Related Articles
Marshmallows were originally made with the sap of the root of the marsh mallow plant instead of gelatin. The sap was cooked with egg whites and sugar and whipped into a foam. This foam hardened when cool and was cut up and used as a type of throat lozenge (marsh mallow sap reportedly acts as a cough suppressant). In the late 1800's, the marsh mallow sap was replaced with gelatin, and egg whites were phased out of most mass produced recipes.
There are mainly two types of marshmallow recipes: those which use sugar, corn syrup, and gelatin only and those that fold in an egg white meringue before cooling. Although, many claim that the best marshmallows have egg whites, I wanted to try making marshmallows as simply as possible (without, hopefully, sacrificing taste and texture), so I decided to try out an eggless recipe.
I started by reading over a dozen marshmallow recipes before settling on the recipe credited to Chef Thomas Keller.
I prepared a 9x13-in. glass baking pan by greasing it with butter and sifting powdered sugar over it to coat the bottom and sides.
The recipe calls for 3 envelopes of Knox gelatin and 1/2 cup cold water. 3 envelopes of gelatin is equivalent to 3 tablespoons or 21 grams of powdered gelatin. Make sure you use the unsweetened and unflavored kind.
I poured the water and gelatin into the bowl of my stand mixer to allow the gelatin to bloom. The recipe calls the gelatin to bloom for ten minutes.
While the gelatin was blooming, I measured out 2 cups of sugar, 2/3 cup corn syrup, and 1/4 cup water.
I brought the mixture to a boil and deviated from Chef Keller's recipe a little. Instead of boiling for one minute, I allowed it to boil until the sugar's temperature passed 250°F. This brings the sugar into what is known as the hard-ball stage (when dropping the sugar into some water will form a hard ball that is not easily deformed) and is the traditional temperature of sugar used for making marshmallows.
I ran the mixer at low speed while drizzling in the boiling sugar syrup. Once the syrup was mixed in, I turned up the speed a little and added about 1/4 tsp. salt. The recipe calls for mixing at a high speed, but I couldn't turn up the speed to high without risking splattering 200°F sugar everywhere.
When the mixture begins to fluff up, I scraped down the bowl and turned up the speed to high.
Once the volume of the marshmallow stopped increasing, I added 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract. After the extract was mixed in, I stopped the mixer. This took about 8 minutes from when I started mixing, a few minutes short of Chef Keller's recommended twelve minutes.
I poured the marshmallows into the prepared pan and smoothed roughly with a silicone spatula. Several internet recipes recommend oiling plastic wrap and using it to flatten the top of the marshmallow.
I let the marshmallow cool and set by leaving it on the dining table uncovered overnight. I then inverted the pan over a cutting board covered in powdered sugar. I released the marshmallow buy pulling from a corner and working the marshmallow loose from the baking pan.
I used a large pizza wheel to section the marshmallows one row at a time and dredging each piece in powdered sugar until the sides weren't sticky anymore.So, how did the marshmallows come out? I felt that the flavor and texture were right on. Since I dredged the pieces with powdered sugar, the exterior was a little sweeter than the marshmallows sold in supermarkets. This was actually a pleasant effect since my marshmallows were fairly large and the sweetness emphasized the difference between the exterior and interior of the marshmallow. I did occasionally smell the gelatin while cutting the marshmallows and was afraid that the flavor would be tainted, but once I had dredged the piece, I couldn't detect any gelatin taste. All in all, I'd say this is a pretty good homemade marshmallow recipe.
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 | |||||||
Related Articles
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)
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.
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
-Zak
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.
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).
These are unequal to anything you've ever bought.
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.
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.
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)
(Scroll down)
"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.
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.
tank you and a thousand excuses for my bad writing of English
http://www.vegparadise.com/news38.html
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?
Is there any sort of guideline of how much water I should use, when substituting solid sugars, instead of syrup?
http://reddingpalm.com/shns/rstory.cfm?pk=MARSHMALLOWS1-02-14-05&cat=DD
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)
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.
can u tell me where can i get 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.
To whoever asked about substituting brown sugar + water for corn syrup - You'll be disappointed in the flavor.
To lori h - Chill the bowls and beaters for whipping cream so the butterfat stays firm. Room temperature for beating eggwhites, and the eggwhites should be at room temp, too. The proteins will expand easier than when cold. When you beat the air in, the proteins become a little wall around each air bubble. You want the proteins to expand so more air bubbles can be encompassed. Also, start the beating at a low speed, so the air bubbles will be small; later in the process you can increase the speed to build up the mass to maximal volume. If you start out beating at high speed, the protein-surrounded air bubbles tend to be large, and a mass of large air bubbles is more likely to collapse than a mass of small air bubbles because each large air bubble has less structural support than a small air bubble does.
To Lazy - It's so nice to hear that someone else remembers the original Campfire marshmallows! Campfire held out for about three years before joining the Jet Puffed generation. Financial reasons, I'm sure, dictated the change; when there's more air and less substance, you can make more marshmallows for less money. I never have figured out why people like those fluffy flavorless puff balls. I moved to Boston and discovered Sunshine marshmallows, which were actually even slightly better than the original Campfire. Unfortunately, these disappeared in 1972 or 1973. I've been reading recipes from other websites for the past hour. I'm so happy to read that you think the marshmallows made from this recipe are very like the Campfire marshmallows. Thank you for reporting that!
