Brown Butter Marshmallows
Soft, bouncy homemade marshmallows with bits of brown butter.
Servings 40
Equipment
- candy or instant thermometer
- large baking dish
Ingredients
- 228 g unsalted or salted butter
- 150 g cool water to bloom the gelatin
- 450 g brown sugar
- 180 g honey
- 28 g powdered gelatin
- 150 g water to boil the sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ¾ tsp fine sea salt less if using salted butter
- 1 vanilla bean scraped (optional, enhances the vanilla flavor)
- Organic powdered sugar made with tapioca starch for dusting
Instructions
- Brown the butter: In a large frying pan, add the butter and cook until it melts, then sputters and spits, then goes quiet. When it starts to go quiet you’ll see brown bits at the bottom. Stir it to ensure it evenly browns and remove from heat, transferring to a heatproof bowl, before those bits turn black.
- Separate the bits from the yellow liquid: hold a spoon to the brown butter and let the liquid pass to another bowl. It’s okay if there’s a bit of liquid leftover with the brown bits. Reserve the yellow liquid for another use (works great in pancake/waffle batter) and set aside the brown butter bits.
- Bloom the gelatin: Pour the 150g water into a small bowl, add the vanilla and stir. Add the gelatin and beat it with a fork (like you would eggs) until it has all dissolved. Set aside to thicken.
- Boil the sugar: In a deep pot add the other 150g of water, the brown sugar, the salt and the honey. Cook on low with a thermometer either clipped to the side of the pot, or one nearby so you can check the temperature often. The mix will bubble and boil up, stir it to encourage it back down (I’ve found a wooden spoon placed above the pot will keep it from boiling over). After about 10 minutes, the mix should be coming up to 250 F. Shut off the heat when it does and transfer to the bowl of your stand mixer. Let cool for a few minutes.
- Prep a 13x9” cake pan by covering it with oil (you can use the wrappers from the butter to do this, just make sure to get an even layer).
- Whip the fluff: Add the gelatin to the hot sugar and begin whipping with the whisk attachment on low and work it up to medium speed. It will start out a dark brown liquid and gradually get thicker and lighter in color. Around the 7 or 10 minute mark, add the brown butter bits and the seeds of a vanilla bean, if using. Whip until thick and fluff looks like it’s pulling back from the bowl. Pour into prepared pan and smooth into an even layer. Cover with foil and set in the fridge for a few hours or leave on the counter overnight until firm.
- Slice the mallows: dust your countertop with the powdered sugar and transfer the mallow block onto it. Oil a chef’s knife and slice the marshmallows, dusting all sides of each mallow with more powdered sugar.
- Storing the marshmallows: keep them in an airtight container, they’ll stay good for about 3 weeks.
Notes
Makes 40 large marshmallows.