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–+ servings
pumpkin marshmallows on a tray

Pumpkin Spice Gourmet Marshmallows

Homestead Lady Tessa Zundel
Paleo compliant pumpkin marshmallows with spices, organic gelatin and local honey.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Dry Time 12 hours
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Healthy Recipes
Cuisine Dessert
Servings 9 x 11 pan

Equipment

  • 1 Heavy Bottomed Stew Pot
  • 1 Candy thermometer optional but helpful
  • 1 Large Whisk
  • 1 Heat Proof Silicone Bowl Scraper
  • 1 Mixer, Stand or Hand-Held with Whisk Attachment
  • 1 9" x 11" Casserole Dish
  • Parchment paper to fit the dish

Ingredients
  

Gelatin Bloom

  • 1/2 cup cold water
  • 1/2 cup organic beef gelatin
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree canned or fresh
  • 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp cardamom

Syrup

  • 1/2 cup cold water
  • 2 cups local honey
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions
 

Preparation

  • Gather all your equipment before you begin: heavy-bottomed pot, candy thermometer, whisk, bowl scraper, mixer.
  • Affix the whisk attachment to the mixer.
  • Prepare a 9 x 11 casserole dish by inserting a large enough piece of parchment paper to go up all the sides.

Bloom the Gelatin

  • Add 3 Tbsp. of gelatin and the first 1/2 cup of water to the bottom of your mixing bowl.  Slightly stir it to make sure all the gelatin is submerged in the water. This will cause the gelatin to "bloom" (or poof up a bit).
  • Once gelatin has completely soaked into the water and has bloomed, add the 1 cup of pumpkin puree. Mix in 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp cardamom. Mix thoroughly.

Make the Syrup

  • Heat the 2 cups of honey, 2nd 1/2 cups water, and 1/4 tsp. sea salt in a heavy bottomed pot on medium heat sugar honey melts.
  • Gently boil honey while constantly stirring, until the candy thermometer reaches thread stage (220F/104C to 225F/107C) degrees. The honey should bubble, froth, and turn a deeper caramel color. Do NOT overheat.
  • Once temperature is reached, immediately remove from heat using hot mitts and place next to the mixing bowl.

Make Marshmallow Fluff

  • Turn your mixer on low/medium (use the whisk attachment) and drizzle the honey down the inside of the bowl and at a slow, steady rate.
  • Mix to incorporate, stopping to scrape down sides a few times, but work QUICKLY.
  • Once honey and pumpkin are mixed, put the collar on your mixing bowl (if you have one) and/or place a towel over the top of the bowl to prevent splashes.
  • Turn the mixer to high and watch for it to transform from slop into marshmallow cream. This can take anywhere from 8-20 minutes. It will lighten in color and eventually thicken.

Set Up & Cut

  • Spoon the marshmallow cream into the repared dish with a the scraper. For softer marshmallows, let them set up for 4-6 hours. For dryer marshmallows, let them set up for 8-24 hours.
  • When ready to serve, cut with a greased or powder sugared pizza cutter.
  • Roll each marshmallow in a mixture of equal parts cornstarch and powdered sugar. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Notes

The parchment paper won't lie down in the pan until the marshmallow is weighing it down but once they're dry, the paper will just peel off the marshmallows.
  • You can also use oil, but I really don't like in on the marshmallows.
Whisk slowly and carefully while heating the sugar syrup to not splash onto the sides of the pan.
  • If you do get honey crystalizing on the sides of the pan, use a silicone pastry brush to brush the sides of the pot with a little water. The sugar will melt down into the pan. Don't use a lot of water, just a bit.
You can use a hand mixer or a stand mixer for this recipe. If you're using a hand mixer, be sure you mix in a deep bowl to avoid splashes.
  • Do not neglect to cover your mixing bowl when whipping the marshmallow mixture. 
The reason to slowly drizzle the syrup mixture into the gelatin is to keep it from cooling to quickly and crystalizing. 
Because of the pumpkin these marshmallows will be more damp than store bought. They'll also be tastier and healthier!
Use a greased pizza cutter for streamlined sizing OR you can use greased cookie cutters.
Dust your marshmallows in a powdered sugar/cornstarch mixture. Other ideas include cinnamon, cocoa, coconut flour or roll them in chocolate chips, chopped nuts, cookie crumbs. Anything tasty that will hold still long enough will be suitable.
You can also dry them longer to make them super dry and omit dusting the marshmallows altogether.
Keyword marshmallows, pumpkin dessert
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