• Cooking Time: 8
• Servings: 64 marshmallows
• Preparation Time: 25
• 3 packages unflavored gelatin
• 1 cup cold water, divided
• 1 cup light Karo syrup
• 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp peppermint extract*
• Red gel food coloring (optional)
• Baking or cooking spray
• Powdered sugar for dusting/stick-proofing
• * Use vanilla bean paste or 1 Tbsp vanilla extract + the scrapings of 1 vanilla bean pod for a beautiful vanilla bean-flecked marshmallow (eliminate the food coloring).

1. Place 1/2 cup cold water in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Sprinkle the gelatin over top and set aside.
3. Clip a candy thermometer to a small sauce pan. Heat corn syrup, sugar, salt, and the other 1/2 cup cold water over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Turn to high and cook to 240 F (use a candy thermometer), 6-8 minutes longer.
5. Turn mixer to low and slowly pour the hot syrup over the gelatin. Add the peppermint extract. Increase the mixer speed to high (and because I had an unfortunate experience once, I do this gradually over about a minute to prevent sugar lava from slinging on me… again) and let run for 15 minutes until you have a glossy, smooth, and thick marshmallow mixture.
7. While the marshmallow is whisking, heavily coat the inside of an 8×8 pan with baking spray (there’s no such thing as over-greasing!). Coat with powdered sugar and tap out the excess. Pour in the marshmallow mixture (it will come all the way to the top). Drop 6-8 drops of red food coloring over the top and swirl with a knife held vertically. (Alternately, you could add this to the stand mixer and let the whisk go around the bowl 2 or 3 times.) Let sit for 4 hours until solidified and cooled.
9. Turn the marshmallow squares out onto a heavily powder-sugared surface. Using a long greased knife, cut the marshmallows into 1-inch pieces (they’ll be 2 inches tall if you don’t cut them in half horizontally, which I did). As you’re cutting the marshmallows, keep all sides of the marshmallows dusted with powdered sugar and store in an airtight container.

Spike your hot chocolate with peppermint! Minty and fluffy, homemade marshmallows are perfect for holiday gift-giving.