Homemade Marshmallows: Recipes & Tips (Part 1)

[scott123]

Now you have to tell us what ultra-lux ingredients you're making these marshmallows with, considering the bulk of marshmallows are typically the cheapest ingredients going. I'm guessing truffle marshmallows?

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Sugar free ingredients. Isomalt, erythritol, and polydextrose.

[chiantiglace]

sugar free? or sucrose free?

[scott123]

Sugar free. Isomalt and erythritol are sugar alcohols and contain no sugar/sucrose. Polydextrose contains trace amounts of glucose, but the high percentage of polymerized sugar allows it to be counted as fiber and utilized in sugar free desserts.

[Patrick S]

Please forgive my nitpickery, but isn't polydextrose, being a glucose polysaccharide, chemically a sugar, even though it behaves physiologically as a fiber? I thought all chemicals ending in "-ose" were sugars, but I could certainly be wrong.

[scott123]

Cellulose ends in -ose

Chemically a sugar? No... Once you modify the molecule, you're talking a difference substance. Pure polydextrose (no residual glucose) is as molecularly dissimilar to sugar as cellulose or starch.

[Patrick S]

Cellulose ends in -ose

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Right, and a quick googling shows numerous examples of cellulose being described as a sugar (examples: 1 2 3 4 5), so I dunno. Obviously I am not implying that polydextrose or cellulose are sugars by the culinary or nutritional definitions, which is why I italicized the word chemically.

I guess my question, which clearly has no practical import or relevance to your thread (sorry Scott!) is: are all polysaccharides themselves considered sugars? If so, then polydextrose, cellulose and starch, which are all polysaccharides made up of glucose units linked to each other in different ways, are themselves sugars.

ETA: I found one article explaining that, by convention, mono-, di- and tri-saccharides are referred to as sugars, while saccharides with more than 3 subunits, i.e. polysaccharides, are just referred to as polysaccharides.

Edited April 28, 2006 by Patrick S (log)

[chiantiglace]

ETA: I found one article explaining that, by convention, mono-, di- and tri-saccharides are referred to as sugars, while saccharides with more than 3 subunits, i.e. polysaccharides, are just referred to as polysaccharides.

So is corn syrup, honey, and maple syrup considered "polysaccharides" and not sugar? These sugars were just converted through hydrolysis.

I understand the alchohol seperation, sorbitol, lacitol, erythritol, isomalt. But if sugars through hydrolisis are still considered "sugar" than how come hydrogenated sugars, above, aren't considered sugar since the categorizing of a "sugar" is commonly known to what affects that sense on the tongue. And since they all affect that sense of sweetness, aren't they considered sugars? The word sugar is just a dropped down, overly used word for sucrose.

"A sugar is denoted by any word on the ingredient list that ends with "ose"."

Wikipedia

[Patrick S]

ETA: I found one article explaining that, by convention, mono-, di- and tri-saccharides are referred to as sugars, while saccharides with more than 3 subunits, i.e. polysaccharides, are just referred to as polysaccharides.

So is corn syrup, honey, and maple syrup considered "polysaccharides" and not sugar? These sugars were just converted through hydrolysis.

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Corn syrup, honey, and maple syrups are not sugars at all, at least not in chemical terms. I think that they are more properly considered solutions of monosaccharide and disaccharide sugars.

For instance, corn syrup is essentially a sugar solution dominated by the monosaccharides glucose and fructose in varying amounts (and some other stuff, probably small amounts of other sugars). Honey is a solution containing roughy equal parts of the monosaccharides fructose and glucose, a small amount of the disaccharides sucrose and maltose (and some other stuff). Maple syrup is a solution mainly of the disaccharide sucrose with small amonts of fructose and glucose. So none of these are polysaccharides, or contain much polysaccharides -- they are solutions of mono- and disaccharides.

Edited April 28, 2006 by Patrick S (log)

[scott123]

ETA: I found one article explaining that, by convention, mono-, di- and tri-saccharides are referred to as sugars, while saccharides with more than 3 subunits, i.e. polysaccharides, are just referred to as polysaccharides.

