So, I'm thinking about making homemade peppermint marshmallows for a few friends this year for Christmas. There are so many different variations you can make, but I thought these would be great for hot chocolate! 

The Barefoot Contessa was my inspiration for these because she makes my all time favorite, which are ones with toasted coconut.  You can also dip them in chocolate or roll them in cinnamon sugar. They taste so much better than the rubbery ones you buy at the store and it's fun thinking up your own combinations. 

Here's a photo of the first step - boiling the sugar, Karo Syrup and water to a hard ball stage (235-240 degrees fahrenheit.   

I did not get a photo after I added this mixture to the gelatin in the KitchenAid.  Basically, you pour the sugar syrup into the dissolved gelatin and and whip until very thick. about 15 minutes.

Here's what it looks like after adding it to a 8 x 12 pan, dusted with confectioners' sugar. I added red vegetable food coloring to make the swirl, but they turned a little pink.
I'll get the swirl right in the next batch!

This has to sit over night and then you carefully peel it from the pan and cut into whatever size squares/shapes you want.  Again, you can get really creative with this and use cookie cutters for fun shapes.

I just cut these into small squares.

rolled them in confectioners' sugar again so that all sides were covered and not sticky...