This recipe makes one 1/2 sheet pan (12"x18") of 1" thick marshmallow or one 9"x13" pan of 1 1/2"-2" thick marshmallow. Feel free to make a half recipe if you'd like. I made these to may taste. You may like more or less coffee flavor than I do. You could certainly use cold coffee in place of the water if you'd like. If you use water, or even if you start with coffee, start with less instant coffee and extract, taste once the mixture has cooled down enough and then add more if you want a stronger flavor.
4 ½Tablespoonspowdered gelatin(4 Tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons)
9oz1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons cold water
¼teaspoonkosher salt
2 ½Tablespoonsinstant coffee
1teaspooncoffee extract(optional, but I like the extra top notes. Your call)
21oz3 cups granulated sugar
2cupslight corn syrup(not sure of the weight on this one)
A mixture of half powdered sugar/half corn starch for dusting both the pan and the marshmallow
real chocolate sprinklesoptional
*or* melted and tempered chocolate *or* melted good quality coating chocolate
Instructions
To Prepare the Pan
Spray your pan (rimmed cookie sheet/jelly roll pan/1/2 sheet pan/9"x13" Pyrex) with pan spray. This is what will hold your plastic wrap in place.
Press a sheet of plastic wrap down onto the pan making sure it sticks along the bottom and up the sides. Use two overlapping sheets if necessary.
Dust the plastic wrap with a very heavy dusting of half powdered sugar/half corn starch. I use a fine mesh strainer for this.
Set the pan aside.
To Make the Mallows
In the bowl of your stand mixer (at least 5 quart or just make 1/2 the recipe), pour in the water. Sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the surface along with the salt, instant coffee and optional coffee extract. Let sit for 5 minutes so the gelatin can soften and bloom.
Place the bowl on the mixer fitted with the whip attachment and turn it on low. Let it slowly mix while you do the next steps.
In a medium, heavy-bottomed sauce pan, bring the sugar, corn syrup and about 1/4 cup of water slowly to a boil, stirring occasionally to make sure all the sugar is wet.
Once it has come to a boil, slap the lid on and let boil 2-3 minutes to wash down any sugar crystals.
Remove the lid and cook until it reaches 244F. I use my instant read thermometer for this, but you can also buy a candy thermometer that stays in the pan. This will only take a couple of minutes once you take the lid off, so be ready.
Once the sugar syrup reaches 244F, remove the pan from the heat. Turn up the mixer speed to medium-low and carefully stream the sugar syrup into the gelatin mixture.
Let whip at that speed for a minute or two and then turn the speed up to medium and let whip for a minute or two. Once the mixture starts to thicken a bit, turn the speed up to high--be careful. If it's not thick enough, it will slosh out and it's still hot, so go slowly.
Leave the mixer on high speed until the the mixture is very thick and pretty much fills the entire mixing bowl. It will triple in volume and be a very light beige color. Before it gets too thick, taste it and add more instant coffee and/or extract if you think it needs it.
Whip until warm but not hot.
Spray a large spatula with pan spray and scoop all the mallow out into your plastic wrap-lined pan.
Spray the top of the candy with pan spray and use the spatula to spread it as smoothly and as evenly as you can in the pan.
Sift another heavy coat of the powdered sugar/corn starch mixture on top of the mallow and let it sit for several hours or overnight to cure. You can cover it loosely.
When cured, cut your mallows into whatever shapes/sizes you like. I use a pizza cutter that I coat with pan spray, but use what works best for you.
Once cut, toss them all in a bag with powdered sugar/corn starch to cover.
Fish them out and knock off the excess.
If you'd rather, you can press chocolate sprinkles into the cut sides of the mallows rather than tossing them in the powdered sugar mixture. You can also dip the bottoms (or bottom halves) of the mallows into tempered chocolate or coating chocolate and set them on parchment to set up.
I cut my mallows into about 1/3" cubes so they wouldn't be too big for the espresso cups.