Homemade Marshmallows: Recipes & Tips (Part 2)

[Desiderio]

Do vegan eat milk or derivates?If yes maybe Hyfoama, wybauw uses it in his book to make frappe a fluffy thing that he uses in chocolates etc.

I dont know maybe we can find something similar to use.

I just finished my batch of creme de menthe marshmallow I used some peppermint oil as well,its resting in the pan I will see tomorrow , my idea is to dip them in chocolate ( actually my husband requests ).Will report results.

[Desiderio]

I'd love to make these for a gift for some vegan friends, but sadly, Emes Kosher Gelatin is no longer considered to be vegan.  Well, Emes says it is, but they're the only ones.  Apparently, chemical analysis reveals that there's too much protien for it to be only what it is advertised to be and it reacts too similarly to animal-based gelatin.  Which, I suppose, explains why it works so well.  So now, I am at a loss as to what to try, given the lack of success in this thread with agar.  But what about pectin?  It doesn't look like anyone has tried that yet.  Is it worth trying, or is it too dissimilar from gelatin?

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Try to find some site with few indications, this site sells vegan marshmallows , check the ingredients , agar agar and carrageenan.

http://www.veganessentials.com/catalog/veg...arshmallows.htm

https://secure15.nexternal.com/shared/Store...ount2=826041817

[Sunny Simmons Steincamp]

nice marshmallows sss!  it could be that you just put too much water in with the sugar when cooking the syurp.  the temperature is an indication of how much water is left in the solution...less water=higher temperature.

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Ooooh. Ok, I'll try using a little less. I was actually wondering if too much of the water evaporated out, since it took so long, causing the syrup to be too thick or something. I'm less than well-versed in the chemistry of candy-making, as you can probably tell.

Thanks for the tip! I can't wait to play with more of these variations...

[plk]

from what i understand, pectin needs heat and an acid to cause it to set.

you might be better off making pate de fruit (fruit pastes or fruit jellies) for your friends rather than messing around with marshmallows.  they are fun, but i don't know how well pectin would work.

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Ah. I was thinking that either the acid in the fruit puree would be enough or that I could add lemon juice or other acid at that point. But if it won't even fluff, then there's no point.

i was making what i thought were vegan marshies using emes... and then i spent months trying to come up with an alternative. with the aid of a food technologist, i did. sorry, i can't give away my hard-won recipe, but i can tell you that fluffiness is the difficult part to replicate. i didn't try pectin, but i'm sure it won't create fluff.

cheers

alice

That's helpful to know that it's more complicated than simply substituting agar and likely needs more than one gelling agent.

Do vegan eat milk or derivates?If yes maybe Hyfoama, wybauw uses it in his book to make frappe  a fluffy thing that he uses in chocolates etc.

I dont know maybe we can find  something similar to use.

No, vegetarians eat eat milk derivatives, but not vegans. They're the most strict and avoid eating or using any animal products at all. So I consider it a personal challenge to make something entirely unexpected that they can eat.

Checking the ingredients on commercial vegan marshmallows was a good idea. These are what seem to be the main gelling agents: acacia, soy protein, carrageenan, locust bean gum. Now, acacia is gum arabic, and I recognize carrageenan as a seaweed extract, and locust bean gum, but I'm not sure what soy protien is or at what point it would be added -- to the puree at the beginning or to the fluff at the end? Probably the beginning, unless the heat from the sugar would be problematic. I think it must be an important ingredient, given that natural gelatin has a significant protien content.

Well, I will report back with results. How soon depends on when I can get my hands on these various gel subsitutes.

ETA: I just had another idea. Flax seed, when powdered and then boiled in water, becomes clear and gummy -- almost like an egg white. Only fresh reacts this way IME -- pre-toasted doesn't work. I wonder if when cooled somewhat, it would fluff? It does contribute a "nutty" flavor, so that has to be taken into account.

Edited December 11, 2006 by plk (log)

[Desiderio]

Here they are my creme de menthe chocolate covered marhsmallows, my husband will be happy

Edited December 11, 2006 by Desiderio (log)

[alanamoana]

...but I'm not sure what soy protien is or at what point it would be added -- to the puree at the beginning or to the fluff at the end?  Probably the beginning, unless the heat from the sugar would be problematic.  I think it must be an important ingredient, given that natural gelatin has a significant protien content.

