Marshmallows were originally made with the sap of the root of the marsh mallow plant instead of gelatin. The sap was cooked with egg whites and sugar and whipped into a foam. This foam hardened when cool and was cut up and used as a type of throat lozenge (marsh mallow sap reportedly acts as a cough suppressant). In the late 1800's, the marsh mallow sap was replaced with gelatin, and egg whites were phased out of most mass produced recipes.
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I started by reading over a dozen marshmallow recipes before settling on the recipe credited to Chef Thomas Keller.
I prepared a 9x13-in. glass baking pan by greasing it with butter and sifting powdered sugar over it to coat the bottom and sides.
The recipe calls for 3 envelopes of Knox gelatin and 1/2 cup cold water. 3 envelopes of gelatin is equivalent to 3 tablespoons or 21 grams of powdered gelatin. Make sure you use the unsweetened and unflavored kind.
I poured the water and gelatin into the bowl of my stand mixer to allow the gelatin to bloom. The recipe calls the gelatin to bloom for ten minutes.
While the gelatin was blooming, I measured out 2 cups of sugar, 2/3 cup corn syrup, and 1/4 cup water.
I brought the mixture to a boil and deviated from Chef Keller's recipe a little. Instead of boiling for one minute, I allowed it to boil until the sugar's temperature passed 250°F. This brings the sugar into what is known as the hard-ball stage (when dropping the sugar into some water will form a hard ball that is not easily deformed) and is the traditional temperature of sugar used for making marshmallows.
I ran the mixer at low speed while drizzling in the boiling sugar syrup. Once the syrup was mixed in, I turned up the speed a little and added about 1/4 tsp. salt. The recipe calls for mixing at a high speed, but I couldn't turn up the speed to high without risking splattering 200°F sugar everywhere.
When the mixture begins to fluff up, I scraped down the bowl and turned up the speed to high.
Once the volume of the marshmallow stopped increasing, I added 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract. After the extract was mixed in, I stopped the mixer. This took about 8 minutes from when I started mixing, a few minutes short of Chef Keller's recommended twelve minutes.
I poured the marshmallows into the prepared pan and smoothed roughly with a silicone spatula. Several internet recipes recommend oiling plastic wrap and using it to flatten the top of the marshmallow.
I let the marshmallow cool and set by leaving it on the dining table uncovered overnight. I then inverted the pan over a cutting board covered in powdered sugar. I released the marshmallow buy pulling from a corner and working the marshmallow loose from the baking pan.
I used a large pizza wheel to section the marshmallows one row at a time and dredging each piece in powdered sugar until the sides weren't sticky anymore.So, how did the marshmallows come out? I felt that the flavor and texture were right on. Since I dredged the pieces with powdered sugar, the exterior was a little sweeter than the marshmallows sold in supermarkets. This was actually a pleasant effect since my marshmallows were fairly large and the sweetness emphasized the difference between the exterior and interior of the marshmallow. I did occasionally smell the gelatin while cutting the marshmallows and was afraid that the flavor would be tainted, but once I had dredged the piece, I couldn't detect any gelatin taste. All in all, I'd say this is a pretty good homemade marshmallow recipe.
Marshmallows (yields about 40 large marshmallows)
| Grease 9x13-in. pan and powder with powdered sugar | |||||||
| 3 Tbs. (21 g) gelatin | soak 10 min. | drizzle while mixing | mix until marshmallow has fluffed up | mix | cool in pan for 3 hours | cut | powder |
| 1/2 cup (120 mL) water | |||||||
| 2 cups (400 g) sugar | boil until 250°F (120°C) | ||||||
| 2/3 cup (160 mL) corn syrup | |||||||
| 1/4 cup (60 mL) water | |||||||
| 1/4 tsp. (1.5 g) salt | |||||||
| 1 Tbs. (15 mL) vanilla extract | |||||||
| Powdered sugar | |||||||
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How 'bout for vegetarians - agar instead of gelatin but I understand volumewise, you need half of gelatin's, and it might need hotter liquid - anyone can enlighten?
And any substitue for corn syrup?
(Congrats on the award by the way - maybe you should bring some to the ceremony)
Since I've got everything I need in the house except for the syrup, I'll give this a go on sunday and post the results.
This recipe yields about 1-1/2 pounds of marshmallows. The bags int eh store are usually 8 ounces or 1 pound.
re: whisk
I would use the flat beater in the electric mixer because the marshmallow will thicken up and a lot will be trapped in the whisk and on each of the spokes. This may cause some difficulties with the electric mixer.
re: corn syrup
Yes, high-fructose corn syrup will work. It seems to me, you may be able to do the recipe without any corn syrup and just starting with more granulated sugar. The texture may be different, but it ought to work. Maybe add just a little corn syrup to minimize crystalization.
re: gelatin substitution
I expect that you can use either agar or pectin to help provide the structural support to hold the sugar syrup in a foam - but I'm not sure what effect that will have on the texture or taste of the marshmallows. I expect that you will have something similar (perhaps better) but not quite like the store bought marshmallows (primarily because gelatin is a protein while the others are carbohydrates and gelatin has a distinct texture and flavor). Experimentation will be necessary to determine just how much agar or pectin to use.
You can purchase kosher or vegetarian "gelatin" which is usually a mix of carageenan and gums.
Example of Kosher Gelatin
-Zak
http://www.tinytrapeze.com/productview3.cfm?categoryID=5
Not sure if vegetable derived gelatin is easily available. I've had this company's regular marshmallows and they are delicious - never had the vegan ones.
Food grade carrageenan has not been shown to be carcinogenic. Degraded or low molecular weight carrageenan is a suspected carcinogen and should not be used in food products. Tests have shown cancer causing properties in both animal and human tissue.
Food grade carrageenan may affect some people by giving them stomach or intenstinal discomfort but is still generally regarded as safe (GRAS).
These are unequal to anything you've ever bought.
My end result is slightly beige-coloured and it's missing the typical fluffiness. Perhaps the mixture caramelized too rapidly? The texture holds the middle between real marshmallows and candy floss.
To top it all off, I managed to get my fingertip covered with melted sugar. It's not my day.
http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/docs/2002/110-6/correspondence.html
Among the most damning data is information that shows that acid hydrolysis in the stomach can degrade the molecular weight of food-grade carrageenan to carcinogenic levels.
In order to make any candy (other than rock candy) you need to prevent recrystallization of your supersaturated sugar solution! Any single grain of sugar that remains in your pot can serve as a nucleus and your cooling liquid will quickly become grainy and slushy!
To avoid this you can add corn syrup (Karo works fine) to your granulated sugar or you can go it the old fashioned way.
You'll need 2 cups of granulated sugar and 1 cup of water, combine in a pot and bring to a boil. Begin swirling the pot gently yet constantly once all of your sugar has dissolved. Resist the temptation to stir! If you see grains of sugar on the side of the pot you can wash these down into the syrup using a food grade brush dipped in cold water. Many recipes recommend constant stirring but often you can wind up with granules of sugar stuck to your spoon.
