Put the 1/2 cup cold water in the bowl of your stand mixer and sprinkle on the three packages of gelatin. Let this sit while you are making the syrup.

Prepare a 9"x9" pan. Line bottom and edges with plastic wrap. I use one piece one way and another piece going the other way to make sure all surfaces are lined. Spray this with cooking spray and set aside.

In a small saucepan combine the sugar, corn syrup and 1/4 cup water. Stir until well mixed. Bring to a boil and continue to boil until this reaches 240° (soft ball stage). This can take 5-8 minutes. Once it reaches the soft ball stag, remove from heat.

Stir the gelatin a bit to loosen it up. With the mixer (whisk attachment) turned to medium-high speed, slowly drizzle in the sugar mixture. Add in the salt. Turn the mixer on high and beat for about 10-12 minutes. The bowl may need scraping down from the sides. Add in the vanilla (or coconut extract and vanilla) the last 2 minutes of beating

Scrape the whipped mixture into your prepared baking pan. You can use a scraper, your hands or plastic gloves to smooth the top down; just make sure to spray whatever you are using with cooking spray. When smooth use another piece of plastic wrap that you have sprayed and cover the top of the marshmallows. Set aside for 5-6 hours or overnight before trying to cut.

For the coconut: put your coconut on a baking sheet and bake slowly at 275° (watching closely) until a golden brown. Cool then put in food process and grind to small pieces.

When you are ready to cut the marshmallows, flip over the pan onto a work surface and peel off the top piece of plastic wrap. Cut into 1" up to 2" squares. Take each piece and dip all sides into the coconut and set on dish. Store these in air tight container. If you do not want coconut topping, mix 1 cup powdered sugar and 1/2 cup cornstarch and roll the marshmallows in this mixture.