...

ETA: I just had another idea.  Flax seed, when powdered and then boiled in water, becomes clear and gummy -- almost like an egg white.  Only fresh reacts this way IME -- pre-toasted doesn't work.  I wonder if when cooled somewhat, it would fluff? It does contribute a "nutty" flavor, so that has to be taken into account.

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some marshmallow recipes are made using egg whites almost like an italian meringue base. i have a feeling the soy protein is used to imitate the egg whites in a vegan version. maybe it helps fluff?! don't know which products will allow for aeration.

good luck and let us know how it goes.

[apronstrings]

http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/1164394683/gallery_46284_3749_13680.jpg[/img

So here's the late post from my Thanksgiving strawberry marshmallows. I used Nightscotsman's trusty recipe ( the third time, too --I've also had success with the chocolate ones!). Dipped each corner in dark chocolate and sprinkled with pulverized freeze dried strawberries. Sorry you can't see the lovely pinkness of the confection, and I hope you can imagine how lovely their color was. Oh, the other dessert is Martha's high Hat cupcakes, miniaturized. Another wowee recipe.

[plk]

Okay, results: I tried two batches -- one regular strawberry and one vegan raspberry, using flax goo as the gelling agent in the vegan batch. I tried the flax alone, rather than including other gel substitutes, because 1) I had it on hand and 2) I wanted to rule it out as a possible solution in itself.

The regular ones turned out perfectly -- very airy; just as expected. The flax gel, before whipping it, looks and feels exactly like snot. After whipping, it increased in volume and foamed, but only by about 1.5x original volume. It does retain the gelatinous texture, even after being combined with the raspberry puree. After adding the superheated sugar syrup, it did seem to increase a bit more, but the flax gel did not set the air bubbles. I poured it out on to an oiled half sheet, but it barely covered the whole bottom at approximately the same thickness of the original puree, so I moved the aluminum foil up so that it would only cover half of the half-sheet. It's very sticky, but it doesn't look like it will harden up. Even if it does, it will be more of a slightly foamy fruit gel than a marshmallow.

Discussion: Boiled flax meal may help set up marshmallow batter, but it will by no means do it alone. This definitely calls for something much stronger.

[Desiderio]

What about agar agar as teh industrial version that uses carrageen as well ?Its worth a try.You can find agar agar almost in every health store ( vitamine cottage , wild oats and probably whole foods I think )

[plk]

Still on the vegan marshmallow quest -- I noticed today my local grocery carries acacia powder and tragacanth gum (powdered), so I picked up two ounces of acacia and one ounce of tragacanth gum. They did not, unfortunately, have any agar agar or carrageen. Any advice on how to use these two gums as a substitute for gelatin?

[JLam]

I was wondering about citrus flavored marshmallows, like lemon or lime.

Do you think it would be OK to add lime or lemon juice to the water and gelatin at the beginning of the recipe (in place of the vanilla)? Or would the acid screw things up?

[Sararwelch]

I was wondering about citrus flavored marshmallows, like lemon or lime. 

Do you think it would be OK to add lime or lemon juice to the water and gelatin at the beginning of the recipe (in place of the vanilla)?  Or would the acid screw things up?

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I was thinking that an extract or citrus oil might work best, but I haven't tried it yet. I made Ina Garten's toasted coconut marshmallows last week and they turned out great.

[Mette]

I was wondering about citrus flavored marshmallows, like lemon or lime. 

Do you think it would be OK to add lime or lemon juice to the water and gelatin at the beginning of the recipe (in place of the vanilla)?  Or would the acid screw things up?

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I did a lemon batch a while back (see this post for substitutions). They were excellent. I think grapefruit would work really well, too. Never got round to orange

The acid has not been a problem

have fun

[McAuliflower]

I was wondering if its possible use some kinda of liquor ( under 30 ) in marshmallow batter.Would that prevent the batter from setting?

I've made bourbon marshmallows with success.

I've also replaced part of the corn syrup with honey successfully too.

