Marshmellows

[westbrook]

I am not a fan of marshmellows, but recognize the need for then especially if you have children.

 

Do you have a favorite recipe? an unusual recipe for making them or recipes that use them?

 

 

[westbrook]

Pumpkin-Spice Marshmallows

 

Posted by Amanda Clarke, November 5, 2008 at 7:00 PM

 

20081105-marshmallows.jpg

 

Marshmallows are one of my favorite things to make. Though I've made them literally hundreds of times, the act of transforming little more than sugar and gelatin into fluffy, springy cubes of goodness never ceases to be deeply satisfying.

 

I enjoy pulling the cut pieces apart (the way they cling and stretch and then suddenly, they’re apart, bouncing back into geometric perfection) and I love the way they feel (cool and silky) as I toss them in their coating. Having both over- and under-cooked their base syrup, occasionally being a little sloppy with measurements, tinkering with flavors and additives, and only once or twice being forced to scrap the batch and start over, I also appreciate the fail-proof nature of marshmallows.

 

They're also rather simple to make (easy to whip together in about 20 minutes) once you’ve made them a time or two and can be made in mass. On top of all that, people are always so impressed by them; shocked and amazed that marshmallows can be made in a kitchen, not in the confines of some space age factory.

 

Being such a lover of marshmallows, it's no surprise I was drawn to a book devoted to the subject: Marshmallows by Eileen Talanian.

 

A former bakery owner and pastry consultant, Talanian peppers her prose with learned, useful tips and information, providing a comprehensive guide to ingredients and techniques before digging in to the recipes. She explains, for instance, why she decided to use a homemade invert sugar as the basis of all of her marshmallow recipes, rather than corn syrup.

 

As Talanian points out, the one real trick to successful marshmallows is thorough, organized preparation. To that end, her recipes (broken into roughly three sections: marshmallows, marshmallow fluff, and uses for marshmallows or marshmallow fluff) are clear and well-structured, ensuring that all components will be on hand as needed. Because techniques are similar from recipe to recipe, it should be noted that the most thorough description of procedures is presented in the very first recipe for vanilla marshmallows (the recipes that follow, provide slightly annotated procedures).

 

With plenty of interesting flavors and flavor combinations illustrating the methods by which fruits, spices, wines and other flavoring agents (mint julep marshmallow, anyone?) may be incorporated, the book provides plenty of choices to suit any palate and a thorough enough understanding of the various techniques to allow for well-informed experimentation.

 

Though I find the section on applications of marshmallow and marshmallow fluff a little lacking, it shouldn’t be difficult to come up with plenty of ideas for these homemade sweets on your own.

 

About the author: Amanda Clarke is a recovering restaurant pastry chef with a background in architecture. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, where she writes, tests, and develops recipes and works on freelance food-styling gigs between walkings and feedings of her two dogs and husband.

 

 

Pumpkin-Spice Marshmallows

 

- makes about 80 or 90 1-inch square marshmallows -

Adapted from Marshmallows: Homemade Gourmet Treats by Eileen Talanian

 

Though the author recommends serving these unique marshmallows at Thanksgiving along with warm apple cider, I think they’d also make an easy, sophisticated offering for an adult Halloween party.

Ingredients

 

1 cup pumpkin puree, fresh or canned (~240g)

½ cup cold water (115g)

¼ cup powdered gelatin* (40g)

 

½ cup cold water (115g)

1 ¼ cups corn syrup **(380g)

¼ teaspoon salt

2 cups granulated sugar

 

½ teaspoon ground ginger

1½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

 

2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons cornstarch (~20g)

½ cup confectioners’ sugar (60g)

1 teaspoon sweet curry powder, optional***

Procedure

 

1. Lightly spray a standard baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray, then rub gently with a paper towel to distribute the spray and leave just the merest sheen of oil on the sheet. Similarly, lightly spray a large offset spatula and set beside the prepared tray.

 

2. Combine the first three ingredients in a medium bowl and mix until well blended and smooth. Set aside.

 

3. Combine second quantity of water, corn syrup, salt and sugar in a 4-quart saucepan and place over medium heat. When mixture boils, brush down the sides of the pan above the upper surface of the syrup with a clean, moistened pastry brush, or cover the pot with a lid for two minutes to allow the condensation to dissolve any lingering crystals.

