Irish Cream Marshmallows, aka Pillows of Heaven

When you were a kid, did you ever look at the puffy, cumulus clouds and imagine what it would be like to live up in them? I did. I dreamed of playing on the cottony surface, sleeping on squishy layers, and eating poofy, soft clouds for meals.

That's how these marshmallows taste.

I have renamed them, "Pillows of Heaven." That's what everyone who has tasted them calls them as well.

I've seen marshmallow recipes popping up on food sites and blogs for well over a year, and now I see what all the hype is about. They are not as labor-intensive as they look. My trusty Chocolate, Chocolate book has quite a few different recipes. I also consulted Ezra Pound Cake's marshmallow tutorial. It took quite a bit of man-handling to get the marshmallow mass out of the baking pan, but no worries because it was amazingly resilient and bounced right back into shape. And the Bailey's flavor added a wonderful flavor - just in time for St. Patrick's Day.


Notes:

If you are going to mix the powdered sugar with a bit of cocoa powder for a slight chocolatey flavor, do not drop the cocoa powder container.


Do not double the recipe. The mixer probably won't hold the fully beaten mixture, and the consistency will change.

Powdered sugar works better than non-stick spray when cutting these marshmallows.


Marshmallows made in a humid climate or on a rainy day will be more dense.

Make sure utensils that come into contact with the pre-set marshmallows are grease-free.

Cleaning up afterwards is a very sticky process. I found that lots of boiling water helped dissolve the sugary remains stuck to the bottom and sides of the pot and bowl.


Irish Cream Marshmallows
adapted from Pillowy, Cocoa-Dusted Vanilla Marshmallows
in Chocolate, Chocolate
by Lisa Yockelson

Powdered sugar for coating pan and spatula
3 envelopes of unflavored gelatin
1/3 c plus 3 Tbs cold water
1 1/3 c plus 2 Tbs granulated sugar
1 c plus 2 Tbs light corn syrup
large pinch salt
9 Tbs cold water
1 1/2 Tbs Irish Cream

Prepare an 8x8 inch baking pan by lightly coating with non-stick spray. Sprinkle a thin layer of powdered sugar to coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Place gelatin and 1/3 c plus 3 Tbs of cold water in the bowl of a free standing electric mixer. Let stand for 15 minutes. Put whisk attachment in the mixer.

Meanwhile, place granulated sugar, corn syrup, salt, 9 Tbs cold water in a medium
heavy-bottomed saucepan (preferably an enamel-coated cast iron pan.) Partially cover and
place over medium heat to dissolve sugar. Uncover, attach a candy thermometer, and turn heat up to high. Bring the mixture to a boil, and cook without stirring, until thermometer reaches 250 degrees F. Immediately remove the thermometer. Set the mixer on low to stir up the gelatin.
Slowly pour the syrup into the gelatin mixture. Increase speed to high and mix for 3 minutes.
Reduce speed to low and add the Irish cream. Bring speed back up to high and mix for another
7 minutes. Mixture will turn shiny white and almost triple in volume.

Working quickly, pour the marshmallow mixture into the prepared baking pan. Coat a silicone spatula with powdered sugar and use to scrape the bowl. Spread the mixture into an even layer. Sprinkle a small amount of powdered sugar along the edges, where the marshmallow meets the sides of the pan.

Let the pan cool, uncovered, at room temperature for 8 hours. Coat a knife with powdered
sugar, and run it along the sides of the pan to loosen the mixture. Sprinkle a flat working surface with powdered sugar, and pull the marshmallow out of the pan. It will take some wrestling, but the marshmallow will spring back into shape. Cut into squares, and dust the sides with a thin coat of powdered sugar.