*If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can do this with a handheld electric mixer and a large bowl, but you will need to enlist the help of another person, one to whisk while the other pours in the boiling sugar syrup.
*If coconut isn’t your thing, replace the same amount of coconut with icing (powdered sugar) but don’t toast it, and increase the amount of vanilla to 3 teaspoons.
- 75g desiccated coconut
- 25g (4 tablespoons) powdered fish gelatine
- 120ml (½ cup)
- 440g (2 ¼ cups) caster (superfine) sugar
- 160g (½ cup) golden syrup
- 200ml (¾ cup) water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Cooking spray for the pan and knife
- 100g desiccated coconut for coating
In a clean dry frying pan, over medium heat toast the 75g coconut, stirring constantly until golden, set aside. Toast the 100g coconut in the same pan, set aside the second batch for much later.
Prepare a 30×20 cm (9×13 inch) baking tray, spray the tray with cooking spray, line with baking paper, spray the baking paper and spread half the 75g toasted coconut on the bottom of the pan, pressing down to help the coconut stick to the spray.
Put the gelatine and ½ cup cold water in the bottom of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or in a large bowl if using a handheld mixer. Let it sit while you prepare the sugar mixture.
Put the sugar, golden syrup and 200ml water in a heavy bottom pot, stir to combine, clip-on sugar. Bring to a boil, and keep cooking until you reach firm ball stage, 120℃ (248℉). Take off the heat and add the vanilla. Turn on the stand mixer.
Add the sugar mixture to the gelatin in a steady slow stream. Once all the syrup is added, turn the whisk up to high and whisk continuously until you have a bowl full of marshmallow. Working fast with a spatula that has been sprayed, pour the mixture into the prepared pan, smooth out the top and cover with the remaining half of the 75g coconut.
Let set for 2 hours.
Using a greased knife, cut the marshmallow, wiping and greasing the knife between each cut. Toss the marshmallows in the remaining 100g of toasted coconut, store with any extra coconut in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
