Eggnog Marshmallows

I absolutely love all the festive holiday treats that come out this time of year, and one in particular that's hard for me to resist is eggnog. I feel ok about indulging in a glass or two each year but anything more than that and the dairy guilt starts to set in...I really don't drink milk anymore these days, opting instead for almond or coconut milk (because I'm super health-conscious like that). 

I'm sure there's a non-dairy version of eggnog floating around somewhere, but I haven't come across any in the grocery stores yet. In the meantime these eggnog marshmallows are hitting the spot. Sure, they're basically just a fluffy, spongy mass of sugar, which is probably in some ways worse than consuming dairy...but sometimes you just gotta live. I love popping one or two into my morning coffee and watching it slowly melt into a thick, frothy layer. Try tucking a few into a holiday mug along with some hot cocoa mix for a wonderful homemade Christmas gift! I'm all about the thrifty DIY presents, so if you end up receiving this as a gift from me try to still act surprised, ok?

Ingredients

nonstick cooking spray

2 envelopes gelatin

3/4 cup cold water

2 cups sugar

2/3 cup light corn syrup

2 egg whites

1/4 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. rum

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

2/3 cup powdered sugar

3 tbsp. cornstarch

Instructions

1. Coat an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and line with wax paper that has also been coated with non-stick spray.

2. Sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup of cold water in a heatproof bowl and set aside.

3. Bring remaining 1/4 water, sugar and corn syrup to a boil. Cook until temperature reaches 260 degrees (temperature should be taken with a candy thermometer; this should take about 12-15 minutes). Remove from heat, add gelatin mixture and stir to combine.

4. Meanwhile beat the egg whites and salt in an electric mixer on high speed until foamy. Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until stiff peaks form, about 3-4 minutes. Add rum, nutmeg and gelatin mixture and continue beating for another 7 minutes or so until a thick consistency is reached. 

5. Pour marshmallow mixture into prepared pan, cover and let stand at room temperature for 1-2 hours

6. Cut marshmallows into 1-inch squares (coat knife and spatula with nonstick spray if marshmallows are sticking. Combine cinnamon, powdered sugar and cornstarch and coat marshmallows on all sides with the mixture.