Test Recipes: Marshmallows
Marshmallows are spongy confections made of sugar beaten into a fluffy texture with the aid of gelatin. Marshmallows are essential components to many popular American snacks such as Rice Krispies Treats and S'mores (a sandwich of graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows melted over a campfire).
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 | |||||||
48 Comments:
Any difference using the balloon whisk in the mixer?
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)
I can't easily get "plain" corn syrup, but I can get "jarabe de maiz de alta fructosa" (high fructose corn syrup---I think it's called Karo in the US). Would that work?
I'm with silent - if there are any tips for vegetarian versions, I'd be interested. It still boggles my mind that nobody seems to sell them commercially.
Regarding the corn syrup substitute: the ingredient converter on the right side of the page suggests brown sugar & water.
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.
Does this recipe make about the equivalent of a standard bag of marshmallows?
re: recipe output size
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
i made marshmallows with this method last christmas - once you've had homemade marshmallows, one can never go back to the store bought stuff. ;)
for those interested in vegetarian / vegan gelatin substitutes, do a Google search on "marshmallow recipe vegan" for good options. From "Emes Kosher Gel" (which contains carageenan, a suspected carcinogen [www.ewg.org] ) to a "vegetable gel from seaweed" (from http://www.pangeaveg.com/ )
-Zak
this company makes a vegan marshmallow with a vegetable-derived gelatin and rice syrup:
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.
I would like to note in response to an anonymous poster above that Carrageenan and "Vegetable Gel from Seaweed" are the same thing. ref:http://www.foodreference.com/html/fcarrageenan.html
re: carrageenan
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).
You don't need oiled plastic wrap, just some wet hands. One option for coating is some cinnamon sugar, the crunch from the granulated sugar adds a nice texture. More time consuming, but well worth the effort, melt down some of the best dark chocolate you can find. (MY FAVE IS LINDT 75% OR HIGHER) Try to get the coating as thin as possible.
These are unequal to anything you've ever bought.
Oh dear. I tried to make some marshmallows using granulated sugar rather than corn syrup and failed miserably.
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.
Thanks to Michael Chu and Phoex for the info on carrageenan. While you're being helpful does anyone have reference to the study on the carcinogenic effects of Degraded Carrageenan? i'm wondering if its an oxidant thing that can be balanced with anti-oxidants, or something else.
An added note on carrageenan; there are no regulated minimums for what molecular weight is allowed for use in food products. For those interested, please consider this letter exchange at the NIH:
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.
Hmmm... so if we eat we die... if we don't eat we die...
You can get really, really good vegan marshmallows at www.veganessentials.com. The brand is Vegan Supreme, and I think they taste like homemade. FYI, they toast up just perfectly for s'mores!
Saldeck and others opting or wanting to leave out the corn syrup - corn syrup is important but not essential to this recipe. You'll just have to be much more careful when you bring the sugar to a boil. This is where cooking for engineers becomes chemistry!
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)
Vegan Marshmallows
(Scroll down)
Just be careful you don't infringe on this patent for a Marshmallow System.
RE: corn syrup substitute
"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.
As a cool experiement you can see the wavelenght of your microwave oven by heating up a layer of mini marshmallows on a large plate. Be sure to remove the turn-table to make this experiment work. Turn on the oven at high and watch the marshmellows grow and burn where the wave power is at its max but undergo little effect at the minimums.
Hello!!!
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.
Good God people! Don't any of you sleep at night? Who writes in at 05.03 am? You should be sleeping or eating marshmallows or somethin'!!
Hi I can't write english so god but i need know if you have the way to make figures but with the commercial marshmallow in monterrey named brochetas de malvaviscos
tank you and a thousand excuses for my bad writing of English
one drop of cochineal in the final stages will turn them an appetizing pink!
If you eat Vegan Supreme Marshmallows, you might want to read this.
http://www.vegparadise.com/news38.html
I have never tried marshmallows, but I have an easy "Fluff"-like recipe there may be a way to use this (non-gelatin)recipe for mallows with some experimenting (though it uses eggs, so it's still be no use for vegans). If the fluff sits around (refrigerated) for a few days, it separates. If you dredge glops of the (post-separating, drier) fluff, maybe you could get them to dry to a more marshmallow-y texture (I've never tried).
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?
Do you have one of the recipes that uses marsh mallow root? I have some plant and would love to try it!
It worked out fine not using cornsyrup... the only thing i didn't like was that i thought it was too sweet and had a touch too much vanilla.
Corn syrup isn't available in my area, but I did find something called 'Dextrose' The bag says it's 'grape-sugar' (which should be frustose), but the description is something between glucose and fructose. I'm pretty sure it isn't sucrose (normal sugar), so I think it should work in the recipe. However, because it isn't in syrup form I have to juggle a bit with the amoun of water.
Is there any sort of guideline of how much water I should use, when substituting solid sugars, instead of syrup?
More complete history of marshmallows:
http://reddingpalm.com/shns/rstory.cfm?pk=MARSHMALLOWS1-02-14-05&cat=DD
See link below
wow, Marshmallows seems very tasty! nice recipe.
I have been making vegetarian marshmallows for years. I use the same recipe as CfE, with the exception of the gelatin. Agar reacts very similar to gelatin, however it will not melt in room temp water the way gelatin does. If you ever took a microbiology class and had to make agar plates, then you know it can be melted and re-melted at low temps. I keep the agar on the lowest temp possible, and other than that I do exactly what was described in the recipe. The fake gelatin I use is an unflavored agar/carageenan mix that I bought a couple of years ago at a natural foods store. I store it in an airtight container and I've made 5 or more batches of marshmallows with it. I like to cut mine square so they make nice s'mores.
WOW, lovely suggestions!! thanx all of u:)
The best part is the "skin" that forms as they dry a little. It reminds me of the old Campfire marshmallows that came in cellophane wrapped boxes in the '50s. Who remembers? It was when people would smoke in the store and put their butts out on the floor. If memory is right, the "jet-puffed" bagged style came out about 1960-1962. Until I started making my own, I had trouble eating marshmallows since they took my Campfire boxes off the shelf.
By the way... I forgot to ask and/or suggest;
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)
Thanks for the recipe! Has anyone tried making Chocolate Flavored Marshmallows? I was just wondering if you would use cocoa powder or chocolate flavoring. I am assuming you would dust the marshmallows with cocoa powder and confectioner's sugar. I would appreciate any input. Thanks :)
how does one make marshmallow topping for icecream? microwaving the jar of marshmallow cream doesnt work so well, it is too hard and sticky when the icecream cools it, but sundae bars have warm marshmallow cream topping. thx
silent,
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.
nice recipe, thanks!!
nice recipe, thanks!!
Just finished mine. An excellent recipe!
hi,
can u tell me where can i get corn syrup.
This recipe is great! I used a piping bag to pipe out the mixture, cooled it in the freezer for about 10 min. and it was ready to go. I then the cut marshmallows into 1 inch pieces and skewered them. I then dipped them into chocolate and dusted them with ground graham crackers. They were fantastic
I'm not looking to dip marshamallows in chocolate but to make Chocolate flavored marshmallows... any techniques?
re: 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.
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