Description
If you're looking for an easy Halloween dessert recipe that's sure to make every kid happy, these mini marshmallow ghosts are the perfect treat. So, fluffy and soft, these homemade marshmallows take just about 25 minutes to make, plus a few more minutes to pipe into their ghostly shapes.
I've included ingredients and instructions for using sheet gelatin or powdered gelatin. See the recipe notes.
Ingredients
GHOST MARSHMALLOWS USING SHEET GELATIN:
For Blooming the Gelatin:
- 10 grams of gelatin sheets (120-130 bloom strength ) (2 sheets of Mariarosa Gelatine in Foglia)
- 2 cups cold water (500g)
Hot Syrup Mixture:
- 3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon cold water (40g)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100g)
- 3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon Lyle’s Golden Syrup (50g) *sub light corn syrup
Egg Whites Mixture:
- 2 large egg whites, at room temperature (65g)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (5g)
- pinch of salt
For Dusting the Finished Marshmallows:
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch (15g)
- 6 tablespoons powdered sugar (50g)
*For the powdered gelatin option see the recipe notes below.
Instructions
- Prepare the work surface for piping the marshmallows. Whisk together the cornstarch and powdered sugar for dusting the marshmallows. Dust a baking sheet evenly with the mixture using a sieve or a sifter. Be sure to cover the entire area completely, reserving some of the mixture to dust the tops of the marshmallows later on.
- Bloom the gelatin:
- For Powdered Gelatin. In a small bowl, sprinkle the powdered gelatin over the water to soften and absorb the liquid.
- For Sheet Gelatin. Add the gelatin sheets to a bowl and cover completely with water. Allow to soften for 4 to 5 minutes, remove the water, squeeze them gently to remove excess water, and add them back to the bowl and set aside.
- Whisk the egg whites. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or large mixing bowl if using a handheld mixer), add the egg whites and whisk on low speed until frothy. Add the salt and vanilla and continue mixing on low speed while you make the syrup.
- Make the hot syrup. In a small pot fitted with a candy/deep fry thermometer, add the sugar, golden syrup, and water, and cook over medium-high heat. When the temperature of the syrup reaches 210°F/99°C, increase the speed of the mixer to high and whisk until visibly thick and fluffy.
- Combine the hot syrup and egg white mixture. When the temperature of the syrup reaches 245ºF/118°C, carefully pour the hot syrup into the mixer in a steady stream down the side while the machine is still running at high speed. Be careful and try to keep the syrup from coming in direct contact with the whisk so it doesn’t splatter. Set a timer for 10 minutes and allow the mixture to continue at high speed.
- Melt the gelatin and add it to the marshmallow mixture. Add the bloomed sheet gelatin plus 1 tablespoon of water to the same pot you cooked the hot syrup in and allow it to melt. It melts quickly from the residual heat. Do not turn on the heat to melt the gelatin. When the gelatin is melted and there are no visible pieces or granules, add it to the mixer while still mixing at high speed. Use a rubber spatula to get all of the gelatin mixture into the stand mixer. Continue mixing on high speed until the outside of the bowl is completely cool to the touch and no longer warm (5 to 8 minutes more).
- Pipe the ghosts. Add the marshmallow mixture to a piping bag with a large hole and pipe directly onto the prepared baking sheet. Start by piping a little, take a pause, lift up, pipe a little more, take another pause, lift up, and make the last pipe. Allow the ghosts to rest for at least 2 hours before adding the chocolate faces. *See the video for help piping the ghosts.
- Make the chocolate faces. Melt a little dark chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave. Using a toothpick or wooden skewer, make eyeballs and a mouth by dotting the chocolate onto the marshmallows. Get creative and have fun! Allow the marshmallows to cure for at least 4 hours, but even better overnight, uncovered at room temperature. Just before storing, dust them with the remaining powdered sugar mixture to keep them from sticking together. Store them in large sealed containers and enjoy them with your favorite hot cocoa or to perk up your coffee or Ghoulish Halloween sundaes, Enjoy!
Notes
A note on sheet gelatin: The sheet gelatin used in this recipe is 120-130 bloom strength (Mariarosa Gelatine in Foglia). If your gelatin sheets have a different bloom strength, you may need to adjust the amount slightly. Higher bloom = stronger gelling power (use less). Lower bloom = weaker gelling power (use more). When in doubt, check the bloom strength on the package and adjust accordingly.
HOW TO SUBSTITUTE POWDERED GELATIN:
For Blooming Powdered Gelatin:
- 1 envelope powdered gelatin (2 1/2 teaspoons) (8.5g)
- 1/4 cup cold water (63g)
- When the hot syrup mixture has cooled just enough that most of the bubbles have subsided, add the bloomed gelatin mixture and stir to dissolve the gelatin. When there are no more granules and the gelatin has been fully combined with the hot syrup, pour everything into the egg white mixture while the mixer is running on high speed and follow the rest of the instructions.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5
- Category: Candy
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Ghost Marshmallow
- Calories: 54
- Sugar: 11g
- Sodium: 19g
- Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 13g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 0g
