Lime Marshmallows

Ingredients

⅓ cup key lime juice (regular lime juice will substitute nicely)
2 packets of unflavored gelatin
1½ cups granulated sugar
⅔ cup light corn syrup
⅓ water
⅛ tsp. salt
1 tbsp. lemon extract
About ½ cup of graham cracker crumbs, toasted coconut or powdered sugar for dusting

Tools

Electric mixer (preferably a heavy duty stand mixer)
1 quart saucepan
Candy thermometer
9" x 13" non-stick baking pan (I use an old pyrex dish)
Rubber spatula
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Long knife or pizza cutter


Instructions

Combine sugar, syrup, water and salt in the saucepan and set over medium high heat. When the mixture begins to boil, put in the candy thermometer making certain the bulb doesn't touch the bottom of the pan. You can swirl the pan slightly to mix the ingredients but do not stir it.

Keep the mixture at a low boil until the candy thermometer reads 238° F (soft ball stage).

While waiting for the mixture to come to a boil, pour the lime juice into the bowl of your mixer and sprinkle the gelatin over the top. You may want to give this a quick stir with a spoon to keep the gelatin from clumping. Set aside until syrup mixture is ready.

With the mixer set on medium speed, slowly and carefully pour the hot syrup mixture over the gelatin mixture.

When all the syrup is in the mixer, turn the speed up to high and whip until the mixture is white, glossy and stiff (10 to 12 minutes).

While waiting for the mixer to finish its work, lightly spray the baking pan with non-stick spray and set aside.

Add the lemon extract and whip a minute or so more until the extract is incorporated into the mixture.

When ready, pour the marshmallow cream into the baking pan and even out with a spatula. If the mixture sticks to the spatula, give the spatula a light spray of cooking spray.

Cover the dish loosely and allow the mixture to set for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Do not put it in the refrigerator.

When set, dust a countertop or large cutting board liberally with the coating of your choice (graham cracker crumbs, toasted coconut or powdered sugar). Turn the marshmallow out onto the cutting board. Cut with a long knife that's been lightly sprayed with non-stick spray or cut with a pizza cutter. Cut into 2" squares. Coat each cut surface thoroughly with the coating.

Makes about 40 marshmallows.

Footnotes

First a word of caution. The syrup mixture is hot and sticky. If you get it on your skin, it will burn you badly so be extra careful when handling this.

The marshmallow mixture is VERY sticky but it's also easy to clean up because everything in it is water soluble.

If you're having trouble spreading the mixture in the baking dish, spray your hand liberally with cooking spray and pat it down.

I've found that a pizza cutter works better than a knife for cutting these.

If you use graham crackers to coat the marshmallows, each one tastes like a tiny key lime pie! The batch in the pictures is coated with graham cracker crumbs.

P.S. Lime Marshmallows is the name of my online trivia team!