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Marshmallow Ghosts

four cups of hot cocoa filled with marshmallow ghosts
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5 from 11 reviews

These homemade ghost marshmallows are sure to delight the boys and ghouls in your life this Halloween! Whether you're enjoying hot cocoa, a spooky s'more or just looking to learn some marshmallow making basics, this post has you covered!

  • Author: The Simple, Sweet Life
  • Prep Time: 8 hours
  • Cook Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 8 hours 5 minutes
  • Yield: ~70 marshmallows
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale
  • ¼ cup light corn syrup
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup water + 2 tbsp.
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1 tbsp gelatin powder (1 packet)
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • Powdered sugar (for dusting)

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl stir together the gelatin and 2 tablespoons of (ice cold) water. Set aside so the gelatin can absorb the water.
  2. In a small saucepan whisk together the corn syrup, granulated sugar, and ¼ cup water. Bring to a boil and allow to cook until a candy thermometer registers 235F/113C.
  3. In the meantime, beat your egg whites until they hold soft peaks.
  4. Once the sugar mixture reaches the right temperature, whisk in the gelatin (be careful with your hands because it’s likely to release hot steam when you do this) and stir to dissolve.
  5. Slowly add the hot mixture and vanilla extract to the egg whites and whip until light and fluffy (about 5-7 minutes).
  6. Cover a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper and dust with sifted powdered sugar.
  7. Spoon the marshmallow mixture into a piping bag and clip a small hole in the tip.
  8. To pipe the ghosts, pipe a circle of marshmallow. Ease up pressure on the piping bag and draw the marshmallow down and to a side to create a tail.
  9. Use the same technique to create arms.
  10. Allow your marshmallows to dry overnight.
  11. Gently peel the marshmallows from the parchment paper or dust a spatula generously with powdered sugar to gently lift them if they prove difficult.
  12. As you remove the marshmallows from the parchment, drag them through a small bowl of powered sugar to make sure they’re thoroughly coated. Dust them off so there's no excess powdered sugar to clog up your food marker.
  13. Using a food marker, add eyes. You can also use powdered pink food coloring to create rosy cheeks.

Notes

  • Hand piped marshmallows are all about consistency. You want to whip your marshmallow until light and fluffy but still very malleable. If you pick up a spoonful of your freshly whipped marshmallow and drop it back into the bowl, it should reabsorb in about 20 seconds.
  • Once your marshmallow is the right consistency, put it in a piping bag and pipe immediately. Marshmallow will slowly firm up, even in a warm room, so you'll want to pipe your marshmallow immediately.
  • If your marshmallow gets too firm to work with, no worries. You can get it back to the right consistency by microwaving it in the microwave using 5 second increments.
  • Grease AND dust your parchment paper with powdered sugar to make getting those marshmallows off a breeze.
  • After drying overnight, the tops of your marshmallows will still be slightly sticky. Roll them in powdered sugar until they're no longer sticky, and then brush them off well so it doesn't gum up your food marker.
  • Storage: homemade marshmallows will keep for about a month when stored in an airtight container in a cool place.

Marshmallow recipe adapted from Buttercream Blondie

Nutrition

Find it online: https://thesimple-sweetlife.com/marshmallow-ghosts/