Thick & flavorful Homemade Marshmallow Creme (aka Marshmallow Fluff). Use for s'mores, as a frosting base for cakes and cupcakes, or as an ice cream mix-in. Better than store bought!
A do-it-yourself realization
I didn't know how easy it was to make Homemade Marshmallow Creme. Really.
I'd always bought a jar of marshmallow creme (aka marshmallow fluff) whenever I needed some. Which wasn't very often, truth be told. I always thought it tasted a bit like plastic.
[Side note: Since I didn't grow up in New England. I hadn't heard of a Fluffernutter Sandwich, a concoction of marshmallow fluff and peanut butter on white bread. It's supposed to be quite the delicacy. But I digress.]
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Making something tasty
I wanted a marshmallow creme mix-in for an ice cream recipe I was developing, and I didn't want to run to the store.
Enter King Arthur Flour's Marshmallow Swirl Ice Cream recipe.
When I saw how easy it was to make homemade marshmallow fluff, with ingredients I already had and could pronounce, I knew I was on the right path.
One half hour is all that's needed, along with six simple ingredients, to make something yummy. No need for car keys!
Candy-making techniques
I've made Irish Whiskey Marshmallows, and making a recipe for homemade marshmallow creme is similar. The only special equipment you might want is a candy thermometer.
A basic marshmallow recipe has you make a sugar syrup (which is sugar, corn syrup, and water) and bring it up to 240°F (soft-ball stage). Meanwhile, you have softened gelatin waiting to receive the syrup, then whip it all together to make the marshmallow base. Drying the marshmallows comes next.
Making a homemade marshmallow fluff recipe is even easier. Yes, you still make the basic sugar syrup (again stabilized with corn syrup).
But there's no gelatin in marshmallow creme, just egg whites whipped to soft peaks. They come together after about three minutes of whipping.
The next step is to slowly pour the hot sugar syrup into the whipped egg whites, then whip everything together until the mixture has cooled.
That's it! You're done!
Well...almost. When it's time to clean your saucepan from the sugar syrup, the remainder left in the pan might harden into something that no amount of scrubbing will remove.
In that instance, fill the pan with water and bring to a boil. That will soften the leftover syrup, and it will magically melt away with no scrubbing needed.
The best part is that this homemade marshmallow fluff tastes so good. No plastic flavors here!
What can I do with it?
Well, I used my homemade marshmallow creme as a mix-in for the aforementioned ice cream.
Other ideas would be for a s'mores-like treat, or as a base for Marshmallow Buttercream frosting. And that's just what comes top of mind.
Oh wait...there's that Fluffernutter Sandwich everyone around here talks about!
Then there's just licking it off the beaters. Or sneaking a taste from that tub over there.
Uhm...hand me a spoon, will you?
Slainté! L’chaim! Cheers!
Tammy
More easy candy recipes
Try some of these recipes for candy and fudge. They're all winners, and easy to boot!
Homemade Marshmallow Creme (Marshmallow Fluff)
Special Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¾ cup sugar, (5⅓ oz, 150g)
- ¾ cup corn syrup, see Recipe Notes (8⅓ oz, 234g)
- ⅓ cup water, (2½ oz, 74g)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Procedure
- Place the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, stir together the water, sugar, and corn syrup. Insert a candy thermometer and heat the mixture over medium-high heat. Don't stir the mixture as it heats so the sugar syrup doesn’t seize and become grainy.
- When the sugar syrup begins to form large bubbles and the thermometer reads about 225°F, begin to beat the egg whites on high speed to soft peaks (this should take about 3 to 4 minutes). By the time the egg whites are done, the sugar syrup should be at 240°F. Remove the syrup from the heat and, with the mixer running at medium-low speed, carefully pour it down the side of the bowl into the egg whites in a thin, steady stream.
- The whites will initially deflate slightly, but continue to beat and the mixture will begin to expand. Whip for 7 to 8 minutes, until the marshmallow creme is very thick and glossy. Add the vanilla and whip for 1 more minute.
- Transfer the marshmallow creme into an airtight container and store at room temperature. It will keep up to six weeks.
Video
Recipe Notes
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