Marshmallow is a sweet that both kids and adults adore. The delicacy contains sugar, gelatin, dextrose and flavorings, which give the product a unique taste. Small pieces of marshmallows will be an appropriate addition to coffee, ice cream, fruit salad and other desserts; cakes and pastries are often decorated with sweetness.
This is interesting! For Americans, marshmallows are a traditional and integral element of any picnic. Here it is fried over a fire, after which the delicacy becomes viscous and airy.
What is marshmallow?
Many people call elastic marshmallow lozenges marshmallows, but strictly speaking, this is not so. Marshmallow has a different composition from marshmallows: it does not contain egg whites or applesauce. The spectacular name actually turns out to be quite prosaic. The word marshmallow in English refers to marsh mallow, better known as marshmallow.
Back in ancient Egypt, marshmallow root syrup was used as a thickener for sweets that were taken for sore throats and other colds. Today, the syrup has been successfully replaced with more accessible gelatin, which is soaked in water and beaten with sugar or corn syrup. Since the 50s, this delicacy began to be mass-produced in the USA, and now it can confidently be considered a traditional American sweet.
Classic marshmallows are snow-white, but you can also buy multi-colored lozenges.
You can also find marshmallows on sale in different sizes: from crumbs slightly larger than a pea to large puffs that take up almost the entire palm.
How to drink coffee with marshmallows
These coffee recipes will delight you in any weather: in winter and autumn they will fill your home with that warmth and comfort that is sometimes lacking, and in summer and spring they will charge you with a flow of energy. They will be a great addition to any situation: watching a family movie, relaxing after a working day, starting the morning or friendly get-togethers.
It is advised to serve the drink hot and not to store it for a long time after preparation, but to drink it immediately so that the coffee does not lose its aroma and taste. Increasing the served portions is achieved by proportionally increasing all the ingredients in the recipe. Please yourself and your loved ones with such pleasant and tasty little things!
How to eat marshmallows?
Marshmallow is not very common in Russia, so many people don’t even know how to eat it or what can be done with it. There are many options, and we will enlighten you.
You can eat it just like that
Opening the package and filling your mouth with soft, sweet lumps is a purely childish pleasure, which, however, is not alien to many adults. Marshmallow is a completely ready-to-eat product, so you don’t have to invent anything and enjoy it just like that. The lozenges are sprinkled on the outside with a thin layer of starch, and on the inside they are tender and melt in the mouth.
If your children try this delicacy, then you won’t have much of a chance to do anything fancy with marshmallows - the open package will be empty very quickly.
Marshmallow and cocoa - made for each other
A cup of hot chocolate in America is considered incomplete without a few pieces of marshmallows. Little white lumps melt without a trace in hot cocoa - children love it. This is not to say that adding marshmallows has any significant impact on the taste of cocoa (other than some sweetness), but there is something wonderful and cozy about this tradition. You can also put a small marshmallow in your coffee, this is an option for adults.
The combination of cocoa and marshmallows is an established classic in the US, like apple and cinnamon or borscht and sour cream. Therefore, they are often even sold together. For example, in the picture you can see a package of a hot chocolate mixture that contains marshmallow pieces.
Roast marshmallows on fire
American schoolchildren spend another interesting experience with marshmallow candies on hikes, country walks and home picnics. However, it can also be arranged in the yard at the dacha, the main thing is to light a fire.
To roast marshmallows over a fire, just place the candy on a wooden stick and hold it over the fire for a while. It suddenly begins to swell. In this case, a crispy layer of caramel is obtained on the outside, and an airy, viscous mass is formed on the inside. Try taking a pack of marshmallows to your next picnic. Your children will definitely be delighted.
In this video you can learn how to cook marshmallows over a fire, although the video is in English, you can still clearly see what happens to marshmallows when heated:
The marshmallow melted over the fire is then often placed between two cookies or crackers, often with an additional piece of chocolate added. This sandwich is called a s'more, and no camping trip with children in America is complete without this dessert.
In principle, the same can be done at home using an oven or microwave. All you need to do is put a marshmallow between two crackers and melt it in the microwave. Fast, tasty, effective, even a child can do it!
