Tuesdays with Dorie and Homemade Marshmallows

This week, Judy of Judy’s Gross Eats chose Dorie’s marshmallows, yet another recipe that I had bookmarked in her wonderful book, Baking: From My Home to Yours. I also had a bunch of toasted coconut left over from Christmas baking. Hhhm. Marshmallows + coconut = toasted coconut marshmallows!

I must say, even though I really wanted to make these, I’m not a marshmallow fan, or a coconut fan, so I said to myself, “Self, this week you are safe. You will get to make something that will not tempt you, and you and your thighs will breath a sigh of relief.” I was wrong. Foiled again! Thus, my sixty minutes on the elliptical machine at the gym Monday morning. These little morsels are good! No, they aren’t an Extraordinary French Lemon Creme Tart, but they are a lot of fun to make and to eat, and I can just imagine them in a s’more.

I was out of light corn syrup, but (believe it or not) I did have glucose syrup on hand. Glucose syrup is used by professional bakers instead of corn syrup to prevent crystallization. It’s actually healthier for you than corn syrup, and I purchased mine at La Cuisine in Alexandria, Virginia. I also made the marshmallows in a disposable aluminum 8-inch square pan instead of a baking sheet for two reasons: (1) I wanted them to be really thick, and (2) if they were difficult to remove from the pan, I could always cut it away.

The sides of the pan were the only parts of it that I oiled. I covered the bottom with toasted coconut, spooned the mixture into the pan, and topped with more coconut. That was it! I had no trouble at all getting the marshmallows out of the pan, and they were nice and thick, just as I had hoped. Next time, I think I’ll make peppermint marshmallows to float in some hot chocolate.

For more marshmallows, be sure to check out the Tuesdays with Dorie blogroll, and see Judy’s Gross Eats for the recipe. Next week, Amanda of Slow Like Honey has chosen Bills Big Carrot Cake. Master Chow loves carrot cake, and he’s grateful that he was able to take a break from the sugar train this week (he doesn’t like coconut or marshmallows, either). I’m sure he’ll make up for it next week!

P.S.  If you had trouble with your marshmallows setting up, check the expiration date on the gelatin.  If it had expired, that could be the reason the gelatin separated out of the mixture.