Homemade Marshmallows: Recipes & Tips (Part 1)

[chefmoni]

thanks!! if you want the recipe i devised, you can find it on www.gildedfork.com

enjoy!!

Ok so I experimented this weekend and made several batches of Champagne marshmallows, and they came out wonderfully!!  I used nightscotman's recipe as a base, but altered it a bunch! 

the champagne doesn't set as well as using all water, so i had to decrease the total amount of liquid in the recipe by a 1/2 cup.  but i used Champagne in both parts of the recipe -- blooming the gelatin and making the sugar syrup.  i also added some vanilla paste,to the second batch, which was a great compliment to the Champagne.  finally, i used onyl 2 cups of sugar since Champagne already has a sweetness to it.

YUM-O!!  they definitely tasted like Champagne! sorry I don't have any photos to post, but they look just like regular white marshmallows since the color is not altered.  although, i wonder if they would be pink with rose Champagne....now that's another experiment.

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I'm glad you reported back with your results chefmoni... these sounds wonderful. Now I'm struck with the insane urge to make more marshmallows *right now*!

I have a bottles of cassis and framboise lambic in the cooler begging to be marshmallow-fied!

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[natasha1270]

Me again. We finished all the vanilla marshmallows so fast, I've already made another batch and also tried my luck with peppermint.

To the full recipe: 1 tsp vanilla & 1/2 tsp peppermint extract (star kay brand). Folded in about 5-6 drops of gel coloring at the last. Very nice but I was tentative with the peppermint and will put a little more in next time. On their own, they were fine but in a mug of cocoa the peppermint is a bit faint for me.

vanilla-peppermint marshmallows:

enjoy!

N.

[CanadianBakin']

You marshmallows look beautiful! I haven't tried adding colour but you've inspired me. Did you fold by hand or do you think I could just add a few drops to the mixer on low when I think they're done whipping?

[natasha1270]

Thank you! I folded the coloring in by hand using a very lightly oiled spatula because I wanted to make sure the swirls were distributed throughout but I suppose with the mixer on very slow you could simply add the coloring at the end. There were a few sections where the gel did not mix at all and I had a tiny bit of separation. A small pitfall of being a bit too cautious, I suppose.

The flavoring aspect is very alluring. The other day, I found myself in the baking aisle eyeing the clove, star anise, almond and ginger extracts and thinking of marshmallows. Then I went to the coffee section and the flavored syrups were calling to me... irish cream marshmallows? hazelnut? Someone earlier posted about gingerbread marshmallows and I am very interested to try that, as well.

N.

[Becca Porter]

I love the effect you got with that food coloring. That would be such a great take-home gift for a childrens birthday party. I will have to try it. Thank you!

[natasha1270]

I just have a few concerns about the mallows I've been making using nightscotman's recipe. They come out GREAT, but I've found that they have been getting "crunchy" after about a week and a half. They kind of re-crystalize after a while of keeping.    I've been keeping them in a sealed plastic bag...is that bad? I want them to say soft and puffy longer!

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Maybe I AM doing something wrong    The hand mixer IS tedious, but it's the only option I have right now spacewise. How hot do you get your sugar? I usually take it off somewhere between 240-244. The recipes vary how hot you're supposed to get it and I'm not sure what difference it makes. I have a nice digital candy thermometer though 

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I forgot to mention my "bad" batch...

Kay,

I also had a small batch of vanilla marshmallows that turned grainy after a few days. For those, I definitely know that I had some problems with my sugar being too hot and some of it had caramelized at the beginning because I wasn't paying attention and not stirring. My thermometer starts beeping at 234 for soft ball stage but I normally take it off at around 236. I kept a few of the minis from last week and they are still fine.

N.

[KayDaisy]

I just have a few concerns about the mallows I've been making using nightscotman's recipe. They come out GREAT, but I've found that they have been getting "crunchy" after about a week and a half. They kind of re-crystalize after a while of keeping.    I've been keeping them in a sealed plastic bag...is that bad? I want them to say soft and puffy longer!