BTW - if your sugar gets too hot and begins to brown - congratulations you've made caramel! If you want to make soft caramel add 2 TBS butter and 1/2 cup of whipping cream to the brown sugar syrup once you've removed it from the heat (it will bubble like crazy but stir the mixture and it will become silky smooth) - Caramel and marshmallow complement each other well!
Feel free to use the wire whisk attachment - if you have a stand mixer worth its salt you won't get any splatter if you pour in your syrup carefully and you'll get a lot more loft in your marshmallows!
Also - don't forget to experiment with other falorings although vanilla is my fave. You can also roll your marshmallows in a mixture of cornstarch and powdered sugar to keep the sticky-ness down. You can also add cocoa to this mix for chocolately goodness. Or can also choose to get fancy and you can pipe out all sorts of shapes just put the marshmallow goo in a large plastic freezer bag, cutting off a corner, and go to town - make your own peeps, etc.
Good luck (BTW - marshmallows make excellent gifts and people can't get over them)
(Scroll down)
"Lyle's Golden Syrup" is a product from the UK made from sugar cane. The jar says it can be subsituted for corn syrup. It can be purchased at health food stores or Kroger in its international foods section or through numerous websites.
I use balloon whisk to make my marshmallows which is a recipe adapted from Martha Stewart's. The syrup is boiled to soft-ball stage not hard-ball. Using a balloon whisk makes a fluffier (and therefore drier) maarshmallow.
Corn syrup is expensive here so I subsitute with liquid glucose measure for measure. Corn syrup/liquid glucose not only prevents crystalization but makes a creamier marshamallow texture.
Kosher gelatine Kojel will not work. Carageenan and gum arabic behaves differently in recipes like this. It will work for other recipes that does not require whipping time.
The best substitute would be fish based gelatine.
I have not tried Emes. Agar also would not work with marhsmallow recipe.
For a smoother mouthfeel use potato starch and not powdered sugar. Cornstarch maybe used also but best is potato starch/potato flour.
And because I sell this, I want them to keep longer, I do not usebutter. I just sprinkle with LOTS of potato starch is all.
Hope the tips helps.
tank you and a thousand excuses for my bad writing of English
http://www.vegparadise.com/news38.html
Mix together 1 egg white, 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar, 3/4 c. sugar (granulated or powdered both work), 1 tsp. vanilla. Add 1/4 c. boiling water, beat until stiff.
By the way, I was taught to chill bowls & beaters in the freezer before beating eggwhites. Anyone know why?
Is there any sort of guideline of how much water I should use, when substituting solid sugars, instead of syrup?
http://reddingpalm.com/shns/rstory.cfm?pk=MARSHMALLOWS1-02-14-05&cat=DD
I put mini semi=sweet chocolate chips in, at the very end before placing in the tray... also, a little peppermint flavor and coloring for swirls is a great fun activity for kids (and adults)
i remember making marshmallows this way in high school, except using glocose syrup instead of corn syrup without any compromise in taste and texture, and i have since found the two can be used interchangably.
can u tell me where can i get corn syrup.
If you can't get corn syrup at your local supermarket (the most popular brand is Karo in the United States), then you'll need to mention your location and see if someone can help out.
To whoever asked about substituting brown sugar + water for corn syrup - You'll be disappointed in the flavor.
To lori h - Chill the bowls and beaters for whipping cream so the butterfat stays firm. Room temperature for beating eggwhites, and the eggwhites should be at room temp, too. The proteins will expand easier than when cold. When you beat the air in, the proteins become a little wall around each air bubble. You want the proteins to expand so more air bubbles can be encompassed. Also, start the beating at a low speed, so the air bubbles will be small; later in the process you can increase the speed to build up the mass to maximal volume. If you start out beating at high speed, the protein-surrounded air bubbles tend to be large, and a mass of large air bubbles is more likely to collapse than a mass of small air bubbles because each large air bubble has less structural support than a small air bubble does.
To Lazy - It's so nice to hear that someone else remembers the original Campfire marshmallows! Campfire held out for about three years before joining the Jet Puffed generation. Financial reasons, I'm sure, dictated the change; when there's more air and less substance, you can make more marshmallows for less money. I never have figured out why people like those fluffy flavorless puff balls. I moved to Boston and discovered Sunshine marshmallows, which were actually even slightly better than the original Campfire. Unfortunately, these disappeared in 1972 or 1973. I've been reading recipes from other websites for the past hour. I'm so happy to read that you think the marshmallows made from this recipe are very like the Campfire marshmallows. Thank you for reporting that!
Mine came out too dense. Any ideas what I did wrong. I gave it eight minutes in the mixer on high and it had appeared to have stopped increasing in volume, but then it seemed like it fell after I turned the mixer off. Weird huh.
D
1. Regarding the question about dense marshmallows: I'm wondering if perhaps you cooked the sugar to above 250? I know that taffy & toffee use higher temps. (If the recipe included egg whites, I'd say that you might have gotten some fat mixed in but this recipe doesn't include them.)
2. For interest, I tried them without any corn syrup - turned out nicely except that they do continue to harden as days go by - is that due to crystals - which no matter how careful you are when cooking, I imagine are bound to form from the splatter when you mix. Hey, I wonder if that idea of covering the bowl with plastic wrap while mixing might have a dual benefit - melt down the crystals???
3. OK, a question for the scientists: I keep trying to sort of squirt this out of a plastic bag to shape the equivalent of meringue "kisses". But, due to the marshmallow nature, it really doesn't "break" off like meringue would. Any ideas or am I defying the point of the marshmallows in trying to get it thinner? Hmmm, I think I'll go make a batch with egg whites folded in and I'll tell you if that makes a difference - g
my marshmallows have just finished drying and it's time to cut them. i put almond extract, crushed almonds and marischino cherries in them. they're pink and fluffy and gorgeous for the holidays. i've made these before and, if you keep them in an airtight place they'll last about 3 weeks. although that's an estimate because they never last that long due to the nibbling family!
thanks engineers!! :)
To Indiana Guest: Yes I would use the powdered sugar to provide a dry surface for the chocolate to stick to...think of it like when you bread chicken...it works best when you flour the chicken first, right? -g
(Yes, thanks engineers)
All the info on the is fantastic. Love cooking for engineers. It all makes so much sense.
holly.
Holly- If you want to sub Splenda in, I think you'll need a meringue-based recipe. This recipe depends on properties of sugar. With a meringue marshmallow, you could safely replace most of the sugar with splenda (you may need to up the gelatin content to compensate).
--Pilapila
As a chef I have always been fascinated with the science of food as well as the art.
I will be dipping into this site often.
Now off to make the marshmallows as an accompaniment to a chocolate fondu at a family gathering this weekend.
Thanks to everyone for their research and input.
What fun!
http://www.itdg.org/docs/technical_information_service/marshmallows.pdf
Next batch is going to be with added rosewater rather than vanilla and chopped pistachios as a kind of turkish marshmallow delight?
Thanks again, i am not an engineer but I loved the cooking instructions chart. You should give Nigella Lawson a call.
I'm wondering if anyone's tried this for marshmallows...and if I should use these strands ounce for ounce of gelatin..?
