HONEY & ORANGE MARSHMALLOWS

After months of absence, I finally decided to dust off this little blog and make something that I've never tried before: homemade marshmallows.
I mean... I've already tried that once, but I majestically failed, even though I've followed every single step as the author has explained in his recipe. I don't know what happened, but at last, I told myself that I need to embrace my defeat and try to do homemade marshmallows once again. At least one time before I die, just to make sure that the horrible experience I was going through was not my fault. Not at all.

So, here we go! I did a lot of research about homemade marshmallows and I think I made a perfect recipe that suits me better than the ones we can already find online. Also it's corn syrup free!

NB. The recipe has raw eggs, though. Honestly, I have never freaked out about raw eggs... My nan used to make things such as kogel mogel when I was a kid, so having raw eggs on my kitchen basis is just normal for me :D
Also I believe that the egg whites add extra fluffiness to the marshmallows, so why shouldn't I use them?

INGREDIENTS:

2 eggs (whites only)
1 cup caster sugar
1,5 tablespoon honey
6 gelatin sheets
1/4 cup water (for gelatin)
1/4 cup water (for sugar syrup)
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon orange extract*
2-3 tablespoons icing sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch

* I've got a little of extra marshmallow mixture, so I spiced it furtherly with cinnamon and nutmeg. Delicious in both ways!

METHOD:

First of all, prepare a square tin with medium/high sides: spray non-stick cooking spray onto the bottom and the sides of the tin (or use a little bit of butter) and put in the parchment paper or the plastic wrap. Make sure that every single inch of the tin is well covered.
In a saucepan, mix together 1/4 cup of water, sugar, honey, orange extract and salt. Bring it to boil on a small/medium heat, until the hard ball stage**.
In another saucepan (the smaller the better) pour 1/4 cup of water and put the gelatin sheets in. Wait a couple of minutes until the gelatin sheets become soft and jelly, then put the saucepan on a small heat for about 1-2 minutes or until the gelatin melts.
Meanwhile, beat egg whites in a large mixing bowl. Once they are thick, pour slowly the sugar syrup (make sure it has the right temperature: in fact, I highly suggest to beat the eggs before the sugar syrup is done, so you can pour it into the bowl at the exact moment of the hard ball stage) and beat the mixture for about 30sec/1min. Then add melted gelatin and continue to mix on medium/high speed for about 15-20 minutes or until it becomes fluffy and gooey.
Put the mixture into the tin, spread with a spoon or a spatula, cover it with a dish towel to make it safe from dust, flies and other nasty bugs (the towel shouldn't touch the marshmallow). Leave it to settle for minimum 12h.

For cutting: whisk together the icing sugar and cornstarch. Sprinkle it on the surface you're working on and lay down the marshmallow square. Sprinkle another bit of powder mixture on the top and cut it into cubes or whatever shape you want your marshmallows to be. Remember to use a sharp knife, though!
Once cutted, dip the marshmallows in remaining powder mixture and then shake off the excess. They shouldn't be sticky anymore. Store them in an airtight container for up to 1 week, although I'm pretty sure they will disappear in a couple of days.

Done! Now you can enjoy your yummy homemade marshmallows :D

** Check out THIS video demonstration of bringing the sugar syrup up to the hard ball stage.

Song of the day: Modern English - I melt with you