Homemade Marshmallows

this recipe is from Martha Stewart when she went on the Oprah. Which was a really long time ago...

Ingredients:

2.5 tbsps unflavoured gelatin
1.5 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
0.25 tsps of salt
2 tbsp pure vanilla extract
confectioner's sugar [icing sugar]

procedure:

combine gelatin and 0.5 cups of cold water in a bowl, whisk with an electric mixer

combine sugar, syrup, salt and 0.5 cups of water in a small heavy saucepan, over low heat, stir until sugar has dissloved. wash down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to dissolve sugar crystals

cook syrup at high heat without stirring until syrup reaches firm ball-stage[244C] immediately remove pan from heat

with mixer on low speed, slowly and of course carefully pour syrup into gelatin. Increase speed to high; beat till mixture is thick and white [it should have tripled its volume] about 15 minutes. add vanilla; beat to incorporate.

generously dust an 8 by 12inch pan with confectioner's sugar. pour mixture into pan. dust again with confectioner's sugar. allow it to stand overnight uncovered, to dry out.

i haven't tried the recipe out myself. but it seems pretty simple... i guess the tricky parts will be reaching firm-ball stage and where to find a place to let it stand overnight without anything[/anyone for some] attacking it and it should be a cool place too...