In Amelia Writes Again, Amelia tells the story of how her sister Cleo invented a marshmallow game when they were little. The rules: squish a jumbo marshmallow until it’s sticky, then throw it on the ceiling. See how long it sticks and catch it in your mouth when it falls!

I would be lying if I said I didn’t try to play this once as a kid (Mom, if you’re wondering what that weird gray streak on my bedroom ceiling was, now you know). Reading about this game is one of my fondest memories from the Amelia books, so I decided to try my hand at homemade marshmallows for our dessert this month!

This recipe comes from the America’s Test Kitchen youtube channel. The steps are simple, reliable, and easy to follow. I wound up with great marshmallows on my first try, and I’m planning on tweaking the recipe to make chocolate marshmallows for Christmas!

NOTE: This recipe needs to set overnight.

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Amelia’s Homemade Marshmallows

 “But I do remember a fun game Cleo and I used to play when we were little. It goes like this: Take a package of big, FLUFFY marshmallows—not the mini, the BIG kind. Then you squash one in your fingers til it gets all sticky. Next, throw it on the ceiling. It should stick. See whose sticks the longest. Try to catch it in your mouth when it falls (It WILL fall. They don’t stick forever.)”

— Amelia Writes Again

 

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup cold water
• 2 1/2 tbsp gelatin powder
• 1/2 cup regular water
• 1/3 cup corn syrup
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

      

Makes 20 2-inch square marshmallows

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. 1. Line a 13″x9″ pan with two perpendicular sheets of tin foil and coat with cooking spray (make sure the foil hangs off the edge so you have something to grab onto when pulling it out of pan later). Set aside.
      
   2. Add the 1/2 cup cold water to the bowl of a standing mixer and sprinkle in the gelatin powder. Allow to rest for at least 15 minutes.
   3. While you wait, add the 1/2 cup regular water, corn syrup, granulated sugar, and salt to a medium saucepan. Do not stir. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat. Allow to heat for 6-8 minutes (you want it to reach 240°). Remove from heat.
      
   4. Beat the gelatin mix in your mixer on low for about 45 seconds to break it up a little bit. Keeping the mixer running, slowly and gently pour the sugar mix into the mixer, being careful not to hit the side of the bowl. Gradually increase the mixer speed to high, allowing it to beat the mixture for about 30 seconds at each speed before increasing.
   5. Continue beating for 10-12 minutes. At the 9 minute mark, pour in the vanilla extract. The sides of the bowl should cool somewhat, and the mix will become bright white, opaque, and stringy around the top of the whisk.
      
   6. Spray a spatula with cooking spray. VERY QUICKLY scrape the marshmallow mix from the bowl into the foil-lined pan and spread it out evenly. Don’t worry about trying to get it all out of the bowl. It cools quickly and gets sticky and solid as it cools, so you won’t get it all out. The most important thing is getting it spread out in the pan before it cools.
   7. Add 1/2 cup each cornstarch and powdered sugar in a small bowl and whisk together. Dust 2 tbsp over the top of the marshmallow mix and cover the marshmallow mix with plastic wrap. Allow to set overnight.
      
   8. Spray a knife with cooking spray and dust a cutting board with the powdered sugar mix. Turn out your marshmallow mix onto the cutting board. Dust 2 more tbsp of powdered sugar mix over the top and cut into 2-inch squares.

      

   9. Toss the squares in the powdered sugar mix, tap off the excess, and store in an airtight container in a single layer.
   10. Squish them up, throw them onto the ceiling, and see how long they stick! 😀
        

Try them in one of our rich hot chocolates! 🙂

French Hot Chocolate from the Three Musketeers

The Witch’s Hot Chocolate from The Chronicles of Narnia