Why It Works
- Making the marshmallows with a corn-infused simple syrup instead of corn syrup causes them to crystallize and become crispy.
- Infusing the marshmallow base with oats adds a cereal-like note for an added level of authenticity.
I always felt incredibly sorry for Lucky the Leprechaun. First of all, as a magical creature, he probably struggled with confidence issues growing up in a world where no one believed in him. It's a bitter pill, knowing people don't believe in you. Imagine if they didn't even believe inyour existence? But after finally working up the courage to introduce himself to a group of children, hoping to find acceptance with the most innocent and unprejudiced of us all, they cornered him on a bridge andforced him to jump.
Kinda heavy for an 80s cereal commercial...
Who raised these ungrateful brats? What gives them the right to take his lucky charms? They're available for purchase, kids. Didn't your parents teach you not to gang up on...leprechauns? Or, say, not to steal from others? These snot nosed jerks relentlessly pursued Lucky, blatantly endangering his life on many occasions and nearly killing him more than once. How he ever survived landing on his neck after thathang glider accident, I'll never know. Lucky charms indeed.
But it has to stop. Peaceful human-leprechaun co-existence begins today.
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Today, I give the worldhomemade Lucky Charms marshmallows.
That's right. You can now make little Styrofoam pellets of pure joy. Crispy, toothache inducing marshmallowy delight. I'm talking about marshmallows so crisp they get mistaken for astronaut ice cream. Any color you can imagine. Any shape. No leprechaun hunting required.
But this is about more than a bunch of tiny, crunchy marshmallows. I'm talking about tiny, crunchy marshmallows that taste like they've been aged for six months in a cardboard box with a bag full of cereal. Did I mention that they're crispy? That they'll give you that nails on a chalk board, half pleasure, half pain sensation as they turn to dust between your teeth? That they'll plump in milk, absorbing that dairy, bleeding dye, and softening into a slippery delight? That if you squeeze one too hard it will explode into a pile of dust?
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/__opt__aboutcom__coeus__resources__content_migration__serious_eats__sweets.seriouseats.com__images__2011__10__20111002charmsdust-c7cf8d4f4e5045d4917c53ebe8bafd90.jpg "Crispy Cereal Marshmallows Recipe (2)")
You can use them in other recipes to make, say, cereal marshmallow Rice Krispie treats. Or cereal marshmallow ice cream. Cereal marshmallow cupcakes. Cereal marshmallow steel cut oats (ironic breakfast!). Cereal marshmallow pot de creme. Okay, that last one's a stretch. But with your own bag of homemade cereal marshmallows, the possibilities do tend to seem endless.
You'll need two things: corn syrup and time.
No, notthatcorn syrup. See, real stuff from the grocery store is, how can I say this,too good? See, corn syrup (not to be confused withHFCS) is an invert sugar. This means that it won't crystallize. Ever. Stays smooth flowing no matter what you do to it. Perfect for making fluffy, creamy marshmallows, which is not at all what we're after. Homemade corn syrup (ok, technically corn-flavored simple syrup), on the other hand, has a tendency to crystallize, especially if it's a few days old. And this is exactly what we want: a batch of grainy, crystallized marshmallow bricks.
But beyond that, homemade corn syrup is made with actual corn, giving it the pronounced cereal flavor so crucial to the authenticity of these little treats.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/__opt__aboutcom__coeus__resources__content_migration__serious_eats__sweets.seriouseats.com__images__2011__10__20111002bowlofcharms610-b5ef8667eab7493bacde1c5475b907b4.jpg "Crispy Cereal Marshmallows Recipe (3)")
To up the cereal ante, we'll also steep the marshmallow base with oats. Between the two, you'll swear those marshmallows spent half a year snuggling with a box of cereal on the grocery store shelf.
It's over, Lucky. You can come home now. They'll never be after your lucky charms again.