I'm so happy to have found this site...and loved the Campfire reference...remembering well that wax paper sheet. Also...there is nothing like a stale Peep....LOL....!
Counting on your expertise....!
Yes! I have tried making chocolate marshmallows, and they are delicious. I used cocoa powder, and it didn't make them too dense or anything. The recipe I like to use for marshmallows in general calls for adding whipped egg whites and vanilla to the fluffed up gelatin/corn syrup mixture, but otherwise it seems to be the same as the one at the top of this page. I added the cocoa powder at the very end, after everything else was mixed in, just in case it caused the marshmallows to stiffen faster (though this didn't seem to happen). I used 1/3 cup cocoa powder, because the box said 2/3 cup was used for a whole batch of brownies, and the marshmallows turned out perfectly. They are already sweet enough that you don't need to add any more sugar to compensate for the cocoa powder's bitterness.
Mint marshmallows (1 tsp. peppermint extract added) and raspberry marshmallows (4 tsp. raspberry extract and a little red food coloring added) have been big hits, too. Food Network has recipes for lemon marshmallows and toasted coconut marshmallows on their website, but I have never tried them.
Hope that helps!
corn syrup in marshmallow recipeis best substituted with liquid glucose. measure for measure.
substitution with brown sugar and water may work in other recipes but corn syrup here is used to prevent crytalization and give the smooth creamy texture tothe marshmallow.
'kojel' will not work. agar won't work either because although they are gelling agents ... remember the mixture needs to be whipped like crazy over some time and kojel is a fast acting gelling agent ... once past the gelling stage it won't re-set. the same with agar. it's like whipping up gelled/set agar - it just won't re-set. that is probably why there are no commercial vegan marshmallows sold. however if Halal is the issue, one can use marine base gelatine and substitute measure for measure.
in other recipes, substituting gelatine with agar or those other subs which contains carageenan or pectin is okay .... like in making panna cotta for instance. where the mixture is just left to set/gel.
i am saying all this based on experience as i have tried all the above.
also, using all sugar without any corn syrup might work but the texture will definitely be different.
i also think it is much better to not butter the pan ... just dust the bottom with LOTS of potato starch or cornflour ... instead of powdered sugar to cut down the sweetness as well as not attract moister as sugar is a humectant ... but potato starch gives a better mouthfeel. then just run a dry but hot knife around the sides and voila the set marshmallow will come of nice and easy. then roll teh cut mallows in the potato starch.
hope that helps.
i sometimes dip mine too. however, i dust my mallows in potato starch. then i put them in a large plastic sieve and throw/tumble them so that the coating is real thin but the cut mallows not sticky. then i just dip these in chocolate and set on wax paper to dry. hope that helps.
sorry, agar won't work. it has to do with the properties of agar and the thickening journey of agar in marshmallow process.
Mix 0.75 cups of powdered cocoa (low fat if possible) which is about 60grams to 0.75 C of hot water. Mix to smooth mixture. Add 3T/1oz/28gm gelatin and 1t vanilla. Set aside.
Boil to soft ball stage (240F) 0.75C water, 3C sugar/600gm and 1.25C corn syrup (about 325gm) and 0.5t salt.
Add to gelatine mixture in a steady stream while whipping at high speed.
Continue till syrup finishes aing and whip till fluffy.
Instead of using powdered sugar/cornstarch/potato starch for dusting use chocolate powder.
Mine came out too dense. Any ideas what I did wrong. I gave it eight minutes in the mixer on high and it had appeared to have stopped increasing in volume, but then it seemed like it fell after I turned the mixer off. Weird huh.
D
My guess is that you boiled the syrup way past the softball stage. Bring the syrup to 240 is enough.
3. OK, a question for the scientists: I keep trying to sort of squirt this out of a plastic bag to shape the equivalent of meringue "kisses". But, due to the marshmallow nature, it really doesn't "break" off like meringue would. Any ideas or am I defying the point of the marshmallows in trying to get it thinner? Hmmm, I think I'll go make a batch with egg whites folded in and I'll tell you if that makes a difference - g
Not a scientist here but marshmallow have gelatine in them. Meringues is just egg whites and sugar. Surely marshmallows won't 'break' like meringues? They are more like jelly. Or am I reading you wrong?
I'm impressed. I have trouble just getting my ducks all lined up.
I can't find any Corn Syrup (I live in Australia)
In the same Asian Market, on my next trip, I found "Instant Agar Gelatin Dessert"...in powder form...unflavored. I'm wondering just how different this is from gelatin and am torn by posts saying Agar Agar won't work...and a few that say it will work. Guess I'll just have to try it and report back.
BTW....I keep marshmallows in the freezer.
Vegetarian Gelling Agents
http://www.vegsoc.org/info/gelling.html
http://www.maryjanesfarm.org/ChillOver/recipes.asp
Once on the site, you can click to the Products section to see pricing and shipping info.
Also, if you can, you might want to get her book, MaryJane's Ideabook, Cookbook, Lifebook for the farmgirl in all of us, from the library or book vendor to see the ChillOver marshmallow recipe in it.
The product is relatively inexpensive and is supposed to be geared to those who do not want to use gelatin.
I haven't purchased the product myself as yet - am saving up to order it and other items on this site. I have read her book, however, I can vouch for its sensible, down-to-earth style covering a variety of subjects. I've tried a couple of non-ChillOver recipes from the book and have been pleased so I think this product is worth a try.
As for me, until I order ChillOver, I will try your recipe and Martha Stewarts. Hope you get a chance to try MaryJane's recipe.
I did follow the instructions, proportions and all (except I substituted the light corn syrup with dark corn syrup), but when I took it out of the fridge after two hours(I needed to go for a family reunion), the big marshmallow piece was still sticky and somewhat wet. Even the bottom (which I had thoroughly dusted) was sticky.
Does this have something to do with the amount of time in the fridge?
Thank you. =)
Does this have something to do with the amount of time in the fridge?
Were the marshmallows sticky before you put them into the fridge? If they had been covered when placed in the refrigerator, I wouldn't be surprised that moisture condensed onto the surface of the marshmallows. These marshmallows do not need to be refrigerated.
Quite a few of them have agar agar powder as the gelatin substitute. There appears to be some dissent here as to whether or not agar actually works and I would really like to know, from the people who say it works, exactly how you get it to work.
Another issue is that one of them has to be particularly careful of her sugar intake, and both of them seem to have issues with high fructose corn syrup; I am not sure what the differences are between high fructose and just corn syrup¿ When they cook for themselves they tend to substitute agave nectar for sugar. Now, I am at least fairly certain that it is impossible to do this recipe without sugar. But do you know how agave nectar might work in place of corn syrup¿
I am not entirely certain why the corn syrup must be used, really. Please forgive my ignorance in the greater science of these things. I hope that some of my questions can be answered in a timely manner, since White Day is only a few days away. Thank you.
Okay! Got it. =) Thanks for the info. I'll try them again and I'll see if they're successful.
By the way: Freaking awesome site!
