The other night I figured I’d make some marshmallows. I had to go to the store anyway, so I picked up some mangos and some California chili powder. I didn’t really go all of this with any expectations, so it was even more lovely when they turned out so well.

1 lovely, ripe mango, peeled and cored

Enough cold water to blend the mango up and turn it into a fairly thin puree

3 packets unflavored powdered gelatin

1/2 cup plus 3 Tbsp. very cold mango puree

3/4 cup mango puree

1 1/4 cup cane sugar syrup

1 1/2 cup granulated cane sugar

Salt (just a pinch)

Coppery food coloring

Soft yellow food coloring

Granulated sugar

About 1 Tbsp. California chili powder (any straight, Mexican-style chili powder will work)

Line a quarter sheet pan with aluminum foil, then spray with canola oil.

Pour the gelatin into the bowl of your stand mixer. Add the cold mango puree. Mix them together with a whisk until it’s all thick like applesauce and free of clumps. Set aside.

Combine the 3/4 of a cup of mango puree, the 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar, the cane sugar syrup, and the pinch of salt in a large, heavy sauce pan. Using a candy thermometer, bring it to 250F. When the mixture is around 235F, use the whisk attachment on your stand mixer and have it mix the gelatin/mango puree at medium speed.

When the syrup mixture hits 250F, quickly pull it off the stove and, with the mixer running, pour it into the bowl of gelatin/mango goop. Increase the stand mixer speed to high and cover the bowl with a clean tea towel (this is to keep it from splattering all over the place). Check on the mixture after ten minutes (keeping it on high the whole time).

After ten minutes, pull the tea towel back and look into the bowl. It should be all fluffy and smooth and glossy. At this point, with the mixer still running on high, add a few drops of each of your food colorings. Once a mango-y color is achieved, replace the tea towel and let it mix for another five minutes.

Make sure during these five minutes that your quarter sheet pan is foiled and sprayed. When the five minutes are up, lower the speed of your mixer and lower the bowl (or slowly tilt the head up depending on your model). This should help separate the marshmallow fluff from the whisk, but you’ll still need to use a rubber spatula. Turn off your mixer.

Now, moving as fast as you can, use a sturdy rubber spatula to transfer the marshmallow fluff to the pan. Do your best to spread it evenly. Once all the fluff is in the pan, break out a large offset spatula (or large kitchen knife if you don’t have an offset). Spray the offset with canola oil and use it to smooth out the top of the marshmallows. Once it looks lovely and smooth, take a break.

The marshmallow remnants in the bowl will dissolve with hot water.

Let your pan of marshmallows rest for an hour. Take this time to kick back because cutting up the marshmallows is going to take a while and be really tedious. Also take this time to fill a glass pie pan or small glass bowl with about 3/4 cup sugar and the California chili powder. Play with the ratio a little until you find a combination that speaks to you.

Take a large, sharp knife and spray it with more canola oil. Making careful, straight incisions, cut the marshmallows. I usually get about 110 marshmallows from a pan. You can cut them however you like. After they’re cut, roll them in the sugar/chili powder. Then transfer them to a box or plate or piece of wax paper or whatever you’d like. Then eat them and/or bring them round to your friends. Voila!