Marshmallows Part 1

INGREDIENTS - (recipe from Martha Stewart)

                2 1/2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin

                1 1/2 cup granulated sugar

                1 cup light corn syrup

                1/4 teaspoon salt

                2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

                Confectioners' sugar (for dusting)

Combine gelatin and 1/2 cup cold water in the bowl of an electric mixer with whisk attachment. Let it stand 30 minutes.

Clip on a candy thermometer; raise heat to high. Cook syrup without stirring until it reaches 244 degrees (firm-ball stage). Immediately remove pan from heat.

With mixer on low speed, slowly and carefully pour syrup into the softened gelatin. Increase speed to high; beat until mixture is very thick and white and has almost tripled in volume, about 15 minutes. Add vanilla; beat to incorporate.

(I've never tried this without a standing mixer, but I assume a hand held would work - it'd just give you a wrist ache!  And my mixer is really powerful so it mixes up in less than 15 min - just watch for it to triple volume and get semi stiff peaks. )

Generously dust an 8 x 12-inch glass baking pan with confectioners' sugar. Pour marshmallow mixture into pan. Dust with confectioners' sugar; let stand overnight, uncovered, to dry out.

base of pan with pwd sugar -lots and lots! (this is the first time I've tried a metal instead of a glass pan, so if it doesn't work I'll let you know!)

marshmallows dusted with pwd sugar.