Decorating cakes and cupcakes
Small sweet lumps of marshmallows, white and multi-colored, are widely used by confectioners and housewives to decorate various desserts. The decoration can be simple, but effective - just throw snow-white marshmallows on the surface of the cake in a contrasting color. Or you can come up with something more complicated.
Small, neat marshmallow pieces are also great for decorating small portioned desserts. For example, take a look at these cupcakes.
Marshmallows are also used to make more fancy decorations, for example, for children's parties. White lozenges make excellent sheep and snowmen.
Invert syrup recipe
It would seem that there is nothing difficult in preparing it, but for some reason I did not make friends with this syrup from the very beginning. I have prepared it more than once and already several times it turned out not quite what I needed.
The first time, following the recommendations of some recipe, I covered it with a lid and left it unattended. As a result, the sugar simply burned, and instead of syrup, it turned out to be a large caramel with the taste of burnt sugar. I had to throw it away.
The second time was already more successful. Well, in principle, it’s easy to prepare, you just need to watch it so that nothing burns.
Prepare:
- Sugar – 225 gr;
- Citric acid - a pinch;
- Water – 100 ml.
Take a suitable bowl, pour in sugar and fill with hot water.
Place on the lowest heat and bring to a boil, stirring.
Add citric acid and leave to cook over the same heat for about half an hour. It may take a little more or a little less time, this will also depend on the dishes.
Most importantly, do not leave the syrup unattended for a long time. When the time begins to approach, check to see if it is ready. Also visually evaluate it by color; it should be a pleasant golden color (not brown!).
Take a little syrup with a teaspoon and place it on a saucer or other small plate.
Next, you can take a little syrup from the plate with your thumb and forefinger, press it and then separate it. If a thin sweet thread stretches, then the syrup is ready. You can also do this check with a thin wooden stick or toothpick.
This syrup can be made immediately before making marshmallows, or in advance. It keeps well for several weeks covered at room temperature, and even longer in the refrigerator (about 3 months, maybe longer).
By the way, I also overcooked it once and didn’t burn the sugar, but the next day it thickened a lot. I still didn’t throw it away and used what I got. This did not affect the quality of the marshmallows.
Marshmallow cake mastic
And now another secret of lozenges. What could the humble looking marshmallows have in common with these luxurious cake toppers?
It's hard to believe, but all this splendor is created with the direct participation of these sweets. Marshmallow mastic has long become the main assistant for confectioners. The plastic mass molds perfectly and retains its shape, even if it is in a warm room.
Covering and decorating cakes with marshmallow fondant is a classic in confectionery. This art has been mastered not only by professionals, but also by ordinary housewives who want to please their loved ones with beautiful holiday desserts.
Try making marshmallow mastic yourself: the recipe is amazingly simple, but requires care and adherence to technology. The result should be a mass similar to plasticine. Here is one simple option.
How to make mastic from marshmallows
Ingredients:
- white marshmallows - 320 g;
- powdered sugar - 1 - 1.5 cups;
- lemon juice or water - 1 tbsp;
- food coloring.
Melt the marshmallows in a water bath or in the microwave (10-30 seconds at maximum power) until they swell. There is no need to overexpose it. When heated for a long time, the marshmallow loses its elasticity and the mastic will not hold its shape.
Next, remove the bowl from the pan and, while stirring the mass, gradually add powdered sugar into it. When it becomes difficult to stir with a spoon, use your hands. Add powder until you get an elastic sweet dough that does not stick to your fingers.
The mastic should be tightly wrapped in film and allowed to stand for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. After this, you can roll out the covering and make decorations.
Attention! Dye is added to marshmallow mastic in several ways. If you need a large amount of colored mastic for covering, it can be added to the melted candies. If you want to make multi-colored figures and decorations, it is better to mix the dye into ready-made pieces of mastic, cut for specific elements.
Here's another recipe for mastic. Here the yield of the finished product is greater due to the addition of gelatin and butter with the same amount of marshmallows:
Marshmallow mastic: recipe and video master class
By the way! The mastic can be stored for quite a long time. It does not spoil in the refrigerator for 1.5 months. The freezer will keep the product fresh for up to six months.