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This is the convention I use. As mono and di-saccharides fall under the heading 'sugar,' corn syrup, honey, and maple syrup, all mono and di-saccharide based, could be referred to as 'sugar solutions.'

Anthony, hydrogenated sugars are not mono, di or tri-saccharides and thus don't fall under the term 'sugars.' Hydrolysis breaks the di-saccharides into mono-saccharides, a complex sugar into simple sugar. Hydrogenation adds a hydrogen atom. One more atom, different molecule, different animal, no longer a 'sugar.' Similar molecularly, yes, but definitely not classifiable as sugar. At least not within the mono, di, and tri saccharide naming convention.

I'm making mono-, di-, and tri- saccharide free marshmallows.

[McAuliflower]

SO... after labeling my banana with sharpies (to say do not eat!), letting it get all spotted and nice, and freezing it for forever... I finally managed to get it into marshmallow form.

One liquified uber ripe banana for the fruit puree, rum for the water in the mixer bowl, half of the sugar as brown sugar, and a split vanilla bean.

They're nice and mellow tasting. Texture is that obscene soft feel. The mallow finishes with just a breath of banana flavor, but mainly seems to combine with the rum to taste like butterscotch.

When they toast, I swear it does an extra alcohol fizzle

All in all pretty good, surprisingly tame.

Edited June 24, 2006 by McAuliflower (log)

[highchef]

SO... after labeling my banana with sharpies (to say do not eat!), letting it get all spotted and nice, and freezing it for forever... I finally managed to get it into marshmallow form. 

One liquified uber ripe banana for the fruit puree, rum for the water in the mixer bowl,  half of the sugar as brown sugar, and a split vanilla bean. 

They're nice and mellow tasting.  Texture is that obscene soft feel.  The mallow finishes with just a breath of banana flavor, but mainly seems to combine with the rum to taste like butterscotch.

When they toast, I swear it does an extra alcohol fizzle 

All in all pretty good, surprisingly tame.

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That sounds awsome!

gonna do it!

and then stick it in chocolate...can't leave good enough alone I guess.

[Kerry Beal]

SO... after labeling my banana with sharpies (to say do not eat!), letting it get all spotted and nice, and freezing it for forever... I finally managed to get it into marshmallow form.  

One liquified uber ripe banana for the fruit puree, rum for the water in the mixer bowl,  half of the sugar as brown sugar, and a split vanilla bean. 

They're nice and mellow tasting.  Texture is that obscene soft feel.  The mallow finishes with just a breath of banana flavor, but mainly seems to combine with the rum to taste like butterscotch.

When they toast, I swear it does an extra alcohol fizzle 

All in all pretty good, surprisingly tame.

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That sounds awsome!

gonna do it!

and then stick it in chocolate...can't leave good enough alone I guess.

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No. no!! Coat in caramel, THEN dip in chocolate.

[highchef]

SO... after labeling my banana with sharpies (to say do not eat!), letting it get all spotted and nice, and freezing it for forever... I finally managed to get it into marshmallow form.  

One liquified uber ripe banana for the fruit puree, rum for the water in the mixer bowl,  half of the sugar as brown sugar, and a split vanilla bean. 

They're nice and mellow tasting.  Texture is that obscene soft feel.  The mallow finishes with just a breath of banana flavor, but mainly seems to combine with the rum to taste like butterscotch.

When they toast, I swear it does an extra alcohol fizzle 

All in all pretty good, surprisingly tame.

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That sounds awsome!

gonna do it!

and then stick it in chocolate...can't leave good enough alone I guess.

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No. no!! Coat in caramel, THEN dip in chocolate.

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uh oh....my oh my. I guess I should go make some caramel. I have chocolate.

you are bad.

how do you make caramel that will harden up? I know how to make it from scm inn a can under water, but I think that would be too thin to dip again.

edit: wait a minute. If they already have a butterscotch flavor, would the caramel be redundant???

