New Year's Eve

I would love to be telling you that I'll be getting all dressed up and going out to a fabulous party.  I have been sick since Christmas (thanks honey) and today is the worst of it.  I hope I can stay awake to watch the ball drop, but it will not be the same without Dick Clark. I did have a wonderful Christmas with my family and I hope y'all did as well.  May 2013 be your best year yet!

I made marshmallows yesterday since I had all the ingredients on hand. I do not recommend making them unless you have a stand mixer.  Here are a few pictures I snapped with my phone.  I ended the night with a mug of spiked peppermint hot chocolate.   I may repeat again tonight.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
• Confectioners' sugar, for dusting (I added some peppermint sugar for color)

Directions

1. Combine gelatin and 1/2 cup cold water in the bowl of an electric mixer with whisk attachment. Let stand 30 minutes.
   
2. Combine granulated sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 1/2 cup water in a small heavy saucepan; place over low heat, and stir until sugar has dissolved. Wash down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to dissolve sugar crystals.
   
3. Clip on a candy thermometer; raise heat to high. Cook syrup without stirring until it reaches 244 degrees (firm-ball stage) or about 9 minuted. Immediately remove pan from heat.
   
4. With mixer on low speed, slowly and carefully pour syrup into the softened gelatin. Increase speed to high; beat until mixture is very thick and white and has almost tripled in volume, about 15 minutes. Add vanilla; beat to incorporate.
   
5. Generously dust an 8-by-12-inch glass baking pan with confectioners’ sugar. Pour marshmallow mixture into pan. Dust top with confectioners’ sugar; wet your hands, and pat it to smooth. Dust with confectioners’ sugar; let stand overnight, uncovered, to dry out. Turn out onto a board; cut marshmallows with a dry hot knife into 1 1/2-inch squares, and dust with more confectioners' sugar.