Raspberry Swirl Marshmallows

You might think it’s a bit too much effort to make your own marshmallows, until you taste these raspberry delights. They make great s’mores, too!

FOR THE RASPBERRY SWIRL
1 cup raspberries (thawed, if frozen)
½ cup granulated sugar

In a small saucepan, combine raspberries and sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring and mashing the berries with the back of the spoon, until they disintegrate and the sugar dissolves. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Cool slightly, then strain the syrup into a small bowl and set aside. 

FOR THE MARSHMALLOWS
1 whole vanilla bean
1½ cups powdered sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
1 cup water, divided use
2 tablespoons gelatin powder
1½ cups superfine sugar (see Note)
⅔ cup corn syrup

Use a sharp knife to split the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds and pulp onto a sheet of waxed paper. Set aside. Sift the powdered sugar and cornstarch together into a bowl; set aside.

Butter a 9-inch by 13-inch glass baking dish or rimmed metal baking sheet. Line the bottom and sides with parchment paper, butter the parchment and dust the pan with powdered sugar.

Place ½ cup of warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the gelatin over the surface. Let the gelatin soften while you’re making the sugar syrup.

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup and the remaining ½ cup of water; bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Cook until a candy thermometer reads 240 degrees, about 8 minutes.

With the mixer on high speed, carefully add the hot syrup in a thin stream to the gelatin mixture. (If your mixer has a splash guard attachment, this is handy.) Add the vanilla seeds and beat until the mixture is thick, glossy and fluffy, 5 to 6 minutes. Working quickly, use a large rubber spatula to scoop half the marshmallow mixture into the prepared pan—don’t be gentle about it; the stuff is sticky. Pour the raspberry syrup over the mixture and quickly use a knife to swirl it through the marshmallow. Top with the rest of the marshmallow mixture and smooth it into place as best you can. Dust the top with a bit of the powdered sugar-cornstarch mixture, lay another piece of buttered parchment over the top and press down firmly to distribute the mixture more evenly in the pan. Refrigerate until set, at least 1 hour.

Sprinkle some of the sugar-cornstarch mixture on a large cutting board. Lift the marshmallows out of the pan and remove the parchment paper. Dip a sharp knife in the sugar-cornstarch mixture and use it to cut the marshmallows into squares. Transfer the squares to the bowl and toss them with the sugar-cornstarch mixture to coat well.

Note: Superfine sugar is also called castor or bar sugar. If you can’t find it, or would prefer to use organic sugar, you can make your own. Place 1¾ cups of granulated sugar in a food processor and process for 30 seconds, then measure out the amount of superfine sugar called for.