Marshmallows (vegetarian)

Makes about 1 3/4 lbs.. Soften gelatin in water for 1 hour. Prepare a syrup. Place in a heavy pan over low heat and stir until dissolved the sugar, corn syrup, water and salt. When the mixture start to boil, cover it about 3 minutes to allow any crystals which have formed to be washed down from the sides of the pan. Continue to cook uncovered and unstirred over high heat to the firm-ball stage (244 degrees F). Overcooking makes the marshmallows tough. Remove the mixture from heat and pour slowly over the gelatin, beating constantly with an electric mixer. Continue to beat about 15 minutes after all the syrup has been added. When the mixture is thick but still smooth, add vanilla. Put the mixture into an 8 x 12 in pan that has been lightly dusted with cornstarch. When it has dried for 12 hours, remove it from the pan, cut it into square with scissors dusted with cornstach, and store the fully dusted pieces in a closed tin. Chocolate-Mint Marshmallows: Sustitute creme de menthe for the vanilla, cut the marshmallows into desired shapes and dip in melted non-dairy dark chocolate. Coconut Candies: Substitute coconut extract for the vanilla and roll the damp marshmallows in toasted coconut instead of cornstarch. Notes: Most gelatins are not vegetarian, whether kosher or not. Gelatin is often considered "parve" (or neither meat nor milk) because it is so far removed from the original source and goes through so much processing. Vegetarian Gelatin is rare, but it does exist. The best brand I have found is Emes Kosher-Jel. It is made from carageenan, locust bean gum, and maloto-dextrin (not a cow hoof or pigskin in sight). The company almost went out of business a year or two ago, but have since been bought and are making a comeback. I know all this because I posted this marshmallow recipe about 3 years ago on the web and then couldn't get the product anymore. People pestered me for about 2 years until I finally tracked down the whereabouts of the new company location, etc. Emes Kosher-Jel is available (at least in the Southeast U.S.) from Clark Distributing in Hendersonville, TN. (615) 826-7631. It's fantastic and comes in plain (for marshmallows, etc.) and fruit-flavored varieties that are naturally flavored and colored and sweetened with fructose.