If you’ve visited Butter Me Up Brooklyn before or clicked on the meet lillie page, you might already know I don’t own a stand mixer. I learned to make bread and whip cookie dough by hand, with a wooden spoon and plenty of elbow grease. It hasn’t held me back—yet.
That said, if a certain white appliance happens to arrive on a special day coming up soon, I might rethink my devotion to hand-powered baking. I imagine using it for everything, from dough to delicate meringues, and maybe even jokingly mixing cocktails on the lowest speed. The phrase “Oh here, just let me mix that for you…” would likely become a favorite line.
For now, I don’t expect any such gift (fingers crossed), so I take every chance to borrow friends’ mixers. When a dear friend invited me to a marshmallow-making get-together, I was there in a flash.
Marshmallow making is one of those projects that’s much easier with a stand mixer; without one, be prepared for an arm workout. That said, people made marshmallows long before electric mixers existed—19th-century cooks managed just fine—so it’s absolutely possible to do this by hand if you must.
I also admit I’m not above using technology in the kitchen when necessary—like when a recipe lives on your phone because the printer ran out of ink. Practicality wins sometimes.
At the party we started with a basic batch and then added a spirited twist. Maple syrup and a touch of rum paired with pumpkin pie spice brought a warm, cozy flavor to the marshmallows—soft, springy, and perfectly spiced. They’re heavenly on their own or melted into hot cocoa made by a generous mixing hand.
Spiced Maple Rum Marshmallows
Makes approximately 9 dozen
Inspired by Food Network
Marshmallows:
3 packages unflavored gelatin
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 cup very cold water, divided
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon rum
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Coating:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
cooking spray
Begin by retrieving the whisk attachment and a candy thermometer. In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar, cornstarch, and pumpkin pie spice. Coat a 9×13-inch pan with cooking spray and thoroughly dust the bottom and sides with the powdered sugar mixture; set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the gelatin and pumpkin pie spice, then add 1/2 cup of the cold water. Stir briefly to moisten the gelatin; it will thicken quickly.
In a small saucepan, combine the remaining 1/2 cup water, sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Cover and heat over medium-high for 3–4 minutes. Remove the cover, clip on the candy thermometer, and cook until the syrup reaches the soft-ball stage, about 240°F (approximately 7–8 minutes). Remove from heat immediately.
With the mixer on low, slowly pour the hot sugar syrup into the gelatin mixture. After adding all the syrup, increase the speed to high and beat for about 6 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add the maple syrup and rum, then return to high and continue beating until the mixture is thick, glossy, and slightly cooled—about 12–15 minutes total.
Coat a spatula with cooking spray and transfer the marshmallow mixture into the prepared pan, smoothing it evenly to the edges. Dust the top with enough of the powdered sugar mixture to cover completely and reserve the remaining coating in a sealed bag. Let the marshmallows stand uncovered for at least 4 hours.
When set, use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut into 1-inch squares. Place the cut marshmallows into the bag with the coating and toss to coat all sides. Store finished marshmallows in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.
P.S. I may not have been completely honest about stopping the overshare—some photos were just too good not to include.