People were asking about flavored marshmallows. I thought maybe the flavor could be changed according to the liquids used?? The liquid to bloom the gelatin, and/or the liquid to make the sugar syrup?? Has anyone tried this? I saw the cocoa/water reference - maybe cocoa dissolved in hot coffee and allowed to cool for a mocha marshmallow? Liquers for the gelatin? Amaretto, Grand Marnier etc.? Will the heat of the sugar syrup tone down the alcohol (not that there's anything wrong with that!). ;)
As for the mexican colored marshmallows...what about taking out 1/3 and tinting? Then white, tint, white layers in the pan??
So many questions, so little time. Thank you ALL again for an informative and lively site. I'll be back often!
Dextrose is the natural form of glucose (the right-handed or 'dextro' form). It is also called D-glucose.
I'm surprised that it's boiling over. Usually with a mixture of sugar, corn syrup and a tiny bit of water, the mixture just melts and then starts to bubble but the bubbles don't really do a big boil over thing unless additional ingredients are added to the mixture (like making caramel sauce - use a pot twice as big as you think because when the cream is added it froths up big time). In this case, the only advice I can give is to reduce your heat and bring the temperature up slowly...
I got my Vanilla Beans from
Beanilla Trading Company since they have a couple of specials going on. I somehow got my Vanilla Beans in 2 days! Good stuff!
Toodles!
One note about using kosher fish gelatin: Although you can substitute kosher fish gelatin for regular on a 1:1 basis, the actual packet that fish gelatin comes in is twice as large as a regular gelatin packet. So if the recipe calls for 3 packets of gelatin, you only need 1 1/2 packets of fish gelatin.
Simply stir to dissolve (before it comes to a boil). Then leave it alone as it boils.
I feel that low heat takes too long and I lose patience. I usually go with a medium-high heat, but if it's your first time making this, try going with medium until you get a feel for how the mixture will bubble up during boiling and how the boiling slows down after the water is boiled off.
The marshmellow tasted great, just like store bought. I did refer to MC's recipe for rice crispies squares. Someone's suggested recipe for making it without marshmellows was fairly similar to this sweet recipe. That recipe didn't use gelatin. Question for everyone: If I omitted the gelatin when making the marshmellow sauce, how would that affect the squares?
HELP! WIth 5 kids making a good marshmallow, especially in light of bon-fire season beginning and all, is an absolute must!!
It's what the say they miss most about being vegetarian :-(
I was hoping to make them before saturday in honor of our youngest son's 7th birthday.
Any help with actual directions would be GRATELY appreciated!!
Any help would still be abreciated.
Thanks
thats a bug from the desert, cochineal
so i suspect if you want vegan anything, you wouldn't want to use that ingredient...i mean, white is a colour too...
Yes, you pour the melted sugar mixture into the bloomed gelatin -- but you do it slowly and with the mixer running on low. The mixer should be rotating and moving the gelatin while you drizzle (to pour so that a small tiny stream of sugar drips down into the mixing bowl) the sugar. This may take a minute or two as you patiently pour in the sugar. You do not want to just dump the sugar into the gelatin.
2) I used a 2 qt saucepan. When the sugar/Karo/water mixture started bubbling in earnest, I was briefly worried about boil-over, but it just didn't happen.
3) I would like to find a vegan recipe that works. I've found a number of recipes that claim to work, but haven't tried any yet. Comments here are a bit discouraging.
4) The non-vegan recipe here is easy and fun.
5) I'd recommend filling the sink with hot water before starting, so you can run over there and put the sugar-coated implements of destruction in the hot water immediately after you're done using them.
6) I wonder if oil-coating the spatulas would help with stickiness?
Also, the salt is for intensifying the taste of the sugar, right? So not necessary if you don't want that intensifier, I imagine. I wonder if MSG would work (which you can often buy by itself at Asian grocery stores).
Looks like a good idea and I will try the next weekend.
Best regards.
Susan.
I have not given up hope yet.
There are 2 brands of vegan marshmallows that can be purchased, therefore they must be possible!
One is made by Vegan Sweets http://www.veganstore.com/index.html?stocknumber=850
The ingredients are: Non-bone-char processed sugar, corn syrup, vegetable gel (seaweed-derived; NOT Emes brand), soy protein, natural vanilla.
The seaweed-derived gel must be either agar agar or carageenen.
I have eaten these and they are pretty good, although the texture is slightly off. I would still say they are light and fluffy.
The other brand is new and made by Sweet and Sara. These seem somewhat denser, but are still marshmallow-y for the most part. The ingredients are:
Cane sugar, water, corn syrup, acacia, soy protein, carrageen, locust bean gum, vanilla extract, confectioner’s sugar, sea salt
So how did they get these to work??? I would still like to make my own to fine-tune or flavor them differently. Any ideas? Would the soy protein make the difference?
Thanks!!!!
:P
thank you for the recipe..
Oh. I am familiar with using agar-agar, but it shouldn't be used alone in the recipe, or all you get is fluff. I live in Malaysia, and once in a while you can find marshmallows made with fish gelatin (from China). Most of what we get out here is marshmallow pillows with jam or chocolate inside, or they braid pink and yellow marshmallows together, but not white,
A million thanks for the recipe!
Other than that, fabulous recipe. We dusted in cocoa/confectioners sugar, and promptly melted them in cups of hot chocolate!
I think engineers could use a short course in nutrition as part of their degree requirements! :)
Great flavors like strawberry, peppermint and hot cinnamon!
Bagels, I had the same problem with the marshmallows melting when I tried coating them with chocolate. I found that freezing the marshmallows beforehand kept them melting too fast and helped the chocolate to cool quicker. I don't work much with carmel so I don't know but it might work if you want to give it a try.
I'm also worried that they wouldn't hold up in the 175-180 degree chocolate fountain although they will only be dipped and hopefully not marinated in it. :P
So, any wisdom anyone may have on this query would be mucho appriciated!
Thanks
Two or three days at the most. The marshmallows have a distinct "fresh" taste that you're guests will delight in.
To what temperature did you heat the sugar and golden syrup? Also, what altitude are you at?
We not only have to melt the sugar, we need to bring it's temperature up to a level where we can make candy out of it. Sinc eyou don't have a thermometer, a way to tell if your sugar has reached a high enough temperature is to spoon a little of it out and drip it into a container of cold water. The resulting bead of sugar should form a ball that is firm enough that you can't completely flatten it when you squeeze it (but will deform a little when pressure is applied). This is the hard ball stage. Prior to this stage, the sugar may form intoa ball, but flatten as you pull it out with your fingers or not form a ball at all. Once the sugar is at this stage, dribble it into your gelatin. Try this recipe without adding egg whites first before trying a more complicated recipe.
1. the recipe calls for salt; is there areason in the chemical reaction for that? Can it be omitted?
2. I follow all of the directions, including covering the pan for 3 minutes and not stirring afterwards, but the syrup starts forming crystals in the bottom of the jars I put it in after several hours. Why? Is that harmful when I make marshmallows? Can the crystals be avoided? The syrup is clear when I ladle it into the jars.
3. Sometimes there are a few very small white lumps at the bottom of the pan when the syrup is finished cooking. What are they?
Thanks so much for your help!
