I decided to try making homemade marshmallows with the kids. Because of Doodle’s previous reaction to corn, I try as much as possible to stay away from corn syrup and since that is the first ingredient in standard marshmallows, homemade marshmallows seemed like a good idea. I’ve always shied away from trying to make homemade marshmallows before because it seemed overly complicated but I figured, why not just give it a try? It can’t possibly be too bad, especially with the help of four little ones!
What you’ll need to make homemade marshmallows with kids:
- 1 cup water, divided
- 2 packets Knox gelatin
- 1 cup Honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- Powdered Sugar for dusting
- 1 cup size Measuring Cup
- Stand Mixer with Wisk Attachment
- Saucepan
- Spatula
- 8×8 Baking Pan
- Parchment Paper
- Candy Thermometer
- Multiple kids of various ages
- 1 large roll of Paper Towels
- 1 bottle Countertop Cleaner
- a pinch of Insanity
- a crap ton of Patience
How to make homemade marshmallows with kids:
- Gather all your supplies and children.
- Have your 5-year-old fill the measuring cup with water.
- Use paper towels to clean up the water she spills.
- Add gelatin and 1/2 cup water to bowl of stand mixer.
- Put remaining water in saucepan.
- Ask your 7-year-old measure out 1 cup of honey.
- 5 minutes later, remove squeezy lid from honey and fill the rest of the measuring cup.
- Add honey, vanilla and salt to saucepan, mix with spatula and place over medium-high heat.
- Tell 5-year-old NOT to bring a chair over by the stove.
- Remind kids not to touch the stove because it’s hot.
- Wipe 2 year old’s hands and face with wet paper towel after he helps himself to the honey stuck in the measuring cup.
- When honey mixture comes to a boil, put in candy thermometer.
- Again, remind kids not to touch the stove because it’s still hot.
- Prepare baking pan by lining with two pieces of parchment paper and sprinkle bottom with powdered sugar.
- Watch temperature and your children get bored and leave the kitchen one by one.
- Retrieve screaming baby and begin to nurse while watching temperature of honey mixture.
- See 2-year-old trying to sprinkle the sugar all over the counter, cupboards and floor (atop the chair you asked the 5-year-old not to bring over). Clean with paper towels and cleaner while trying not to yell.
- Notice honey mixture is about to boil over and reduce the heat.
- Check temperature (you’re looking for mixture to reach 240 degrees Fahrenheit).
- Wait. And wait. And wait. Get impatient when temperature plateaus at 225 and give up on heating the honey mixture.
- Call kids back for the next step.
- Remove baby from the boob and put in high chair.
- Turn on stand mixture to low and slowly add honey mixture to gelatin. Try your best to ignore the baby’s wailing as you handle the extremely hot, sticky liquid.
- Scream for your 2-year-old not to touch the hot stove as he nearly lies on it trying to reach honeyed measuring cup (again, on the chair 5-year-old was not supposed to bring over that you haven’t had a chance to move because of nursing baby).
- Turn stand mixer up to high.
- Pick up crying baby and continue nursing while mixture beats.
- As mixture splashes all over the place, realize you’re using your paddle attachment and not the wisk.
- Change attachment to the wisk and turn machine back to high for about 10 minutes.
- When mixture is light and fluffy, return happy baby to high chair.
- Pour mixture into baking pan and smooth the top.
- Use paper towels to clean up the baby spew everywhere since you forgot to burp him.
- Clean the 2-year-old’s hands, again, and smooth his fingerprints out from the top of the marshmallow.
- Give in to letting your 5-year-old sprinkle powdered sugar on top of marshmallow.
- Clean up the powdered sugar all over the counter, again.
- Ask “who wants a lick?” and listen to ensuing arguments about who gets to lick what.
- Clean up sticky hands and faces.
- Let marshmallow set up for 4-6 hours (or days).
- Throw the pot, bowl, wisk, measuring cups, spatula, etc. in the sink to wash another time.
- Put all the kids to bed and collapse on the couch.
- Vow next time to buy marshmallows instead of freaking out about the corn syrup (after all, the 2-year-old hasn’t actually had a reaction to corn in a year and a half!)
After letting the marshmallows set, you can make bite size morsels:
- Grease a knife.
- Cut the marshmallow into your desired size.
- Put some powdered sugar in a zip bag and add the cubed marshmallow.
- Have the kids take turns shaking the bag to coat the sticky sides of the marshmallows in the sugar
- Clean up the spilled powdered sugar after the 2 year old accidentally unseals the bag but still shakes.
