Healthy Homemade Sugar Free Marshmallows

Makes 3 to 6 dozen marshmallows - depending on how large you make them

This recipe is based on one found in an older version of "The Joy of Cooking."

Most marshmallow recipes call for cooling the mixture in a cake pan then cutting

into cubes. These marshmallows are piped into wonderful cloud-shaped puffs.

Modified from The Seattle Times 11/5/05 Pacific Northwest insert.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons Kosher powdered gelatin

1/2 cup cold water

1 1/2 cup of xylitol

1/2 cup hot water

1/2 cup light agave nectar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup of powered xylitol (food processor is great for this)

3 tablespoons arrowroot powder

1. In the first bowl of an upright mixer, sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water and let the mixture stand for at least 5 minutes.

The gelatin will soften but it will not dissolve at this point.

2. Stir the xylitol and hot water with the agave nectar in a large saucepan over high heat until the xylitol has dissolved and the

mixture is boiling. When this syrup reaches 240-245 degrees on a candy thermometer, or as soon as a drop into a cup of cold water

forms a soft ball, it's ready.

3. With a whisk attachement on your mixer, blend the gelatin and cold water mixture as you stream in the boiling syrup.  The hot

syrup will dissolve the gelatin. Continue to beat until the mixture is whipped into puffy white meringue-like froth that holds stiff peaks.

This can take as long as a half an hour as it cools.  Slowly add the vanilla during the process.

4. While the marshmallows are whipping in the mixer, whisk together the powdered sugar and arrowroot powder and sift the mixture

over the surface of a baking sheet.  I use parchment paper on the baking sheets to reuse the sugar, and for easy clean-up.

5. Pile the fluff mixture into a gallon-size zipper-top bag, snip one corner off the end of the bag and pipe the fluff through it onto the

xylitol lined baking sheet. Make them as big or as small as you want.  Sprinkle the remaining xylitol mixture over the finished candies.

6. Let cool - they will firm up as they cool, and can be stored in a plastic container or popped into hot chocolate or on somemores - enjoy!

You can also use this marshmallow in recipes for marshmallow rice crispies (before it cools) and also pipe into chocolate cupcakes (before it cools) for

homemade cream filled cupcakes.