Homemade Marshmallows

I've always been fascinated with marshmallows even when I was a kid...those unbelievably soft, mushy and oh so delicious cubes or balls of sugary goodness. Fast forward to a few months ago when I happened to watch Alton Brown making them on TV, I was suddenly eight years old again craving for them so when I found his recipe, I got the brilliant idea to make them at home.
HOMEMADE MARSHMALLOWS by Alton Brown
3 packages unflavored gelatine
1 cup ice-cold water, divided
12 ounces granulated sugar, approximately 1 1/2 cups
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
Non stick spray

DIRECTIONS:

Place the gelatin into the bowl of a stand mixer with 1/2 cup water. Have the whisk attachment standing by.
In a small saucepan combine the remaining 1/2 cup water, granulated sugar, corn syrup and salt. Place over medium high heat, cover and allow to cook for 3-4 minutes. Uncover, clip a candy thermometer onto the side of the pan and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Once the mixture reaches this temperature, immediately remove from heat.
Turn the mixer on low speed, and while running slowly pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl into the gelatin mixture. Once you have added all the syrup, increase the speed to high. Continue to whip until the mixture becomes very thick and is lukewarm, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. Add the vanilla during the last minute of whipping. While the mixture is whipping prepare the pans as follows:
Combine confectioners' sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Lightly spray a 13 x 9 inch metal baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Add the sugar and cornstarch mixture and move around to completely coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Return the remaining mixture to the bowl for later use.
When ready, pour the mixture into the prepared pan, using a lightly oiled spatula for spreading evenly into the pan. Dust the top with enough of the remaining sugar and cornstarch mixture to lightly cover. Reserve the rest for later. Allow the marshmallows to sit uncovered for up to 4 hours or overnight.
Turn the marshmallows out onto a cutting board and cut into 1-inch using a pizza wheel dusted with the confectioners' sugar mixture. Once cut, lightly dust all sides of each marshmallow with the remaining mixture, using additional if necessary. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

*I didn't use non-stick cooking spray on the pan, instead I lined the bottom and sides with parchment paper and coated it with the confectioners' sugar and cornstarch mixture. I just used an ordinary sharp knife for cutting instead of a pizza wheel and the results were alright.

So there you have it...so easy and it was tastier than any store-bought marshmallows I've ever tasted. Plus imagine all the flavor variations possible!