Which corn syrup substitute recipe are you using? Without that info, I can only guess -
1. salt, as a flavor enhancer, is great at making sweet things taste sweeter (too much salt may make for an odd salty sweet taste though)
2. Sugar (assuming you're using sugar?) naturally forms crystals. We do our best to avoid it and in fact adding come corn syrup to sugar is a good way to avoid getting crystals. No harmful effects, just an undesirable texture
3. Are the lumps sweet or salty? could be either sugar or salt crystals...
I've been making marshmallows for a number of years now with a simpler recipe: another option for coating your marshmallows is to used roasted, ground coconut. This may be higher in fat but decreases the sweetness of the marshmallows.
A rough guide is that coconut should be spread out on a baking tray, placed into a 140°C oven and cooked until it turns a golden brown colour. Stir / flip every 5-10 minutes to ensure even browning. Watch out, it will suddenly start to burn if you don't watch it carefully enough. Not sure how long I cook it for.
You may not be able to get this to work, but a method of lining your pans is to run cold water in them before you pour in the mixture (it's an imperfect method as the water forms drops and can't coat a pan evenly - for obvious reasons). This may sound bizarre but if you are doing the coconut method you don't end up with the extra sugar coating the masrhmallows (for those who think they are sweet enough). They will stick to the pan a bit, but it's not a problem as you can still get them out and the stickyness aids in coconut adsorption.
Don't get me wrong, I like the sugar coated ones too... enjoy!
Says original since 1917.
Thanks for a great and useful website.
Which corn syrup substitute recipe are you using? Without that info, I can only guess -
1. salt, as a flavor enhancer, is great at making sweet things taste sweeter (too much salt may make for an odd salty sweet taste though)
2. Sugar (assuming you're using sugar?) naturally forms crystals. We do our best to avoid it and in fact adding come corn syrup to sugar is a good way to avoid getting crystals. No harmful effects, just an undesirable texture
3. Are the lumps sweet or salty? could be either sugar or salt crystals...
Michael Chu,
Sorry or the delay in my response. The recipe I used for corn syrup substitute is from this site, I believe:
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
pinch salt
Bring to boil, cover for 3 minutes, remove cover and bring to 240 degrees F.
The recipe says it will keep for 2 months, but it forms crystals on the bottom of the jar after only a week or so. Is there a solution to this problem? I don't want to use corn syrup, and this recipe said it could be used in recipes in place of corn syrup. But I'm wary of using it in marshmallows if it has started crystalizing.
Thanks for your help!
Corinne
i've had a few problems trying to get some corn syrup...but finally got it and i'm very glad with the results
they didn't turn out as white as i expected them to be but they taste so good, think it doesn't really matter
thank you so much for the recipe!
This weekend i tried to make marshmallows using 2 egg whites, 2 cups sugar and Agar Agar as a substitute for Gelatin and basically followed the directions above. However I did not bring the sugar up to 250 I just let it dissolve.
My marshmallows came out quite wet. Can anyone give me some tips as to how I can firm up my Marshmallows?
thanks so much,
~Gabie
This weekend i tried to make marshmallows using 2 egg whites, 2 cups sugar and Agar Agar as a substitute for Gelatin and basically followed the directions above. However I did not bring the sugar up to 250 I just let it dissolve.
My marshmallows came out quite wet. Can anyone give me some tips as to how I can firm up my Marshmallows?
thanks so much,
~Gabie
hi gabie
you definitely need to boil the sugar syrup more - i boil mine to 221 celsius. that way, you're boiling off excess water.
cheers
alice
I really appreciate it! I'll let you know how they turn out!
~Gabs
please wright me back asap
i made it for my family and they just loved it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
;) from my sister, :) from my dad, B) from my mum and :D from me!!!
OK, a question for the scientists: I keep trying to sort of squirt this out of a plastic bag to shape the equivalent of meringue "kisses". But, due to the marshmallow nature, it really doesn't "break" off like meringue would. Any ideas or am I defying the point of the marshmallows in trying to get it thinner? Hmmm, I think I'll go make a batch with egg whites folded in and I'll tell you if that makes a difference - g
anonymous wrote:
Not a scientist here but marshmallow have gelatin in them. Meringues is just egg whites and sugar. Surely marshmallows won't 'break' like meringues? They are more like jelly. Or am I reading you wrong?
i believe what she meant was the mix doesn't separate from the tip like a meringue would when piping try using a paring knife or any flat edge surface dipped in starch or powdered sugar to cut the mix from the tip thats how they do it for mass production and pipe directly into the starch or powdered sugar to make handling easier
as for the person who asked about multi colored and flavored marshmallows you would need to make separate batches of marshmallow and using a mold coated in starch or powdered sugar do the outside layer first let it set then insert a piping tip inside with the next layer and so on or you could try piping it in a line in the starch or powdered sugar let it set then wrap the next layer around like a jelly role for example and do that for as many layers as you want then slice into disks either way its will probably be a lot of work
for the person that asked about caramel dipped marshmallows i feel pipping the caramel inside would be a lot nicer and less sticky unless you were going to set up a dipping platter at a party where people could dip their own because transporting them after being dipped would be very difficult
for the record i'm only 23 and i remeber the campfire brand so whats the big deal i don't remember them being that great
I made marshmallows last week after watching Alton Brown's episode on the subject. His recipe was fundamentally the same as described at the beginning of this thread.
I made mine using Sucanat which is an organic, unrefined dehydrated cane juice rather than white sugar.
And rather than corn syrup I used 50/50 honey and grade B maple syrup.
They are perfect but I think the Sucanat imparts too much of it's own very distinct flavor. In future I'll probably use organic Turbinado or other less flavorful sugar.
The reason one needs to add corn syrup is to introduce a sugar other than pure sucrose to prevent re-crystallization. I understand that the introduction of a small amount of cream-of-tartar can prevent re-crystallization as well and I intend to try this an experiment.
The point is any sugar other than pure sucrose added to the mix should prevent re-crystallization. Pure Grade B maple syrup or natural unrefined honey from a local producer both of which have a complex of sugars would probably work all on their own and since I make my own syrup I intent to try this next season. Grade A syrup probably would not.
Just my thoughts.
Mick
The point is any sugar other than pure sucrose added to the mix should prevent re-crystallization. Pure Grade B maple syrup or natural unrefined honey from a local producer both of which have a complex of sugars would probably work all on their own and since I make my own syrup I intent to try this next season. Grade A syrup probably would not.
Just my thoughts.
Mick
hi
i'd guessed that any other syrup should work (i'd thought of golden syrup and rice syrup) - but haven't actually tried them yet! i'm curious about why you say grade A maple syrup probably wouldn't work.
best wishes
alice
another way to prevent this crystallization is to create an invert syrup. to do this, all you need is some lemon juice, or potassium salt of tartaric acid (cream of tartar) and table sugar (sucrose). i'm not sure of the exact ratio, but you can try for yourself by boiling a small amount of sugar and acid, and letting it cool. a proper invert syrup stays liquid at room temperature, and only has a slight acidic taste. in marshmallows, only 10% of the total weight of sugar needs to be an invert syrup. a word of caution, though, more than 10% will result in marshmallows that do not solidify properly.
as far as gelatin substitution, i really dont know how that would work. gelatin is a protein, and marshmallows require a protein to be stretched and partially coagulated around air bubbles to make a suspensoid, or an emulsion of air in a semisolid. agar and other seaweed derived gels are polysaccharide based thickeners, and do not coagulate, or even act like proteins do. so, marshmallows made with these gels will not be nearly as stable as those made with gelatin.