Mine came out too dense. Any ideas what I did wrong. I gave it eight minutes in the mixer on high and it had appeared to have stopped increasing in volume, but then it seemed like it fell after I turned the mixer off. Weird huh.
D
1. Regarding the question about dense marshmallows: I'm wondering if perhaps you cooked the sugar to above 250? I know that taffy & toffee use higher temps. (If the recipe included egg whites, I'd say that you might have gotten some fat mixed in but this recipe doesn't include them.)
2. For interest, I tried them without any corn syrup - turned out nicely except that they do continue to harden as days go by - is that due to crystals - which no matter how careful you are when cooking, I imagine are bound to form from the splatter when you mix. Hey, I wonder if that idea of covering the bowl with plastic wrap while mixing might have a dual benefit - melt down the crystals???
3. OK, a question for the scientists: I keep trying to sort of squirt this out of a plastic bag to shape the equivalent of meringue "kisses". But, due to the marshmallow nature, it really doesn't "break" off like meringue would. Any ideas or am I defying the point of the marshmallows in trying to get it thinner? Hmmm, I think I'll go make a batch with egg whites folded in and I'll tell you if that makes a difference - g
my marshmallows have just finished drying and it's time to cut them. i put almond extract, crushed almonds and marischino cherries in them. they're pink and fluffy and gorgeous for the holidays. i've made these before and, if you keep them in an airtight place they'll last about 3 weeks. although that's an estimate because they never last that long due to the nibbling family!
thanks engineers!! :)
To Indiana Guest: Yes I would use the powdered sugar to provide a dry surface for the chocolate to stick to...think of it like when you bread chicken...it works best when you flour the chicken first, right? -g
(Yes, thanks engineers)
All the info on the is fantastic. Love cooking for engineers. It all makes so much sense.
holly.
Holly- If you want to sub Splenda in, I think you'll need a meringue-based recipe. This recipe depends on properties of sugar. With a meringue marshmallow, you could safely replace most of the sugar with splenda (you may need to up the gelatin content to compensate).
--Pilapila
As a chef I have always been fascinated with the science of food as well as the art.
I will be dipping into this site often.
Now off to make the marshmallows as an accompaniment to a chocolate fondu at a family gathering this weekend.
Thanks to everyone for their research and input.
What fun!
http://www.itdg.org/docs/technical_information_service/marshmallows.pdf
Next batch is going to be with added rosewater rather than vanilla and chopped pistachios as a kind of turkish marshmallow delight?
Thanks again, i am not an engineer but I loved the cooking instructions chart. You should give Nigella Lawson a call.
I'm wondering if anyone's tried this for marshmallows...and if I should use these strands ounce for ounce of gelatin..?
I'm so happy to have found this site...and loved the Campfire reference...remembering well that wax paper sheet. Also...there is nothing like a stale Peep....LOL....!
Counting on your expertise....!
Yes! I have tried making chocolate marshmallows, and they are delicious. I used cocoa powder, and it didn't make them too dense or anything. The recipe I like to use for marshmallows in general calls for adding whipped egg whites and vanilla to the fluffed up gelatin/corn syrup mixture, but otherwise it seems to be the same as the one at the top of this page. I added the cocoa powder at the very end, after everything else was mixed in, just in case it caused the marshmallows to stiffen faster (though this didn't seem to happen). I used 1/3 cup cocoa powder, because the box said 2/3 cup was used for a whole batch of brownies, and the marshmallows turned out perfectly. They are already sweet enough that you don't need to add any more sugar to compensate for the cocoa powder's bitterness.
Mint marshmallows (1 tsp. peppermint extract added) and raspberry marshmallows (4 tsp. raspberry extract and a little red food coloring added) have been big hits, too. Food Network has recipes for lemon marshmallows and toasted coconut marshmallows on their website, but I have never tried them.
Hope that helps!
corn syrup in marshmallow recipeis best substituted with liquid glucose. measure for measure.
substitution with brown sugar and water may work in other recipes but corn syrup here is used to prevent crytalization and give the smooth creamy texture tothe marshmallow.
'kojel' will not work. agar won't work either because although they are gelling agents ... remember the mixture needs to be whipped like crazy over some time and kojel is a fast acting gelling agent ... once past the gelling stage it won't re-set. the same with agar. it's like whipping up gelled/set agar - it just won't re-set. that is probably why there are no commercial vegan marshmallows sold. however if Halal is the issue, one can use marine base gelatine and substitute measure for measure.
in other recipes, substituting gelatine with agar or those other subs which contains carageenan or pectin is okay .... like in making panna cotta for instance. where the mixture is just left to set/gel.
i am saying all this based on experience as i have tried all the above.
also, using all sugar without any corn syrup might work but the texture will definitely be different.
i also think it is much better to not butter the pan ... just dust the bottom with LOTS of potato starch or cornflour ... instead of powdered sugar to cut down the sweetness as well as not attract moister as sugar is a humectant ... but potato starch gives a better mouthfeel. then just run a dry but hot knife around the sides and voila the set marshmallow will come of nice and easy. then roll teh cut mallows in the potato starch.
hope that helps.
i sometimes dip mine too. however, i dust my mallows in potato starch. then i put them in a large plastic sieve and throw/tumble them so that the coating is real thin but the cut mallows not sticky. then i just dip these in chocolate and set on wax paper to dry. hope that helps.