The recipe my bosses deemed too simple for Bake Club

In our latest Bake Club podcast episode, I shared a little secret: This month’s recipe, Whole Lemon Bars, actually started out as marshmallows. Yes, marshmallows. Let me explain.

Shilpa and I had talked about marshmallows for months—how much you learn making them, how much better they are homemade than store-bought—and I thought they’d be a perfect pick to kick off summer. I went through several rounds of testing before my colleagues looked me in the eye and said, Jesse, a recipe for plain ol’ marshmallows is kinda boring. Damn.

Was I offended? For a brief moment, yes. Were they wrong? Not at all.

A few brainstorms later we landed on the lemon bars—which I love and I hope you make—but the marshmallow recipe was fully developed by then, sitting idly in my notebook ready to become lost media. So it goes! Or so I thought.

Weeks later, when explaining the twist and turns of my development process to our podcast producer Michele O’Brien, she suggested we publish the marshmallow recipe here, as a Substack exclusive for the Bake Club community. So from the depths of my notebook, I present to you: The Marshmallows That Wanted to be Lemon Bars. Pretty darn good, if I say so myself; and just the thing for people who take their s’mores game seriously.

If you want to learn more about the testing process, give our latest podcast a listen. It gets into the nerdy details of how we test recipes, and what made the lemon bars worthy of becoming a Bake Club recipe of the month.

The Marshmallows That Wanted to be Lemon Bars

Yield: 16 large marshmallows

Total Time: 15 minutes, plus setting time

Nonstick cooking spray

Powdered sugar, for dusting

2 (¼-oz.) packets unflavored gelatin

8 Tbsp. water, divided

⅔ cup light corn syrup

1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar

½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Step 1

Lightly spray the bottom and sides of an 8x8 metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Generously coat the sides and bottom with powdered sugar, then invert the pan and give it a few taps to remove any excess.

Step 2

Combine 2 (¼-oz.) packets unflavored gelatin and 5 Tbsp. water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. (Gelatin will stiffen into a gel-like consistency. This is normal.)

Step 3

Combine remaining 3 Tbsp. water, ⅔ cup light corn syrup, 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, and ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a small pot fitted with a candy thermometer. Heat over medium-high without stirring until mixture reaches 235°. Remove from heat and let cool for exactly 3 minutes.

Step 4

With motor running at low speed, slowly stream in the hot sugar mixture. Once fully combined, slowly increase the mixer speed to high and whip until light, fluffy, and just ever so slightly warm, about 7 to 9 minutes. During the last few seconds of mixing, add 2 tsp. vanilla extract and mix until combined. Immediately transfer mixture to the prepared pan, spreading it into an even layer using an offset spatula. Dust the top with additional powdered sugar, lightly cover in plastic wrap (do not let the plastic wrap tough the surface of the marshmallows), and let set at room temperature for at least 6 hours, up to three days in advance. When ready to cut, loosen the edges of the marshmallows by running an offset spatula around the sides. Invert pan then, give it a few good taps, releasing onto cutting board. Dust the marshmallow slab generously with powdered sugar, coat your knife with nonstick cooking spray followed by powdered sugar before cutting. Toss cut marshmallows in powdered sugar.

Make ahead: Marshmallows can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for several weeks.