Being the recipe rule follower, I didn’t catch that she makes no mention of when to add the vanilla. Thank God for the internet. I found a version on the Oprah site that mentions when to add the vanilla.
My searches lead me to this site. I'm so grateful to find a site for the analytical type. This is also the first time that I've made any Martha Stewart recipe. Do others have thoughts on missing info and her recipes?
Happy Holidays for Orange County, California
"hi
i'd guessed that any other syrup should work (i'd thought of golden syrup and rice syrup) - but haven't actually tried them yet! i'm curious about why you say grade A maple syrup probably wouldn't work.
best wishes
alice"
Grade A syrup is made earlier in the season and has the smallest complement of the various minerals and such that gives maple syrup its unique flavor and also tends towards pure sucrose so you would probably have the same problem of crystal formation unless you were to add another type of sugar or cream-of-tartar. Grade B syrup on the other hand (possibly Grade A dark amber) comes later in the season and has a more complex assortment of sugars and other stuff. I've used it in fudge and had no problems. Made the smoothest fudge I've ever had.
I will say that it takes quite a bit longer to get to the proper temperature though.
I'm biased towards the darker stuff since I started making my own 25 years ago.
Mick
hi
i live in auckland, nz, and it's very humid here for much of the year. i boil my syrup to 121 celsius, and set the marshmallows to dry for 24 hours in a room which has a dehumidifier set to 50% humidity.
cheers
alice
My first batch of marshmallows is cooling now, and I so hope the smell dissipates before I cut and try them.
So says a person commenting on a marshmallow recipe. I'd hardly call marshmallows "real food".
By the way, that was one of the most offensive comments I've ever read in my life. How dare you undermine the beliefs of others this way. I'm not a vegetarian or vegan (nor am I personally seeking to avoid things that may or may not be carcinogens) but at least I can respect their views.
Compassion is a good quality. I'd suggest you try to garner some.
I had made marshmallow which had egg whites before I found your site. The recipe's steps are almost the same exept including beaten to stiff whites. Mine came out very tasty, but somehow a bit rubberish. Does anybody know what made the marshmellow rubbery? I suspect the gelatine, but I followed the recipe precisely.
Thank you,
Ema5friends@yahoo.com
PS. I am very happy finding your site and very soon will try your marshmellow recipe w/o whites.
I made this yesterday and, since I don't have a stand mixer nor the money to buy one right now, I used my hand mixer. It worked, but it makes the process a lot more fraught with danger. Trying to keep the bowl form moving, use the mixer, and drizzle the hot sugar mixture into the bowl at the same time is not easy.
The marshmallow itself came out fantastic, so the lack of a stand mixer did nothing to harm the outcome of the recipe itself. But if you don't have a stand mixer, I would highly recommend having two people available to do the pouring/mixing/adding of salt and vanilla. Or a great deal of dexterity and *full* attention on what you are doing. One or the other.
i'm very excited about this! that's why i'm using so many exclamation
marks!!!!!
we're making great vegan marshmallows here at angel food, but because they only have a two-week shelf-life, it's difficult to get them far
out of auckland, let alone to the US of A.
so, we've developed a DIY kit so that you can make a batch whenever the need arises.
the kits are NZ$10 including postage to the US. for that, you get the
specialist ingredients (and the recipe) for making about 50 good-sized
marshies. you just need to add sugar, syrup, water, vanilla essence and
starch/coconut (for coating the marshies).
great deal, huh?! you also need a candy thermometer, and a stand mixer is best but a hand-held electric beater will also do the job.
hope you're as excited about this as i am!
cheers
alice
www.angelfood.co.nz (altho the marshie kits are so new that they aren't
up on the web site yet...)
ps the kits won't be available in shops, only by mail order from us.
I used a recipe from james martin (a chef in Britain) Link: http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/577053
instead of using corn syrup use sugar and water boiled up to a syrup also the egg whites are cooked by adding boiling sugar so no problem there. i also used sheet gelatine instead of powder and that recipe wrked brilliantly
I used a hand mixer, so our marshmallows were about half as high as yours (not as fluffy) even though we too used a 9x13 dish, but they're still plenty soft so the fluff wasn't missed. I wouldn't recommend making it with a hand mixer because ours became dangerously overworked toward the end when the sugar started solidifying and the marshmallow fluff got progressively stiffer. The mixer got hot and stopped being able to turn, like an elephant with its foot stuck in a tar pit.
i can find them in the baking section at my local whole foods, but many stores that carry kosher foods will carry a vegan gelatin. just be sure you're not purchasing the fish variety.
check food fight! grocery @ http://store.foodfightgrocery.com/jeldesserts.html -- i'm sure they've got it.
No, just let them rest in the water to bloom.
thanks in advance.
You're going to have to descibe every step that you did...
Feeling slightly stupid at my mixing utensil silliness I ended up with A LOT of delicious marshmallow.
Just goes to show.. if at first you don't succeed, use the proper mixing utensils!!
And now for my main question to any clever food engineers /molecular gatronomists out there.
How could I achieve a product with the texture of marsmallows without using sugar - I though it could be fun to try and create say, a tomato flavoured marshallow?? Any ideas?
I let the syrup mixture get to 260 (from another recipe) and when I poured it in, it just formed a big ball of sugar candy.
Was it too hot? Is there something else I could have done wrong?
Couldn't find it.
But I did find dried, powdered marshmallow root, which I think you could use to make the sap. I haven't tried it yet (yet being the operative word) but you can buy the stuff here:
http://www.herbalremedies.com/marshmallow.html
Be warned, the site is primarily concerned with herbal remedies and health problems, but I see no reason you couldn't use the stuff simply for food reasons. Plus maybe it would help if you had a sore throat.
Maybe I'll serve them at my next cigar and screaming party...
While in the mixer it seemed to be fluffing up just right, then at about 11 - 12 minutes it began to deflate. I turned it off right away, and it was gooeyer than the other batch.
The only things that were different, was this time I didn't stir the corn syrup, sugar mixture (my first recipe omitted that instruction), and it's humid and raining here today.
I'm hoping they'll turn out anyhow, but any ideas why they would begin to deflate. I used Ina's no egg white recipe.
Thanks for any help.
Between not having corn syrup, but finding other recipes with Cream of Tartar, with or without egg whites, and originally trying the recipe with agar, (big failure)
Then it went like this,
recipe as per the one on this website, just added one large tablespoon of light golden syrup in stead of corn syrup.
Added 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar, boiled it up like it says.