October 2011
Recipe Details
Crispy Cereal Marshmallows Recipe
Active30 mins
Total48 mins
Serves4to 8 servings
Makes100to 200 tiny marshmallows
Ingredients
3/4 ounce gelatin
12 ounces coldwater
1 ounce rolled or steel cut oats (omit for gluten free)
1 Tahitian vanilla bean, split and scraped, seeds reserved
6 ounces homemade corn simple syrup, (see recipe below) preferably made a day or two in advance
15 ounces sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon orange flower water
1/16 teaspoon almond extract(about 2 drops)
Optional: food coloring
For the Corn Simple Syrup:
14 ounces corn cobs (from about 4 ears), sliced into 1-inch thick rounds
42 ounces water, preferably filtered
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
36 ounces sugar
2 teaspoons salt
Directions
For the Corn Simple Syrup: In a medium pot, combine sliced corn cobs and water. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer gently until water has reduced by half; about 30 minutes. Use a pair of tongs to fish out the corn cob pieces; discard. Add vanilla bean and seed scrapings, sugar, and salt. Stir constantly until sugar dissolves. Simmer for 20 minutes, or until the mixture has taken on a thick, syrupy consistency. Cool. Store indefinitely in the fridge along with the vanilla bean.
For the Marshmallow Base: Have one lightly greased cookie sheet standing at the ready. Add 4 ounces water to bottom of bowl of stand mixer and sprinkle with gelatin. Set aside. In a medium pot, combine the remaining water, vanilla bean pod, and oats. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then turn heat to medium-low and simmer gently for about 10 minutes. Shut off the heat. Set a fine-meshed sieve over a small bowl and carefully drain the oatmeal from the water. Press the oatmeal with a rubber spatula to release as much oat water as possible; you should have about 8 ounces. If you do not, add enough fresh water to equal 8 ounces. Discard the solids (or enjoy for breakfast?) and return the vanilla oat water to the pot.
Add reserved vanilla bean seeds, corn syrup, sugar, and salt to oat water. Set over medium heat and stir gently until the sugar dissolves and the mixture starts to simmer. Keep cooking, undisturbed, until the mixture reaches 240°F (116°C) on a candy thermometer. You may notice the mixture beginning to crystallize a little around the edges, but that is a good thing. When the mixture reaches 240°F, shut off the heat and let it stand until it cools to 210°F (99°C). Transfer to bowl with gelatin (mixture may crystallize). Fit the bowl with the whisk attachment and whip on medium-high speed until the mixture has nearly doubled in volume and cooled. While mixing, add vanilla extract, orange flower water, and almond extract.
Once mixture has doubled and cooled, shut off the mixer. If you're just making white marshmallows, use a lightly greased rubber spatula to transfer the mixture to the cookie sheet, spreading it out to about 1/4-inch thickness. Alternatively, if you'd like to make different color marshmallows, divide the mixture into as many bowls as you'd like colors. Add a few drops of food coloring to each and stir with a spatula until the color has incorporated. Spread each portion across a separate patch of the cookie sheet.
Set the tray of marshmallows in a dry, well ventilated location where you feel safe leaving them, uncovered, for 24 hours.
After the marshmallows have dried, peel the big sheet of marshmallows up from the cookie sheet. You will notice the bottom of the marshmallow sheet is slightly damp, while the top is crusty. Transfer to a cutting board, placing it crusty side down, and use a tiny cookie cutter to stamp the marshmallows into shapes, or use a knife to cut them into tiny squares or diamonds. Transfer the marshmallow cutouts to a parchment-lined cookie sheet, damp side up. Allow them to dry for another 24 hours, or until they have become crunchy. The exact length of time it takes depends on kitchen humidity. Store the marshmallows in an airtight container, at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Alternately, freeze or refrigerate indefinitely.
Special Equipment
Leave-in probe thermometer or candy thermometer, stand mixer
Notes
All measurements are in weights, as volume measures can be very imprecise. I strongly recommend using a scale for all pastry projects. For purchasing options, see our kitchen scale recommendations.
Read More
- Classic Marshmallows, and Some Variations
- Sea Salt Caramel Swirl Marshmallows
- Chocolate-Coated Caramel Honeycomb With Salted Peanuts
- Our Favorite Breakfast Cereals
