Peppermint Marshmallows

4 stars because this recipe is delicious, but by far the MESSIEST thing I have ever made. EVER. Prep time took 1 hour 15 minutes from when I started pulling out ingredients to when I finished putting the mixture in the pan to set. The messiness began when I mixed the gelatin in to the hot sugar mixture and caramelized sugar adhered to my mixing blades (cleaned later with boiling water and a knife blade to scrape). The high speed mixing of all of the ingredients took about 12 minutes, as indicated in the recipe. There was a definite change at that point and the mixture got really thick and sticky. This is where the mess really gets going. Getting the marshmallow goo from the bowl to the pan and off the blades was virtually impossible. I had fluff and sticky stuff EVERYWHERE in my kitchen. It sticks to everything from your fingers to the mixing bowl to the spatula. And not only does it stick, it strings out. If I were to try this again, I think I would set the bowl quickly over a pan of simmering water and use a metal spoon that had been dipped in hot water (instead of a rubber spatula). To get the remaining marshmallow goo out of the bowl, I placed it over simmering water for less than a minute. No time o add red food coloring before the mixture got pretty solid. Haven't taken it out of the wax paper yet, so I can't say how well it will come out. But right now it has lots of mounds and I can't imagine it is going to flatten out nicely for gift giving.

I tried this recipe and the other one currently posted (#167803), and both turned out great, although these are a bit less "squishy". One thing to consider is that most of the other recipes say to cook the sugar mixture to 240-260 degrees, not 360, so i wonder if 360 is too much. I liked the look of these better, but but i think cooking the sugar that long made them a bit too firm, so i'll try 260 next time. They were also a little milder in flavor than the ones made with the candy. Oh yes...I recommend using a large pan for the sugar syrup if you are going to pour the gelatin into it, as the mixture will expand and boil over in a small pan. Learned the hard way on that one -- what a mess. :) Thanks for posting the recipe!