Added it to the gelatin, whipped it up, added the salt, and suddenly the mix climbed up the beaters, so had to work fast to get the vanilla in, and on the side had beaten one egg white (2 would work as well) folded those in and voila, the mix tasted delicious, so now we need to see how they set and cut later on, but so far, it's looking good and tasted creamy, not too sweet, vanilla is lovely, and it will remain to be seen what the set texture is like.
Bravo, and keep on keeping on with Marshmallow.
A real simple recipe to put on top of a passionfruit slice is simply disolve 1 dessert spoon of gelatin in 1/2 cup of hot water, beat 1 egg white separately with 1/2 cup of sugar, then slowly add the gelatin solution, mix well, and pour over the slice, allow to set and then sprinkle on toasted grated coconut !
[/b:3c51906850]
You can use any kind of sugar syrup, including agave, or even omit it altogether.
It fluffs within minutes. How is it possible that your sugar hasn't cooled and solidified after so much time? Next time you try it, make sure your beaters are running at a high enough speed - you've got to rally whip it up and the sugar and gelatin will set while in the air resulting in the fluffy texture.
For someone who has never made a sugar solution like that, and has never made anything even remotely close to marshmallows, this was incredibly easy, and the little marshmallows are so cute. I will definitely make this again, soon. I'm making graham crackers at the moment to go with these little treats, and I'm sure my kids will be thrilled.
I should have a post up on my blog about it later today.
http://homemakersguidetothegalaxy.blogspot.com
i think they rolled them in kool aid, not sure but i cannot tell you how good they were....
i have access to mexican "kool aid" great flavors~ mango, pineapple, strawberry... how do you think this would turn out?
also... a few years ago a lady gave me a piece of home made marshmallow with a home made caramel on the inside, anyone have any ideas how to make any of these?
THANKS
Thank you very much. :)
2. Sometimes my marshmallows are rubbery and I can't figure out why. Some recipes say to "bloom" the gelatin for 10 minutes, and others say 30 minutes to an hour. There are also variations in how much gelatin to use...would this cause rubber marshmallows? Or is it related to the temperature of the syrup or the beating time?
Thanks!
In the sugar mixture at the beginning, add a packet of hot chocolate mix for chocolate flavor marshmellows. Turns the sugar an awful brown, and you might worry about the result looking too...unedible. Nonetheless, it works fine, the resulting confection is a light tan. I also added a 1/4 tsp of Peppermint extract at the end for Chocolate Mint Marshmellows!
The timing on this is accurate, but can be messed with. I stirred the sugar mix regularly on low heat, and had it bolied & hot, ready to mix in at the 10 minute mark, just as the Gelatine was bloomed and ready.
No powdered sugar? Blend 2 cups of regular sugar in your blender, giving it a firm shake every couple of seconds. Instant powdered sugar!
Finally, I put the contents in a plastic bag, cut a corner, and squeezed out tubes of marshmellow onto sheets dusted with powdered sugar. Work fast, as the marshmellow confection reaches room temperature, it starts to harden, and make a HUGE mess. I must have thrown away 20% due to it sticking to various implements you work with. (OK, OK, I ate most of it off, but it was still tough to clean!)
We are sold through many retail and online stores. For more information and retailers near you check out our website at www.sweetandsara.com
I imagine you could add some instant coffee to get coffee-marshmallows or orange/lemon extract and zest or any other number of things as well.
In any case, this is a good base recipe and a lot of fun.
Subject: Very nice - I added mint as well to half the recipe
"I imagine you could add some instant coffee to get coffee"
I made a similar recipe and I bloomed the gelatin in cold drip brewed coffee.
Hello there..great site! Have a query regarding the gelatine though - we don't have Knox in the UK. We use Super Cook beef gelatine instead (which totals to 70 grams per 6 sachets in the box). How many grams does the 3 Knox gelatine equals to any idea please? So i can just probably substitute..maybe? Thanks!
Hello there..great site! Have a query regarding the gelatine though - we don't have Knox in the UK. We use Super Cook beef gelatine instead (which totals to 70 grams per 6 sachets in the box). How many grams does the 3 Knox gelatine equals to any idea please? So i can just probably substitute..maybe? Thanks!
I believe one envelope of Knox gelatin is about 7 grams. Two of your satchels should be roughly the same.
This is the first time I've encountered this website. I am amazed and delighted. I was just wondering how one would make homemade marshmallows and now I have to try to do it myself. Thanks
Soaking the bowls in hot water for a few minutes should dissolve the sugar and gelatin mixture stuck to it. Then just wash normally.
60 ml water
pinch of cream of tartar
255 gr. granulated sugar
255 gr. light corn syrup (I used GMO free glucose)
1/2 vanilla bean
85 gr. egg whites (3 eggs at room temperature)
5 gr. xanthan gum
Ground xanthan gum with a Tbls of sugar. Set Aside. Heat water, cream of tartar, remaining sugar, corn syrup, and vanilla to 120 degrees celsius (248 degrees F) Discard vanilla bean. Whisk egg whites for about 2 minutes until still soft. Continue whipping egg whites at slow speed while adding syrup slowly. Sprinkle xanthan mix while still whipping. Turn speed up and continue mixing for 2-3 minutes or until meringue pulls away from sides. Sprinkle a pan or baking sheet with corn starch and spread out the meringue. Sprinkle top with cornstarch, cover with plastic and leave to set 4 hours in refrigerator. Cut marshmallows in desired shapes and dip surfaces in corn starch (preferably GMO free). I doubled this recipe and layed it into a half sheet pan and it worked out beautifully.
Enjoy!
You need at least electric hand held beaters but better still a sturdy cake mixer.
The point most of us (egg free eaters) have been over-looking until now is that you need to beat up a fluffy mixture into which to pour the hot jell mixture. Then it's a matter of beating it in a cake mixer for 10 minutes until nice and...well, marshmallowy
A fluffy mixture can be produced by using soy protein isolate.
My recipe can be found at
http://www.meatandeggfree.com/agar-marshmallows.html
So approximately 1g gelatin: 1 Jel Dessert.
I did not cook for one minute or until hard ball. I was aiming for soft ball and got something inbetween soft ball and hard ball as I was trying to mix the gelatin with water at the same time. I took the advice of a previous writer and attempted to whip the Jel before adding the syrup. It did not whip. I did not use cold water as the package suggested that cold water made it lump. But hot water also made it lump.
I mixed for probably 1/2 hour at high speed on a hand-held mixer. It didn't seem to be fluffing more, but it wasn't very fluffy. It did become quite white and reminded me of the fondant I made once - in color not consistancy. It also tastes a little acidic as the Jel has acids in it - surprising yet pleasant.
I'm waiting to see how it sets, but at this point I believe that I have achieved Marshmallow Creme.
This is the recipe I have always used, with great success:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/CHRISTMAS-MARSHMALLOWS-50012067
I use the balloon whisk without issue, though the addition of beaten egg whites changes the consistency from taffy-like thick candy to fluffy mallow and I'm sure that makes a big difference in my experience.
There's truly nothing like a home-made mallow!!
If you're hosting a part and want the classic hot chocolate with a mallow on top, I recommend Nestle's Abuelita hot chocolate. It's a spiced hot cocoa that comes in blocks you must grind up then blend with hot milk to make, but it's worth the work if you've already invested the time in mallows!