Do you think it would be OK to add lime or lemon juice to the water and gelatin at the beginning of the recipe (in place of the vanilla)? Or would the acid screw things up?

I've tended to add my flavors (alcohols, essential oils, extracts) at the end of the recipe- after the solution is whipped up and fluffy. Partly because I haven't wanted them exposed to heat. Purees I add as the recipe directs.

I've made lovely lemon marshmallows (for use as the tamago in my dessert sushi). A lemon poppyseed marshmallow is fun to make as well.

[Joni]

Here they are my creme de menthe chocolate covered marhsmallows, my husband will be happy

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[Desiderio]

Here they are my creme de menthe chocolate covered marhsmallows, my husband will be happy

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How much creme de menthe did you add? And when did you add it? Love the picture! Oh..and how did you get them coated so well with the chocolate???!!

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[miladyinsanity]

What about agar agar as teh industrial version that uses carrageen as well ?Its worth a try.You can find agar agar almost in every health store ( vitamine cottage , wild oats  and probably whole foods I think )

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I don't know about carrageenan, but I am very sure someone tried Agar-agar already.

I think it was Pam R, because kosher gelatin's hard to find or was HTF, and it wasn't successful--read the earlier pages to find out more.

[Pam R]

I did try it - a few times and agar didn't work for me. If somebody else can make it work - let me know how!

[plk]

I've read that you have to actually simmer the water-agar solution for 5-10 minutes, not just mix with water.

Aha, here's a recipe that claims success: http://www.recipezaar.com/78524

The relevant comments are on the right-hand column, not in the recipe itself: "You need to soften the agar in cold water and then cook it (simmer) for about 10 minutes for flakes, 5 minutes for powder. The resulting liquid should be clear."

I imagine the acacia powder should be treated in the same way?

[miladyinsanity]

Agar-agar does need to be heated/boiled (can't remember the exact temp) or it won't set.

If you boil it for 5-10 minutes, I do know you'll make a very very hard jelly.

[plk]

The vegan marshmallows were a bust. I boiled agar agar, acacia powder, and tragacanth gum together until very thick and gelatinous. I tried adding it at the beginning with the strawberry puree, and then when I could tell that wasn't going to get beyond a foamy gel, and certainly nowhere near the appearance of the normal fluff, added more after the sugar had been incorporated. That seemed to thicken it slightly, but it didn't fluff up no matter how long the mixer ran. So, no idea how the commercial vegan marshmallow makers do it.

[foodie3]

I was wondering about citrus flavored marshmallows, like lemon or lime. 

Do you think it would be OK to add lime or lemon juice to the water and gelatin at the beginning of the recipe (in place of the vanilla)?  Or would the acid screw things up?

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I did a lemon batch a while back (see this post for substitutions). They were excellent. I think grapefruit would work really well, too. Never got round to orange

The acid has not been a problem

have fun

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thank you, mette!

i just made a batch with lemon juice, very pleasant flavor and a nice light texture.

[Kerry Beal]

The vegan marshmallows were a bust.  I boiled agar agar, acacia powder, and tragacanth gum together until very thick and gelatinous. I tried adding it at the beginning with the strawberry puree, and then when I could tell that wasn't going to get beyond a foamy gel, and certainly nowhere near the appearance of the normal fluff, added more after the sugar had been incorporated.  That seemed to thicken it slightly, but it didn't fluff up no matter how long the mixer ran.  So, no idea how the commercial vegan marshmallow makers do it.

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I'm going to post a marshmallow recipe here from a candy formulary book with paraphrased directions. It should be suitable for a vegan diet, but I'm not quite sure where you get soy albumin. You might want to scale down a bit.

Agar-agar 1.75 lbs

water 80 lbs

sugar 50 lbs

corn syrup 25 lbs

invert sugar (nulomoline) 25 lbs

soy albumin 1.5 lbs

flavour to suit

soak agar in all of water for 1 hour or longer. place in pot and bring to a boil. add sugar, corn syrup and invert sugar and cook to 222 F. Cool to 180 F.

place in beater, add soy albumin and beat until light. Spread out as for regular marshmallow, sprinkle with sugar or dessicated coconut, cut when firm and roll in more sugar or coconut.

