Marshmallows seem like they would be hard to make and a total pain to clean up after. In reality, they require just one key piece of equipment and only few ingredients. Often the ingredients include corn syrup, but not these babies. In place of the corn syrup I use jelly — Potlicker wine jelly. If you have a stand mixer, homemade marshmallows are so easy & sooooo much better than store bought marshmallows. You might never buy a bag of marshmallows again.
You could use any flavor of wine or beer jelly. Even fruit jelly! I thought that the white wine marshmallows would be fun for a celebration table so I opened up a jar of Traminette wine jelly. The wine for our Traminette jelly comes from North Branch Vineyards. John McCann, the wine maker and owner of North Branch, grows the grapes that he turns to wine, then I turn his wine into mighty fine jelly.
The wine flavor is subtle but distinct and the rose water adds lovely floral notes without being over whelming. Serve these sophisticated marshmallows at cocktail party, bridal shower, or the Easter table.
Wine Jelly Marshmallows
- 3/4c water
- 2 packets gelatin
- 3/4c sugar
- 1/2c Potlicker Vermont Wine Jelly
- 1/4ts rose water (sub vanilla)
- Pinch salt
Optional: 2oz semi sweet chocolate & decorative sanding sugar
Prepare marshmallow landing surface by covering a cutting board with a powder sugar/ corn starch mixture. Set aside
Combine 1/2c of water and the entire contents of the two gelatin packets into the stand mixer bowl. Allow to rest for 10 minutes.
In a small pan combine the remaining 1/4c of water, 3/4c sugar, 1/2c jelly, and a pinch of salt. Bring this jelly water to a boil. Using a candy thermometer, keep boiling until it reaches 240 degrees.
Turn the mixer to low and carefully pour the hot sugar down the side of the mixing bowl. Pouring the hot sugar down the sides keeps it from splattering all over you. Hot sugar burns! Once all of the sugar is blended, turn the mixer to high and beat the sugar for 10 minutes. Add rose water during the last minute of beating. The end result will be white, sticky, sugar fluff.
Coat a rubber spatula with powdered sugar and transfer the marshmallow to the cutting board landing surface. Gently press marshmallow to ½” or desired thickness.
Optionally scoop marshmallow into a piping bag or plastic bag (with the corner cut off) and squeeze out blobs into baby animal form. Allow to cool.
Cut unshaped marshmallows into squares and coat all sides with powdered sugar/corn starch mix to keep from sticking together. Optionally dust with fancy sanding sugar to make them more peep-like. To add eyes, slowly melt semi-sweet chocolate in a microwave or double boiler and use a tooth pick to dot on chocolate eyes.
I couldn’t resist so I very carefully dipped to bottom of each peep into the chocolate. This results in a chocolate shell over a squishy marshmallow that shatters when bitten into. Divine.
Want some of this wine or jelly? North Branch Vineyards has them both.
Add these “peeps” to your Easter table along with:
Nancy Warner 