I've even considered buying a snowflake cookie cutter and make mallow-snowflakes to float on the top of a mug! Dip cutter in hot water, then cut mallow and dredge in sugar mix. Lots of work, but serious wow factor!
I recommend using honey as corn syrup substitute!
i have also thought about doing the same with orange oil and orange food coloring :)
'm afraid they may just be too difficult to bother with.
I mainly wanted to comment that I can't believe the number of people who post that they didn't follow the recipe AT ALL and want to know why theirs didn't turn out. Ummm, try following the recipe?!
This is a great recipe and I'm glad to find people who like to know some of the science behind cooking!
Has anyone had any experience making this recipe using "real" corn syrup? I'm guessing that if others are using honey as a replacement, then this corn syrup should ultimately work, but I guess I'm concerned about the color.
I used a hand mixer and the marshmallows came out somewhat light in density but not at all airy.
They melted quite nicely in hot cocoa, fwiw.
Thanks for sharing.
I think I will try maple syrup next. I will also try rolling in potato starch. I also liked the cinnamon sugar idea.
I have a food allergy to corn so I do not want to use corn syrup. In addition, most icing sugar has cornstarch in it.
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup water
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
pinch of salt
Combine all ingredients in a heavy, large pan. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and put cover on for 3 min (to removed any sugar crystals on the sides of the pan). Remove the lid and cook until it reaches soft ball stage.
Cool, and store in a covered container at room temperature. Keeps for 2 months or so. Makes about 2 cups.
*I usually halve this recipe - works fine.
*Do NOT refrigerate. Trust me...
*Any granulated sugar should work, but I prefer raw caster sugar. I would not use brown sugar.
*Recommend a candy thermometer, but I've done without one too and it's still OK.
Some things that we learned that you may find helpful: Chilling the bowl and whisk helps. Once the syrup hits the right temperature, it can cool for several minutes before being added to the bowl of egg whites. We stirred in chopped maraschino cherries (juicy, not blotted) and finely chopped chocolate before we blobbed the lot of it onto parchment to cool and set.
Probably the best trick we learned was how to release the marshmallow from the parchment. On day two, get a second piece of parchment and dust it with confectioners sugar. Flip the marshmallow over onto the new parchment, so you have a dusted parchment layer on the bottom, then the marshmallow layer, and on top you have the parchment that the marshmallow is stuck to. Then get a damp, but not dripping kitchen towel and lay it across the top parchment. Check on it in about 10 minutes. The moisture penetrates just enough to dissolve the layer of candy holding fast to the parchment, and you can peel the paper away easily. Once released, then dust the exposed surface with confectioners sugar. We then used cookie cutters to make shapes which we then paired with like-shaped shortbread and drizzled with chocolate to make "S'mores."
Hope you guys find this helpful.
Based on all I'm reading, no one else encountered these problems. I felt as though I could actually taste the Knox gelatin or something - it was just an odd taste I couldn't figure out.
Any suggestions are definitely welcome!!
Can you make fondant out of this recipe?
Can you make fondant out of this recipe?
Although similar, fondant is a bit different. I'm assuming you want to make a fondant that you can roll into a sheet and enrobe a cake with. In most cases, the sugar isn't even cooked. Recipes typically call for the use of confectioners sugar (which is powdered and contains some corn starch) which is mixed into the gelatin with water being added if the mixture is too dry to roll into a ball.
For the most part, 2/3 c. syrup makes the marshmallows way too sweet for my tastes. I aim for between 1/3 and 1/2, depending on the sweetness of the other ingredients stirred in/substituted. One batch was hand-beaten because my electric mixer broke the night before. It turned out denser than the others, but not bad. There has been quite a variety in height/fluffiness in general, which I'm going to guess can be attributed to my estimated boiling times. Next few batches, I plan to use my cooking thermometer to track how hot I get the sugar syrup.
Thanks for the recipe!
If I'm understanding your question properly, then I believe you can cut the resting time out for making crispy treats. In fact, there might be a way to cut down on the whipping/mixing time since you don't need them to hold that much air.
Recipes for marshmallows require resting time so they set and can be eaten while at room temperature.
I am having issues getting the mixture to fluff while I'm mixing it. I am wondering if the temp. wasn't right. It took almost 45 min. to get anything near fluffy. Could this be because it might be too hot or too cold?
I also used veggie gelatin, could this be part of the issue? Does it act the same way as regular gelatin?
As for substituting pectin, DO NOT DO IT! Bad idea. 1. It doesn't thicken at all like gelatin does (I have made them non vegan a couple years ago and they turned out fine). 2. It would only be good if you like citrus flavored marshmallows. I got just regular fruit pectin and the mixture tasted like lemon.
I've used agar to replace gelatin in Bavarois with only the difference in heating/melting. I buy agar (Telephone brand) from asian markets, mostly available in small packets 4 Tablespoons each. NOW brand from health food stores isn't a reliable strength. Make sure the Agar you buy is intended for food use and be aware that there are different jelling strengths. It is usually used in the same amounts as Knox gelatin.
Use Golden Syrup if you can find/afford it!!!! In the U.S. it is very expensive. I used 1/4 cup golden syrup with 2/3 cup corn/Karo syrup....unbelievably fantastic. Food Blogger Mowielicious used only golden syrup, recipe is on his site.
Marshmallows need to rest so the structure can solidify/set. I've also learned to keep whisking until the mixture is lukewarm and my KitchenAid starts to change pitch ever so little. Just whisking until light and the whisk leaves trails will not set the marshmallow enough to keep its shape cut.
help me plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
http://veganmarshmallows.blogspot.com/2009/04/vegan-marshmallow-recipe.html
here's the ingredients:
5T soy protein isolate 90% (available at many health food stores)
2t Baking Powder
1/4t guar gum
3/4C cold water
1.5C raw sugar
1C light corn syrup
1/2C water
1T Genutine Vegetarian Gelatin
2t vanilla extract
guar gum - readily available - see Bob' Red Mill stuff
soy protein isolate - the internet is teeming with sources
raw sugar - use regular granulated sugar if you can't find this
the veg gelatin you have.
I can't provide a recipe, but I did experiment with making marshmallows with Agave Syrup, which has a low glycemic index. It worked well except that it was *super* sweet. Perhaps you can investigate mixing it with another kind of syrup replacement that has a low glycemic index. It is important that the syrup have the same properties as sugar (changing elasticity when heated) in order to give the marshmallow its texture. But I'm convinced this is possible with some playing around.
You can add a squirt of lemon juice to your sugar syrup as a substitute to prevent crystallizing.
This how it turned out for me.
http://kacookbook.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/systematic-review-of-marshallows.html
BTW love the tables at the bottom with timings.
the structure of sugar is modified by temperature - using sugar+corn syrup+water mixed together at room temp will not work out.
the structure of sugar is modified by temperature - using sugar+corn syrup+water mixed together at room temp will not work out.
What kind of sugar are you using? Is it the white or the brown? Also, how about muscovado, is it recommended to use?