[plk]

Wow, thanks! The soy albumin must be what is crypically referred to as "soy protien" on the marshmallows sold through veganessentials. Also, I bet that boiling the agar and sugar together rather than separately, as I had been doing it, makes a difference.

[McAuliflower]

This Christmas I made a Marshmallow Tasting Kit composed of four flavors: Peppermint Swirl, Lemon Ginger, Black Sesame, and Green Tea with Azuki Bean. This kit afforded the opportunity to use some souvenir pastes from my trip to Japan this summer. It also served as a good opportunity to solidify my marshmallow flavoring techniques using the much loved Nightscotsman marshmallow recipe.

Peppermint Swirls

Flavoring: I used peppermint essential oil to flavor this batch. Making a half batch of the Nightscotsman recipe, I added two drops of oil at minute 7 of the whip up step. I stopped the mixer one minute later to taste, and added one more drop.

Coloring: Making the peppermint swirl marshmallows was my first experience swirling in food coloring, a technique I've seen here in this thread. I simply dotted on several applications of food coloring to the top surface of the just poured marshmallows and swirled immediately with a toothpick. The swirls exhibit themselves beautifully through the final dusting of the marshmallows- I was pleasantly surprised by this.

Spoons: I also discovered a fun gift making idea with this batch when cleaning up the bowl after pouring the marshmallows: making Peppermint Spoons. Scooping up the fresh remnants of the fluff into cute little teaspoons creates a flavored stir in that could be gifted to flavor coffee, tea, or hot chocolates.

Lemon Ginger Clouds

Flavoring: I added a yolk sized nob of ground up crystallized ginger to the bowl before the hot sugar solution was added. This would allow a touch of heat contact to help bloom the flavor. The small chunks of ginger didn't inhibit the volume of the marshmallows. Like the peppermint swirls, I also used essential oil, lemon, added before the whipping was done. This allowed me to add more lemon as needed towards the end of the beating. These marshmallows are extremely attractive to the mouth. I think spooning the fluff, especially if it had double the flavoring, could create a instant tea effect with the spoon swirled through hot water.

Coloring: I double colored this batch, with yellow added at minute 8 of beating, and also swirling in additional yellow drops in the manner of coloring the peppermint swirls.

Black Sesame

Flavoring and Coloring: in Japan I picked up a small jar of smooth ground black sesame paste. Remembering cautions in this thread about the presence of fat inhibiting the volume of the marshmallow mixture, I didn't add this paste until the very end of the process. The swirl technique used to color the peppermints, adds color to just the top layer of the marshmallow. I wanted the sesame paste to be present deeper in the marshmallow, so I poured half of the marshmallow fluff, unflavored, into the prepared pan, poured the heated contents of the black sesame paste jar over the marshmallow and then poured the rest of the fluff on top. Having the sesame paste heated allowed it to flow out easily. I then vigorously swirled the layers with a knife, bringing the black layering up to the top of the marshmallow.

The aesthetics of the black marshmallows add a nice contrast to the other more traditional colors. They strike me as coloring suitable for Halloween adventures... kind of cadaverish.

The flavor is wonderful- with the black sesame paste coming through nicely in this sweet context. In fact it seems to strike most people as tasting like peanut butter.

Green Tea with Azuki Bean Paste

Flavoring: This flavor set was to indulge my memories of Japanese treats, and help show the ever present flavor pairing of green tea with azuki bean to my family. This was a double batch of marshmallows, with a layer of green tea poured first and topped with the azuki bean layer. To flavor the tea layer I added about two teaspoons of matcha to a half batch of marshmallows between minutes 6 and 8 of whipping. I also added matcha powder to the marshmallow dusting powder.

The azuki bean layer was flavored with a jar of bean paste. I doubled the recipe amount quoted for fruit puree with no ill affect to the marshmallow volume. The bean paste delicately blushed the marshmallow mix and subtly flavored the fluff with a malty toasted flavor. Even with the doubling, this flavor was very quiet. The green tea flavor comes through very well.

Once again, an amazing recipe that is quite open to alterations and additions!