Homemade Marshmallows

For my neighbor girl was having a Purple themed birthday party and really wanted purple colored marshmallows to dip in their chocolate fountain. So for her birthday present I made her some homemade "purple-colored" marshmallows. They were actually pretty easy to make and tasted "out-of-this-world." You could also experiment with cutting out different shapes other than regular squares.

Ingredients:
675 g (1 1/2 lbs) granulated sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp liquid glucose

14 gelatine leaves

3 medium egg whites

vegetable oil

icing sugar (powdered sugar) for dusting

corn flour (corn starch) for dusting

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

food coloring (opt)

Method:

Put the sugar, glucose, and 200 ml (7 fl oz) water in a heavy-based saucepan. Add a sugar thermometer. Bring to a boil and cook until it reaches 127 C/260F.

Meanwhile, soak the gelatine in 150 ml (5 fl oz) cold water and beat the egg whites until stiff. Lightly oil a shallow baking tray (9x13" pan). Dust it with sieved icing sugar and corn flour.

When the syrup is up to temperature, carefully slide in the softened gelatine sheets adn their soaking water. The syrup will bubble up, so take care not to burn yourself.

Pour the syrup into a metal or high-heat capable jug.

Continue to beat the egg whites with an electric whisk while pouring in the hot syrup from the jug. Do this very slowly, or the heat will cook the egg whites too much. The mixture will become shiny and start to thicken.

Add the vanilla extract and continue whisking for about 5-10 minutes, until the mixture is thick enough to hold its shape on the whisk.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking tray, and smooth it with a wet palette knife if necessary. Leave for at least an hour to set.

Dust the work surface with more icing sugar and cornflour. Loosen the marshmallow around the sides of the tray with a palette knife, then turn it out on to the dusted surface.

Cut into squares and roll in the sugar and cornflour. Leave to dry a little on a wire rack, then pack into an airtight box or jar.