmas. In France these popular sugar-coated gems are known as pâte de fruits, or fruit pastes. Because pan sizes vary widely, you may get as many as 128 gelées from this recipe. Makes about 100
Cranberry Gelées
1 12-ounce bag fresh or frozen cranberries
2½ cups sugar
2 cups coarsely chopped cored unpeeled Granny Smith apples
1 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons (¼ stick) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon finely grated orange peel
12 whole cloves
2 3-ounce packages liquid pectin
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Tart Apple Gelées
5 cups coarsely chopped cored unpeeled Granny Smith apples
2½ cups sugar
1 cup fresh apple juice
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons (¼ stick) unsalted butter
1½ teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
2 3-ounce packages liquid pectinGreen and yellow food coloring
1 cup coarse white sparkling sugar or regular sugar
CRANBERRY GELÉES: Wipe 8×8×2-inch glass baking dish with damp cloth. Line dish with plastic wrap, pressing to adhere. Place small plate in freezer.
Mix cranberries, sugar, apples, orange juice, butter, orange peel, and whole cloves in heavy large saucepan; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered until fruit is very tender, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Cool slightly. Working in batches, puree mixture in blender until smooth.
Transfer puree to heavy medium saucepan. Stir in pectin and ground cloves. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer uncovered until puree is very thick (like applesauce), stirring frequently, about 50 minutes. (Gelée is done when ½ teaspoon puree placed on plate in freezer gels after 1 minute.)
Transfer puree to prepared dish; smooth top. Let stand 2 hours at room temperature. Cover; chill gelée until firm, about 3 hours longer.
TART APPLE GELÉES: Wipe 8×8×2-inch glass baking dish with damp cloth. Line dish with plastic wrap, pressing to adhere. Place small plate in freezer.
Combine apples, sugar, apple juice, lemon juice, butter, and lemon peel in heavy large saucepan; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered until fruit is very tender, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Cool slightly. Working in batches, puree mixture in blender until smooth.
Transfer puree to heavy medium saucepan. Stir in pectin. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer uncovered until puree is very thick (like applesauce), stirring frequently, about 50 minutes. (Gelée is done when ½ teaspoon puree placed on plate in freezer gels after 1 minute.) Stir in enough food coloring to obtain appealing green color (about 20 drops of green and 5 drops of yellow).
Transfer puree to prepared dish; smooth top. Let stand 2 hours at room temperature. Cover; chill gelée until firm, about 3 hours longer.
Invert both gelées onto work surface. Peel off plastic. Cut into 1-inch squares. Roll squares in sparkling sugar to coat.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 week ahead. Store gelées in airtight container at room temperature.Ingredient Tips: For GeléesYou’ll need a few special ingredients to make the gelées; luckily, most (if not all) can be found at a well-stocked supermarket. Look for liquid pectin (typically an apple-based thickener) in the produce department or baking aisle. Fresh apple juice can be found, chilled, in the produce section or at a farmers’ market. Food coloring is available in the baking aisle—as is coarse white sparkling sugar. If you don’t find the sugar there, go to a specialty foods store or order it online from kingarthurflour.com.
These creamy maple and brown sugar candies covered in rich milk chocolate are perfect with coffee after a holiday meal. Makes about 30
1½ cups (packed) golden brown sugar