Homemade Peppermint Swirl Marshmallows

Oil the bottom and sides of a 9” square baking pan. Dust the bottom and sides of the pan with powdered sugar. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the gelatin and ½ cup of the water. Let it sit until the gelatin completely dissolves in the water.

In a heavy-duty saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, the other ½ cup of water, and salt. Stir the mixture over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to medium and heat the mixture until it reads 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer. This took about 20 minutes on my stove. But it may take shorter or longer depending on your stove.

Once the mixture reaches 240 degrees F, pour it over the gelatin mixture and stir until the gelatin dissolves. Beat the mixture on medium-high until it at least doubles in volume. The mixture will become thick and white and look like melted marshmallows. It takes about 8-10 minutes.

While the mixture is whipping up, whip the egg whites (in another bowl) until stiff peaks form. Use a hand-held mixer to whip the egg whites. However, if you don’t have a hand-held mixer, you can use your hands and a normal whisk – this will take a lot of elbow grease. You can also whip up the egg whites in your stand mixer before starting the whole marshmallow process.

Add the beaten egg whites and peppermint extract into the sugar mixture, and mix until combined. Carefully pour the mixture into the baking pan. You won’t be able to pour the whole mixture into the pan (some of it will be stuck on the sides of the bowl). Spread the mixture as evenly as possible. Drizzle the red food coloring on top of the marshmallow. Use a butter knife to swirl the red food coloring into the marshmallows. There is no trick to this, just make random swirls in the marshmallow; the red food coloring will follow your knife and create a beautiful design. Sift some powdered sugar on top of the marshmallow. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 5 hours.

Run a butter knife around the sides of the pan and invert the marshmallow onto a clean cutting board. The marshmallow will not fall out; you will have to use your fingers to lift the sides of the marshmallow to get it out of the pan.

Using a sharp, large knife, cut the marshmallows into 1-inch squares. Roll the marshmallows in powdered sugar. Store in an airtight container for up to a week. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen, who adapted it from Gourmet, December 1998.