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Maybe I AM doing something wrong    The hand mixer IS tedious, but it's the only option I have right now spacewise. How hot do you get your sugar? I usually take it off somewhere between 240-244. The recipes vary how hot you're supposed to get it and I'm not sure what difference it makes. I have a nice digital candy thermometer though 

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I forgot to mention my "bad" batch...

Kay,

I also had a small batch of vanilla marshmallows that turned grainy after a few days. For those, I definitely know that I had some problems with my sugar being too hot and some of it had caramelized at the beginning because I wasn't paying attention and not stirring. My thermometer starts beeping at 234 for soft ball stage but I normally take it off at around 236. I kept a few of the minis from last week and they are still fine.

N.

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I'm glad it's not just me now, LOL. I did try taking it off earlier and they seemed to stay better longer. Your mallows are lovely by the way. I too swirl my Peppermints!

[LoveToEatATL]

I love all the pink peppermint swirls!!

Question - I adore making the marshmallows and they seem to amaze and delight my friends

But now I want to move on to making Peeps. Would I pipe them out after the mixing and would I have to spray my piping bag with Pam?

Has anyone tried this? I have picked up some gorgeous pastel yellow caster sugar to coat them.

Thanks!

[highchef]

I love all the pink peppermint swirls!!

Question - I adore making the marshmallows and they seem to amaze and delight my friends

But now I want to move on to making Peeps.  Would I pipe them out after the mixing and would I have to spray my piping bag with Pam?

Has anyone tried this?  I have picked up some gorgeous pastel yellow caster sugar to coat them.

Thanks!

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according to Martha, yes to the former and no to the latter. Here's her directions here. I knew she'd know how to make peeps!

[Wendy DeBord]

Talking about the peppermint swirls....I forget where, but I saw some marshmellows that were lemon swirled and orange swirled..........on that premise you could have alot of fun.

It's been a while since I tried piping marshmellows......but I'm pretty sure your going to need an assistant to apply the castor sugar while you continue piping. You'd have to pick each up and sort of put them in a sugar bath to get the sugar to coat the sides of your item well.

[Genny]

I've added orange oil to my marshmallows and they are fabulous. One of our favorites. I'm thinking I need to make another batch soon!

I'm so impressed by all of your cut marshmallows! I have used a 12" knife and also my bench scraper but the marshmallows stick and I have to wash the cutting instrument throughout the process. Do you have the same experience or can anyone provide any tips for cutting these? Also, any tips for making them uniformly square?

For shaping, I've also used mymini muffin pan, with the marshmallow piped in. These come out fairly easy when the pan is sprayed with Pam.

I imagine you could use cookie cutters too, well oiled.

[natasha1270]

Genny,

I've been using a lightly oiled pizza cutter as suggested earlier in this thread but even then my marshmallow rows/cubes are irregular and need a bit of hand-trimming with a knife.

Last week, I spied some mini-ice cube trays similar to these: Midget Ice Cube Tray and picked one up with the intent of marshmallowing but haven't had time to try it out yet.

enjoy!

N.

[Wendy DeBord]

Genny,

I've been using a lightly oiled pizza cutter as suggested earlier in this thread but even then my marshmallow rows/cubes are irregular and need a bit of hand-trimming with a knife.

Last week, I spied some mini-ice cube trays similar to these: Midget Ice Cube Tray and picked one up with the intent of marshmallowing but haven't had time to try it out yet.

enjoy!

N.

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I've used cookie cutters, they work well. As far as I know, it's just a matter of cleaning off and re-spraying your cutting utensil often.

I saw some neat mini square ice cube trays at Crate & Barrel that were made of flexible matterial......I wanted to buy them, but couldn't think of what I'd really use it for, thanks, now I've got an excuse to buy them.

[Sethro]

I use my longest serrated knife, dip in VERY hot water and dry between each cut. It eliminates any sticking in my experience.

Edited February 28, 2006 by Sethro (log)

[2010]

vanilla-peppermint marshmallows:

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Wow! Great job! Your version instantly reminded me of ones I saw on the Williams-Sonoma site. http://ww2.williams-sonoma.com/cat/pip.cfm...di%7Cp1%7Crshop

[LoveToEatATL]

I love playing with the marshmallow recipe. Thought I would make some for Easter table favors this year. I do believe I need a much bigger tip for making the peeps. Here's the first try - they look like mini seagulls - LOL:

And the ones I made by cutting with a flower cookie cutter. I think these turned out really cute. I used yellow food coloring with them. I am going to make some for my niece's 10th birthday and have the girls decorate with colored frosting and sprinkles/candy for a fun way to keep them occupied.