 

4. Place a candy or instant read thermometer into the syrup and continue to cook, without stirring, until syrup reaches 255F (hard ball). Remove pan from heat and carefully stir in pumpkin-gelatin mixture.

 

5. Pour this mixture into the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Quickly cover bowl with loosely draped plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel in order to avoid splatters, and gradually increase the mixer speed to “high”.

 

6. Whip mixture for 10 minutes. At the beginning of the final minute of whipping, sprinkle in ginger, cinnamon and cloves and continue to whip.

 

7. Scrap mixture into prepared pan and spread out smooth with oiled offset. Set marshmallow aside, uncovered, at room temperature for at least 4 hours to over night before cutting.

 

8. Before cutting the marshmallow, sift the three remaining ingredients together into a medium mixing bowl. Cut marshmallows with a lightly oiled knife or pizza cutter and break into individual pieces. Toss with cornstarch mixture to completely coat, shaking off excess as much as possible. Store in an airtight container with the lid slightly ajar for up to three days.

 

* This is little more than 1 ¼ standard boxes of Knox gelatin, so be sure to purchase enough.

 

** The author provides a recipe for a homemade sugar syrup to replace the corn syrup, but the corn syrup recipe version has been provided for brevity’s sake.

 

***The curry powder is my addition. I like the way it adds another layer of flavor and a subtle savory note to the finished confections.

 

13 Comments

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2008/11...html?ref=se-bb2

[westbrook]

Chocolate Marshmallows

 

4 envelopes unflavored gelatin

1 1/2 cups water

3 cups sugar

1 1/4 cups light corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup sifted baking cocoa

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup powdered sugar sifted with 1/3 cup baking cocoa (to roll marshmallows in) *I also used a whisk to make sure that both were evenly distributed.

 

Oil a 9x13-inch Pyrex baking dish with vegetable oil. Line the dish with lightweight foil, and lightly coat the foil with more oil.

 

In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, soften the gelatin with 3/4 cup of the water.

 

Place the sugar, corn syrup, the remaining 3/4-cup water, and the salt in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook over high heat until the syrup reaches 234-240 degrees on a candy thermometer (or until it reaches soft-ball stage).

 

With the whisk attachment of the mixer at full speed, beat the hot syrup slowly into the gelatin. Once syrup is incorporated add the baking cocoa. Beat until the mixture is very stiff, about 15 minutes. Beat in the vanilla. Pour the mixture into the foil-lined dish and smooth the top with an oiled spatula. Allow the mixture to rest, uncovered, at room temperature 10-12 hours.

 

Sprinkle the powdered sugar and cocoa mixture onto a cutting board. Turn the stiffened marshmallow mixture out onto the sugar, cut into squares with a lightly oiled knife. Be sure to dip the cut edges of the marshmallows into the powdered sugar cocoa mixture to prevent sticking.

 

Yield: About 40 marshmallows

 

*Don't forget to adjust for altitude and do not use a cheaper brand corn syrup, I have tried and it doesn't set well. Use Karo.

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[Leah]

This is a recipe from Pinkbox http://www.pinkcakebox.com/

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Here is a recipe for marshmallow fluff I have been using for a while... makes a huge batch and freezes great. Half it if need to. But frozen fluff is great when in a pinch for something different.

Marshmallow Fluff 2 quarts

 

3 egg whites

2 cups light corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups icing sugar (confectioner's)

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

 

In a large bowl, combine egg whites, corn syrup and salt; beat with mixer in high speed for 10 minutes or until thick.

Add in icing sugar; beat on low speed until blended.

Beat in vanilla until blended.

Use this in any recipe called for marshmallow creme.

*NOTE* This recipe makes a lot of fluff, but may be frozen for later use, just remove from freezer and stir well with a spoon, or it can be refrigerated for up to 1 week, just make sure to stir well with a spoon before using.

[westbrook]

Marshmellow Cream??? Cool!!!!

[Rezgirl]

snowizard

 

 

Does anyone have any experience with J. Hungerford Smith Marshmallow Dessert Topping in a can?

I have 2-2lb 4oz cans that came from a foodbank distribution. I've never seen anything like it before. It says "ready to serve". It is just DH and I to cook for at the moment, so I added it to my preps, but I may use it for a dessert for a family get together at Thanksgiving