Edited June 24, 2006 by highchef (log)

[gfron1]

After ignoring this thread for months because I didn't feel up for obsessing over something new, I finally jumped into marshmallows. Tonight I made curry marshmallows dipped in 82% Sharffen Berger.

Here's my step-by-step. First whipping it. I used about 2 T. of mild Madras Curry (SWAD brand):

and then it started thickening up...

Dumped them out of the pan...

And after it set up for a few hours, I started cutting...

and cutting...

then dipped them...

They were fantastics - I'll serve them to guests tomorrow. I would go with 65% chocolate next time. Thanks for obliging me with all these pics, but these were really fun and now I'm psyched to play around more...green tea, etc.

Edited June 25, 2006 by gfron1 (log)

[JustKay]

I just quickly went thru the thread but has anyone tried making it using brown sugar instead?

What would the substitution be like? Measure for measure?

I plan to make caramel flavored marshmallows using caramel flavoring paste and I was thinking that perhaps using brown sugar will help enhance the flavor?

[miladyinsanity]

I just quickly went thru the thread but has anyone tried making it using brown sugar instead?

What would the substitution be like? Measure for measure?

I plan to make caramel flavored marshmallows using caramel flavoring paste and I was thinking that perhaps using brown sugar will help enhance the flavor?

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Maybe cut down on the water some?

[miladyinsanity]

After months and months and months of procrastinating, I've finally made a batch.

I flavored my half-batch with TEN grams of instant coffee to get any noticeable taste at all.

Except that I don't think I beat them long enough (I poured the syrup in and couldn't remember how long it had been in there), so now I've got what tastes like soft coffee nougat. Not bad, but not what I was trying to get.

Next week, I shall try again. Candy-making is addictive. And it's less hot than baking, which is a huge plus.

Also, any tips for getting the goo out of the mixer bowl? Even my trusty silicone spatula didn't do that good a job, and one does not want to waste too much of the goo(d) stuff.

[gfron1]

I have one of those plastic bowl scrapers (flat on one side, curved on the other)...works great for cleaning out bowls after making bread...or marshmallows.

[miladyinsanity]

I have one of those plastic bowl scrapers (flat on one side, curved on the other)...works great for cleaning out bowls after making bread...or marshmallows.

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Oh why didn't I think about that!

I have one, because I don't like the idea of using a knife on the plastic sheet I knead dough on.

Thanks gfron1!

[PaulaJK]

Made a raspberry batch last week...forgot my timer....ended up w. something reminiscent of charleston chews.........but hot water did the trick for the bowl.

[fodgycakes]

I love this thread.. I'm going to have to give marshmallow making a try. I vaguely remember attempting to make marshmallows when I was seven or eight and failing miserably, now is the time to redeem myself.

I don't have potato starch and I know it's been mentioned that corn starch does not work as well as a coating.. I also have tapioca starch, do you think that would be any better?

[alanamoana]

i don't think you'll have a problem with corn starch. maybe a mix of 2:1 powdered sugar to corn starch. i think it is a personal preference thing more than anything else. potato starch is sold at whole foods and probably any well stocked grocery that carries "Bob's Red Mill" products.

[bluechefk]

just fyi - i get my potato starch in my favorite asian market here; dirt cheap, too!

[fodgycakes]

Thanks for the quick replies.. I am moving in not too long so I just don't want to buy a lot of new things. I'll try the 2:1 of powdered sugar and corn starch, unless you think tapioca starch would be better.

[miladyinsanity]

Thanks for the quick replies.. I am moving in not too long so I just don't want to buy a lot of new things. I'll try the 2:1 of powdered sugar and corn starch, unless you think tapioca starch would be better.

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Well, I picked up a packet of potato starch for my not-quite-marshies, but I didn't use any icing sugar in my coating.

You could use tapioca starch instead, but whether it's better than cornstarch, I've no idea.