[Kerry Beal]

I had a couple of spare egg whites around and decided to make some marshmallow eggs to dip in chocolate in advance of easter. I used Neil's inpiration for strawberry marshmallows, adding 1/2 cup of Boiron frais de bois puree to my gelatin mixture, as well as about 1/4 tsp of rosewater instead of the orange flower water that the time life candy recipe calls for (actually it uses a couple of tablespoons, which tastes awful until dipped in chocolate, then tastes fine).

As you can see in the picture I used my muffin scoop which is egg shaped to form the depressions in the cornstarch. Once the hot syrup was incorporated and I could see some thickening in the mixture, I scooped out marshmallow into the cornstarch molds, then topped with a bit more cornstarch.

After they have sat for a couple of hours I'll dip them in some tempered dark chocolate.

I poured the remaining marshmallow into my caramel rulers on a silpat sprinkled with cornstarch. I will use my kitchen scizzors to make those into squares.

I've got to say, what I licked from the bowl was fabulous, and I can't wait to taste them in chocolate. I just wonder if the strawberry taste will be strong enough to stand up against the bittersweet.

[CanadianBakin']

What a clever idea! I would love to see pictures of the finished product.

[McAuliflower]

The cornstarch mold idea is genius! Duh- do it how the industry does it.

new flavor variant made last week: red hot cinnamon marshmallows. The more I eat them, the more they make me think of Easter candy!

I ground up those tiny red hot cinnamon candies and added them to the sugar component of the recipe.

Yes- they really are that pink!

For a half batch of marshmallows, grind up 6 Tbs of candies to a superfine powder. Add granulated sugar to come up with the total amount of sugar needed. Also used ground up candies for the sugar component of the dusting sugar.

[Kerry Beal]

Here are the chocolate dipped marshmallow eggs. They need a bit of decorating yet, this was just a trial run. The strawberry flavour wasn't strong enough to stand up to the bittersweet chocolate. They need a bit more punch. I think next batch I'll try a bit of strawberry compound to boost the flavour.

When I bit into them I started thinking about those cookies I used to love as a child - cookie, strawberry jam, marshmallow and dark chocolate. I think I could make an excellent one with a round molded marshmallow cast in starch, a bit of jam on top while still drying, place a cookie on top (bottom). Dip in tempered bittersweet. Actually caramel would go nicely in place of the strawberry jam.

Edited March 20, 2006 by Kerry Beal (log)

[Wendy DeBord]

When I bit into them I started thinking about those cookies I used to love as a child - cookie, strawberry jam, marshmallow and dark chocolate.  I think I could make an excellent one with a round molded marshmallow cast in starch, a bit of jam on top while still drying, place a cookie on top (bottom).  Dip in tempered bittersweet.  Actually caramel would go nicely in place of the strawberry jam. 

Damn, that's a great idea!

[JustKay]

I came across this website. Interesting flavor combinations. The ingredients list looks like the recipe many here have tried. Look at the price - 5.40 for 4pcs which is 2 to 3 ozs total. Wow!

Edited March 24, 2006 by JustKay (log)

[CanadianBakin']

Thanks for the link! They have some great flavour ideas. It makes me want to run into the kitchen and start experimenting!

[JustKay]

For shaping, I've also used mymini muffin pan, with the marshmallow piped in.  These come out fairly easy when the pan is sprayed with Pam. 

Did you use metal pans?

Last week, I spied some mini-ice cube trays similar to these: Midget Ice Cube Tray and picked one up with the intent of marshmallowing but haven't had time to try it out yet.

I wonder if this silicone mold really works.

Do you think with silicone mold, they'd have to be sprayed with pam?

[Kerry Beal]

I wonder if this silicone mold really works.

Do you think with silicone mold, they'd have to be sprayed with pam?

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