Espresso Marshmallows

I have a Chef's Tasting tomorrow evening and was looking for something to pair with a Chocolate Granita for dessert. I happened to stumble across a photo of Lillet Marshmallows in this month's Gourmet and that triggered me to rip them off, with all due thanks, by making Espresso Marshmallows. I needed this to remind me how easy and fun it is to make your own marshmallows and how good they are when compared to commercial ones.

Here is the very slightly modified recipe from Gourmet.

Espresso Marshmallows

3/4 cup instant espresso
3/4 ounce powdered gelatine
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
pinch of salt
50-50 mix of confectioner's sugar and cocoa powder for dusting

You'll need a candy thermometer, an 8-inch by 8-inch baking pan, and a stand mixer with a balloon whip to make these marshmallows. Humidity is the enemy of marshmallows and today it's pouring outside. They won't be nearly as good as if I made them on a dry day.

You need 3/4 cup of espresso. How you get it is your own business, but it needs to be cool. Me, I put three tablespoons of instant espresso in a measuring cup and fill it to the 3/4 cup mark with cold water and stir until dissolved. Then pour the gelatine over the cold espresso to bloom while you cook the syrup.

Mix the sugar, corn syrup, water, and salt in a sauce pan and heat, stirring as necessary, until the mixture reaches 240F on your candy thermometer.

Put the espresso in the mixer and turn it on slow speed. Pour the boiling syrup down the side of the bowl, gently and carefully. Put the mixer on high speed and whip until fairly firm and stiff, about 12 minutes.

Spray your baking pan and a spatula with pan spray. Turn the marshmallow fluff out into the pan and smooth with the spatula. Let stand uncovered for several hours at room temperature until the surface is no longer tacky and you can work with it.

Dust a cutting board with a 50-50 mix of confectioner's sugar and cocoa powder. Gently pull the marshmallow away from the edge of the pan and invert onto the cutting board. Dust the top with more sugar mix. Cut into squares and dredge in more of the sugar mix. Try to stop yourself from eating one! Go ahead, grab the Graham crackers and get after it!

Store in a covered container in between layers of parchment or wax paper.