Neapolitan Marshmallows

This is a recipe for homemade Neapolitan marshmallows. These are a favorite in my house. You can layer your marshmallows in any order, in this recipe I will start with Chocolate, then do Strawberry, and end with Vanilla. This process can be a 1 or 2 day process. Original recipe from 'Procrastibaking' cookbook by Erin Gardner.

Supplies:

• Stand mixer with whisk attachment
• small/medium pot
• candy thermometer
• liquid measuring cup
• 1 cup measuring cup
• Measuring spoons (Tablespoon, Teaspoon, 1/2 teaspoon)
• Cooking scale
• rubber scraper/spatula
• Kitchen spray
• Pan (I used a 6x10x3 in pan, it just depends on how thick you want the marshmallows)
• cutting board
• Sharp knife
• Food processor (or something else to crush freeze dried strawberries into a powder)
• Cornstarch
• Parchment paper
• plastic wrap
• Airtight bin(s)

Ingredients:

• Vanilla Layer:
• 1/4 cup plus 5 Tablespoons water
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 Tablespoon unflavored powdered gelatin
• 1 teaspoon light corn syrup
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• Strawberry Layer:
• 1/4 cup plus 5 Tablespoons water
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 Tablespoon unflavored powdered gelatin
• 2 Tablespoons powdered freeze-dried strawberries
• 1 teaspoon light corn syrup
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• Chocolate Layer:
• 1/4 cup plus 5 Tablespoons water
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 Tablespoon unflavored powdered gelatin
• 2 ounces dark chocolate (70% cacao is ideal, anything over 60% will work), finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon light corn syrup
• 1 cup granulated sugar

• To start you need to finely chop your chocolate. You will need 2 ounces total of chocolate. After chopping the chocolate use a kitchen scale to weigh it.
• Next you will need to turn the freeze-dried strawberries into a powder. You can do this by putting them in a food processor for a little bit, continue to add strawberries until you get 2 Tablespoons.
• You will also need to prep your pan. Line it with parchment paper, leave some hanging over the edges. Coat the parchment paper with cooking spray, then dust with cornstarch. Dump the extra cornstarch out of the pan.

• Add 1/4 cup of water, the vanilla extract, unflavored powdered gelatin, and chocolate to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix until combined. Set aside.
• Moving over to the stove now, combine 5 Tablespoons of water, light corn syrup, and granulated sugar in a small/medium pot. Add the candy thermometer and heat on medium-high heat until the mixture reaches 240 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Immediately add the sugar mixture to the bowl of the mixer. Mix on low to get some of the steam out, then turn up to medium-high and whip for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is light and fluffy.
• Pour the light and fluffy mixture into the prepared pan. Using a rubber scraper/spatula, coated with kitchen spray, spread the mixture so it covers the entire bottom of the pan.

(You will be reusing the same supplies, so unless you have multiples of them, you will need to wash everything between layers.)

You are going to repeat the steps in the chocolate layer for this layer, but with the strawberry powder.

• Add 1/4 cup of water, the vanilla extract, unflavored powdered gelatin, and strawberry powder to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix until combined. Set aside.
• Moving over to the stove now, combine 5 Tablespoons of water, light corn syrup, and granulated sugar in a small/medium pot. Add the candy thermometer and heat on medium-high heat until the mixture reaches 240 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Immediately add the sugar mixture to the bowl of the mixer. Mix on low to get some of the steam out, then turn up to medium-high and whip for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is light and fluffy.
• Pour the light and fluffy mixture into the prepared pan. Using a rubber scraper/spatula, coated with kitchen spray, spread the mixture so it covers the entire chocolate layer.

This will also be a repeat of the original process, but without the added flavors.

• Add 1/4 cup of water, the vanilla extract, and unflavored powdered gelatin, to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix until combined. Set aside.
• Moving over to the stove now, combine 5 Tablespoons of water, light corn syrup, and granulated sugar in a small/medium pot. Add the candy thermometer and heat on medium-high heat until the mixture reaches 240 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Immediately add the sugar mixture to the bowl of the mixer. Mix on low to get some of the steam out, then turn up to medium-high and whip for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is light and fluffy.
• Pour the light and fluffy mixture into the prepared pan. Using a rubber scraper/spatula, coated with kitchen spray, spread the mixture so it covers the entire strawberry layer.

• Dust the top of the last layer with cornstarch and cover with a piece of parchment paper. Make sure this piece is up against the marshmallow.
• Now wrap the entire container in plastic wrap so that there are no openings.
• Let the pan sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour and up to overnight (I usually let it sit overnight)

• Once you are ready to cut up the marshmallows you will need cornstarch, cooking spray, a sharp knife, and a cutting board. Dust the cutting board with cornstarch. Coat your knife with cooking spray.
• Remove your marshmallows, use the parchment paper hanging over the edge to pull it out. Unwrap it and put it on your cutting board. I like to put it with the top down.
• Using your knife, cut lengthwise on the short side, I cut my strips to be about an inch wide. Once you have cut it all into strips you are going to cut the strips into smaller chunks. I cut them one strip at a time, laying the strip on its side cut down the strip, I cut these chunks to be about an inch wide. Feel free to cut them into bigger or smaller chunks, it just depends on how big you want your marshmallows to be. (I suggest keeping the parchment paper that was in the bin nearby so you can put the cut marshmallows on it to keep your cutting board usable)
• Once they are cut you will need to coat them in cornstarch. You can do this by putting cornstarch on the cutting board, or in a different bin, and rolling them in it. They do not need a thick coating of cornstarch, so you can brush any excess off with your fingers.
• Once they have been coated store them in an airtight container, with pieces of parchment paper between them, at room temperature. They keep for up to 2 weeks.