How to flavor marshmallows?

[JeanneCake]

We have used the Nightscotsman's marshmallow recipe for years; I've scaled it up and down for full sheets, half sheets, etc.  I've made strawberry, raspberry and passionfruit by using puree in place of the water.

 

Amoretti is having their black friday sale, which is pretty much the only time I can afford to buy this stuff so I'm anticipating what I need for the coming year and buying accordingly (compounds mostly).  I'm curious about how to flavor marshmallows and want to ask:  should I be looking at water soluble extracts to add to the mix?  How are marshmallow places making flavors like Irish Cream, Peppermint, tiramisu, bourbon.....?  Years ago, I tried adding gel food color to the marshmallows as they whipped and it collapsed and the mallows were very dense.  So I'm wondering if marshmallow shops are adding oil based or water based flavoring extracts to make their flavors.  Or should I be using a different recipe entirely?  We make  marshmallows into squares for smores bars, piped into bouchon molds to make striped marshmallows   and of course you might remember my brief foray into stuffed marshmallows during the pandemic which I loved making but not enrobing ;)!

 

The sale, if you're curious, is on until Nov 30.  Any advice about the extracts is appreciated!

 

 

[Jim D.]

Thanks for the info about the sale.  I use the Artisan Natural flavors and like (most of) them very much.  They add a real flavor punch without adding a lot of extra liquid (important for ganaches, caramel, etc.).  Specifically I use the strawberry, raspberry, passion fruit, mango, probably others I can't recall now.  I add those flavors to the water used to dissolve the gelatin for marshmallows and also to make the syrup.  Some flavors fade as the marshmallows are beaten, and all colors I have tried have also faded.  For items like vanilla, I add it toward the end of the beating or it too fades to some extent (but not too close to the end or the marshmallow thins out).  I use a lot of flavoring for marshmallows because of the fading issue and also because I can't stand the smell and taste of gelatin.  I have never had too much flavoring in the marshmallow I have made.  Passion fruit and coffee have been the favorites with customers.

[Chef Lucas]

On 11/25/2021 at 9:50 AM, JeanneCake said:

I'm curious about how to flavor marshmallows and want to ask:  should I be looking at water soluble extracts to add to the mix?  How are marshmallow places making flavors like Irish Cream, Peppermint, tiramisu, bourbon.....?  Years ago, I tried adding gel food color to the marshmallows as they whipped and it collapsed and the mallows were very dense.  So I'm wondering if marshmallow shops are adding oil based or water based flavoring extracts to make their flavors. 

 

Regarding flavor, I use any kind of good quality extract (jasmine, mint, vanilla, etc). You don't want to add too much water so you want to buy a brand that allows you to get the essence with just few dops.

For your coloring issue, I'm very surprise. I've been doing marshmallows for years now and never had any issue when using gel colouring. Are you sure it doesn't collapse when you don't use colouring (in other words, isn't your recipe that causes the issue ?) ?