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–+ servings
silly Halloween treats - goblin liver marshmallows on parchment paper

Goblin Liver Marshmallows

Homestead Lady Tessa Zundel
Whip up these spicy, brown marshmallows for a unique silly halloween treat. These have no commercial dyes and no corn syrup. (Not made from realy goblin livers, FYI.)
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Drying Time 12 hours
Course Dessert, Seasonal Food
Cuisine Dessert, Holiday, Seasonal
Servings 36 pieces

Equipment

  • 1 Heavy-Bottomed Stock Pot
  • 1 Candy thermometer
  • 1 Long-Handled Whisk
  • Parchment paper
  • 1 Baking Dish, 9" x 11"

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 Cup Water
  • 3 Tbsp. Organic Beef Gelatin
  • 3/4 Cup Water
  • 1/4 Cup Raw Sugar
  • 1/2 Cup Maple Syrup
  • 1/2 Cup Molasses
  • 1/8 tsp. Sea Salt

Instructions
 

Prepare Your Area

  • Cut the parchment paper to fit the pan and pre-fold it to conform to the corners. It won't stay down, but the folding helps it crease easily once the sugar syrup is weighing it down.
  • Take out the whisk, thermometer, measuring cups, and spoons. Keep hot mitts nearby both the stove and the mixer to handle hot pots and bowls.

Prepare the Gelatin

  • Place the 3 Tbsp. of gelatin into the bowl of your stand mixer, or any heat resistant bowl.
  • Gently add 1/2 cup of water to the gelatin and stir softly to incorporate the water.
  • Let sit will you prepare the sugar syrup. The gelatin will poof, or "bloom", and become firm.

Prepare the Syrup

  • Place 3/4 cups of water, 1/4 raw sugar, 1/2 cup maple syrup, 1/2 cup molasses, and 1/8 tsp. of salt into a heavy-bottomed stock pot. Stir over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved.
  • Stirring occassionally, heat the syrup to soft ball stage, at least 240F/116C. If sugar crystals form on the side of the pan, you can use a baking brush with water to dissolve them.
  • Once the syrup has reached temperature, turn off the heat and, using hot mitts, bring the pot over to the mixer.*
  • Turn the mixer on to low and slowly - VERY SLOWLY - drizzle the syrup mixture inside an down the side of the bowl. This slow drizzle down the side of the metal bowl ensures that the heat of the syrup dissipates sufficiently before it hits the gelatin mixture.
  • Slowly increase the speed on the mixer as you empty the last of the syrup into it. Once the syrup is in, place the mixing collar on your mixer (as well as a kitchen towel to block open areas) and switch the mixer to high.
  • Watch carefully as the syrup and gelatin combine. The mixture will lighten in color as it comes together and thickens. Once the mixture will hold a soft shape (soft peak), it's ready to remove from the bowl and place into the parchment lined dish.
  • Cover and set the pan aside so the marshmallows can set up undisturbed. Plain marshmallows heated to 245F/118C and with no inclusions will be firm enough to cut within 6-8 hours, if you live in a dry climate. I usually allow mine to sit overnight, or around 12 hours.
  • Use a pizza cutter or other sharp knife (I use an ulu knife) to cut the marshmallows into bite-sized pieces. I'll often cut the marshmallows into strips and even use scissors to snip off pieces. Keep a wet rag close by to clean your knife or scissors.
  • If serving at a potluck, roll in cinnamon sugar, xanthum gum, or simply plate and serve. If handing out as treats, individually wrap each piece in parchment paper and place in a jar or bowl.

Notes

Get out all your equipment before you begin making marshmallows. The only tricky thing about this process is the timing. Once the sugar syrup has reached the correct temperature, you must work quicky.
You can replace the maple syrup with all molasses, if you'd prefer. If you do use maple syrup, be sure that it is real maple syrup.
The spices in the recipe are completely adaptable. The flavor combination here is something akin to gingerbread.
Some marshmallow syrup mixes will set up just fine if you only take them to the highest edge of thread stage. That is, 235F/113C.
This one, however, will need to go right up to soft ball stage, which is 240F-245F (116C - 118C). Give or take a few degrees.
*It's helpful to have a friend or older child step in to run the mixer and help scrape remaining syrup. If you don't have a helper, move carefully to prevent hot sugar spills.
After you've made candy recipes a few times, you'll start to feel and see when the sugar is ready. I like to mesaure with a candy thermometer to check myself.
However, I always consider the temperature suggestions a range that can be adapted within a few degrees.
The only difficult thing about candy making is timing and temperature.
  1. Move as quickly as you can without spilling once the syrup has reached temperature.
  2. Cool the syrup slowly as you drizzle to ensure even mixing and no clumping or weird crystallizing during the process.
Many marshmallow recipes call for a sprinkling of equal parts cornstarch and powdered sugar to prevent sticking. Some will call for an oil rub of the pan. 
I prefer to use parchment paper to avoid the use of more sugar, or starch, and/or oil. The marshmallows will pull right off the parchment paper when they're done setting up.
If the sugar syrup has been heated to the top range of soft ball stage, and you haven't added anything like pumpkin, then the marshmallows will set up more quickly. If you have inclusions, they will often slow down the drying process.
To be safe, I usually wait overnight before I cut into my marshmallows. I like my marshmallows a little on the dry side because I don't like to roll them in extra sugar or starch, FYI.
Keyword Halloween, marshmallows
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