Now that you've learned how to make marshmallow fondant, it's time to dive into the internet to learn how to create exquisite decorations with it.
Classic marshmallow recipe
So, it's time to tell you how to make marshmallows at home. It should be noted that this is not the easiest recipe. It requires a certain skill, and most importantly time and patience. If for some reason you don't succeed in making marshmallows the first time, don't despair! Just re-read the instructions, look at the photos and try again with renewed vigor. Believe me, the result is worth it!
In order to make marshmallows at home, you will need an ingredient such as invert syrup. If you find it in the store and spare no expense to buy it, then you will greatly simplify the process of preparing the entire dish for yourself. If you haven’t found it or don’t want to spend extra money, it doesn’t matter, you can make this syrup yourself. But be prepared for the fact that in this case, cooking will take even longer.
In this marshmallow recipe, we'll give you the full recipe, including instructions for making the invert syrup.
Ingredients for invert syrup:
- Granulated sugar – 350 g;
- Soda - a quarter of a small spoon;
- Citric acid – 2/3 of a small spoon;
- Water – 150 ml.
Ingredients for marshmallow soufflé:
- Sugar – 400 g;
- Gelatin (can be either powdered or in plates) – 25 g;
- Invert syrup – 160 g;
- Water – 100 ml;
- Salt – 1 pinch;
- Vanillin - 1 tsp;
- Powdered sugar – for rolling (about ½ cup);
- Starch – for coating (about ½ cup).
Step-by-step recipe for making marshmallows at home:
- Before starting the whole process, soak 25 g of gelatin in 100 ml of water and leave to swell;
- Now let's get to the syrup. To do this, pour 150 ml of hot water over sugar and place on low heat until it boils;
- As soon as the water boils, add citric acid;
- Cover the pan tightly with a lid and simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes. Do not open the lid during cooking (water should not evaporate as much as possible). Next, focus on the appearance of the syrup - it should become golden, but at the same time remain liquid, not viscous. If you have achieved this state, then it’s time to remove the pan from the heat;
- Cool the syrup a little and add soda to it. A reaction will occur immediately - white foam will rise. This is normal, it means you are doing everything right. Now leave it alone for 10-15 minutes so that the foam falls off;
- In the meantime, let's deal with the marshmallows themselves. Mix sugar and salt and pour 100 ml of water at room temperature. Also add 160 ml of invert syrup. This is important, do not pour it all out, only 160 ml!
- Place this mixture on the fire, bring to a boil and simmer for 8 minutes. If you have a thermometer, then record the temperature of the liquid at 100 °C for this time;
- Dissolve the gelatin in a water bath, cool slightly and start beating it with a mixer at low speed. Beat for 2-3 minutes;
- Now, carefully, in a thin stream, without stopping whisking, pour the warm mixture prepared for marshmallows into the gelatin. Gradually increase the speed of the mixer;
- While you're at it, add 1 small spoon of vanilla to the bowl. Beat the mixture until very thick (you will feel it yourself when the mass begins to resemble the desired Marshmallows);
- Line the mold with parchment paper and grease it very slightly with sunflower oil (it is the most neutral, has no smell or taste);
- Pour the resulting mixture into the mold, cover with something and leave in the refrigerator for 7-8 hours until hardened;
- After time has passed, remove the almost finished dish from the mold and remove it from the parchment paper (this will be a rather complicated and long process, but be patient);
- Mix equal amounts of starch and powdered sugar and sprinkle on the work surface. Roll the resulting layer thoroughly in this mixture;
- Cut the dessert the way you want. These can be large or small cubes, all kinds of stars, hearts, etc. Roll each piece separately in the starch-sugar mixture again.
These are the cute and incredibly tasty homemade marshmallows we got. In fact, they can be varied in every possible way. You can add all kinds of fruit purees, nuts to the composition during cooking, and you can also make chocolate marshmallows. But still, the classic marshmallow recipe is suitable for all occasions and will give more insight into this sweetness.
