Pumpkin Spice Marshmallows

These little fluffers were so simple to make that I'm wondering why I never tried to make these before. These marshmallows are a lot softer than store brands and have a light airy texture and sweet vanilla flavor. I added orange food coloring and cut them into mini pumpkin shapes, and finished them with some cinnamon sugar as a festive variation for fall. They are amazing in hot chocolate with their hint of cinnamon. Imagine the endless variations, like adding peppermint extract and cutting into to Christmas shapes. Dip them into chocolate for ready made s'more or as an easy chocolate candy. This recipe makes a lot of marshmallows especially if you cut them with scissors into squares as the original recipe instructs. Instead, I made them into festive little pumpkins and still ended up with over three dozen. Enjoy!

My youngest son has quite the sweet tooth and pretty much single-handedly ate all of these over this last week. :)

Pumpkin Spice Marshmallows 

(slightly adapted recipe from My Baking Addiction)
Makes ~3-5 dozen

3/4 c. water, divided
1/8 tsp. orange gel food coloring
3- 0.25oz. powdered gelatin, unflavored
2/3 cup corn syrup
2 cups sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup corn starch
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

Prepare sheet pan with plastic wrap coated with cooking spray. Spray another piece of plastic wrap for the top. Set aside.
In a shallow container, add powdered sugar, corn starch and cinnamon and mix. Set aside. 

Add 1/2 cup water and gel food coloring into stand mixer and mix until food coloring is dissolved. Then add gelatin to bloom.

In a medium saucepan, add 1/4 cup water, corn syrup, and sugar and bring it to a hard boil over medium heat. Let boil for 1 minute. Turn off heat.

Carefully, add hot sugar mixture to stand mixer with gelatin. Beat on medium high for about 12 minutes until stiff peaks are formed.  

Add vanilla extract and beat until just combined. Pour marshmallow batter into prepared sheet pan. Smooth out with a cooking spray coated spatula. Cover top of marshmallows with second sheet of plastic wrap and let set for 4 hours or overnight. 

Peel plastic wrap back and cut marshmallows to desired shape using oiled cutters or scissors. Drop cut marshmallows into powdered sugar mixture to coat. Place in an airtight container.

Other recipes to try:
Pumpkin Spice Latte Ice Cream     Sugar Skulls              Gingerbread Biscotti