Coconut Marshmallows from the amazing Butter Baked Goods!!

When we moved to Vancouver I was so excited about all the potential baked goods the city had to offer! I had visions of gorgeous little cupcakeries on every block and gourmet treats around every corner! The reality was not so great.  I tried so many mediocre cupcakes and went to many different establishments that came highly recommended but Vancouver was still lacking in impressing me treat wise! Then a very lovely friend recommended Butter Baked Goods to me and the day I stepped through their beautiful pastel doors I knew I'd found what I was searching for! 

From sky high chocolate peanut butter layer cakes to toasted marshmallow s'mores bars, pineapple coconut scones to bars loaded with chocolate, pecans, coconut and dulce de leche (otherwise known as the Dunbar!) and of course their homemade marshmallows were the icing on the top! I'm not sure I'd ever had a homemade marshmallow before I tried Butter's...and I've tried many since but none have compared! From passionfruit to gingerbread to maple to toasted coconut there were so many flavours to choose from...in fact at the last count they had 18 flavours but I'm sure they've dreamt up many more since! 

Of course we were heartbroken to leave Vancouver, and I was heartbroken to leave Butter behind! So imagine my excitement when on the morning my baby was born my husband presented me with a push present and it just so happened to be Butter Baked Good's recipe book! He is a keeper that's for sure! It is one of the most beautiful recipe books you will ever own, and I have spent months and months staring at those beautiful pages wondering what to make first!

Naturally, it had to be their marshmallows!

So I tentatively whipped up my first batch...waiting for that liquid sugar to magically turn into white fluff and it didn't! I think it was because I used some gelatin leaf so undeterred I tried again with powdered gelatin this time and did a little happy dance as the marshmallow fluffed up!

They are actually so much easier than I ever thought they would be to make! and now I've conquered them once I'm already dreaming up all the flavours I'll be making in the future! and the taste, oh the taste! they are soft and pillowy and creamy and delicious and everything you expect from an amazing marshmallow!

They are great in hot chocolates, and melt even better than shop bought marshmallows! 

and I also dipped some in chocolate and then in coconut for the dessert table we had for my 1 year old's birthday (which I'll be blogging about soon!) and I threw them in some coconut rocky road which will be appearing on the blog over the next few weeks too!

Butter's Famous Marshmallows - Coconut:

Makes 64 1x1 inch or 32 2x2 inch (which is the size I made in the pictures)

Adapted from Butter Baked Goods

1 cup cold water, divided

3 sachets powdered gelatin (I use Dr Oetker's that are 12g per sachet)

337g caster sugar

350g golden syrup (or corn syrup)

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp coconut extract

2 cups icing sugar, to coat the marshmallows

Prepare a 30x18cm baking pan with a sheet of clingfilm, greased lightly with butter

In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment pour in 1/2 cup of the water and sprinkle with the gelatin.  Set aside and let the gelatin soak in.

In a medium saucepan, over high heat, add the sugar, syrup, salt and remaining 1/2 cup of water.  Bring to a rolling boil and continue to boil until a sugar thermometer reaches 237 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from heat.

Turn on your mixer a few times to break your gelatin and water combo up.    Turn your mixer to low, and slowly add the hot sugar mixture to the bowl, and continue to mix on low.  Make sure you pour the hot sugar mixture down the side of the bowl and that it doesn't touch the whisk attachment if possible.

Turn the mixer to high and continue to whip for 8-10 minutes until the marshmallow batter almost triples in size and becomes very thick.   Stop the mixer, add the coconut extract (or just vanilla extract if you are making plain marshmallows), and then whip briefly to combine.  

Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan and use a spatula to spread it evenly into the pan.  Work quickly because the marshmallow becomes more difficult to work with as it sets.  

Put a layer of tin foil across the top of your pan loosely, I make mine create an arch shape so that it definitely won't touch and stick to any of the mallow in the pan.  

Leave the marshmallow, at room temperature, to set for at least 4 hours or overnight.  The marshmallow will be too sticky and soft if you cut it too soon.

Sprinkle a work surface or cutting board with the icing sugar.  Run a knife along the top edge of the pan to loosen the marshmallow slab.  Invert the pan and flip the marshmallow out onto the counter or board.  Scoop up handfuls of icing sugar and rub all over the marshmallow slab.

Use a large knife to cut the slab into 1x1 inch squares or 2x2 inch squares if you want larger ones like I did.  Roll each of the freshly cut marshmallow squares in the remaining icing sugar to coat them completely.  

Store in an airtight container.

Eat and enjoy!!