Recipe Background
Yummy Winter Snowballs are fluffy, pillowy squares best served with patience.
On a particularly dreary snow day, I found myself reaching for a crinkled recipe card buried deep in my collection. It was labeled simply as 'Winter Snowballs,' a whimsy of a dessert that I first concocted during my early college years. It was the winter break of my sophomore year, and a spontaneous snowstorm had canceled nearly all my plans. With my housemates away, the kitchen became my canvas—one I filled with a sprinkle of powdered sugar and a dash of creativity. The decision to dust a 9-inch pan with generous powdered sugar was not just for flair; I learned that trick the hard way after my first batch stuck permanently to the pan, an unforeseen miscue that brought laughter more than despair.
This treat always reminds me of the patience required by both cooking and life itself—a lesson I grasped while waiting for the gelatin mixture to bloom on that snowy day. As the thick, velvety marshmallow concoction whipped itself into a fluffy cloud, I couldn't help but savor the vanilla aroma wafting through the kitchen. Timing, I discovered, was everything. Pouring that hot sugar syrup slowly into the mixer was akin to coaxing a wild horse to trust a gentle hand. Ensuring every cut of marshmallow was dusted with powdered sugar to prevent unwanted stickiness became my quiet triumph against winter's drab mood.
To this day, these sweet, pillowy squares serve as a sugary antidote to the bleakest winter weather, a reminder of joyful confinements and unexpected delights. Much like that snowstorm years ago, they offer a comforting, slow-paced indulgence that's perfect for sharing—or savoring alone. Just let them rest overnight, transforming simple ingredients into a warm memory worth reliving.
Ingredients
- powdered sugar to taste
- 3 (0.25-ounce) packages unflavored powdered gelatin
- 1 cup cold water divided
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or extract
Directions
- Line the bottom and the sides of a 9-inch square baking pan with plastic wrap.
- Lightly coat the plastic wrap with nonstick spray.
- Using a fine mesh sieve, generously dust the prepared pan with the powdered sugar.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the gelatin and 1/2 cup of the cold water and whisk to combine.
- Allow the gelatin mixture to stand until it "blooms" or thickens, about 10 minutes.
- In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, add the granulated sugar, the corn syrup, the kosher salt, and the remaining cold water and cook, while stirring often, until the sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes.
- Cook the sugar mixture, while stirring occasionally, until it thickens into a syrup and registers 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer, about 10 minutes.
- Transfer the sugar mixture from the heat.
- Immediately turn the stand mixer to medium-low speed and carefully drizzle the hot sugar mixture into the gelatin mixture while the mixer is running.
- Once all of the sugar mixture is combined, gradually increase the mixing speed to high and beat until the mixture is very thick and fluffy, about 10-12 minutes.
- Add the vanilla to the marshmallow mixture and stir to combine.
- Pour the marshmallow mixture into the prepared pan and quickly smooth out the top.
- Heavily dust the top of the marshmallow mixture with the powdered sugar.
- Let the marshmallow mixture stand, uncovered, at room temperature for at least 8 hours and up to overnight.
- In a medium bowl, add the powdered sugar.
- Using the plastic wrap, lift the marshmallow block from the pan and transfer it to a cutting board.
- Unwrap and discard the plastic wrap.
- Using a large knife dusted with the powdered sugar to prevent sticking, cut the marshmallow block into 20 even squares.
- In batches, toss the cut marshmallows in the powdered sugar in the bowl until they are no longer sticky.
- Dust off the excess powdered sugar from the marshmallows and repeat until all the marshmallows are cut and coated.
- Serve.
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