Marshmallow

More light and fluffy than store-bought marshmallows. You'll love the way they melt in your mouth. Try toasting these over fire for a delicious treat!

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Planning

  • Prep Time:

    10 minutes

  • Bake/Cook Time:

    10 minutes syrup and 10 minutes egg whites

  • Chill/Set Time:

    0

  • Servings:

    4 Cups

Preparation

  • Materials

    Stand Mixer with Whisk
    Hand Whisk
    Melting Pot for Syrup
    Stovetop Pot w mixing bowl or double boiler
    Candy Thermometer
    Pastry mat

  • Prep

    Set the eggs out to bring them to room temperature.
    Separate the eggs and put the yolks in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
    Strain the egg whites and put them in the bain marie where they can set and dry for
    1 hour.
    Boil Water on the stove for the bain marie
    Boil water for making syrup
    Warm mixing bowl and whisks in oven on low (200-225F) 1 min or less to take the chill off.

  • Oven/Stove

    Preheat to 200F (for warming utensils)

  • Shopping List

    Granulated Sugar
    Confectioner’s Sugar
    Cream of Tartar
    Eggs-half dozen large
    Gel Food Coloring (optional)
    Corn Starch

Ingredients

  • Hot Sugar Syrup

    Granulated Sugar  250g 
    Boiling Water 125g

  • Italian Meringue

    Egg Whites 110g (4 large eggs)
    Cream of Tartar 3g (½ tsp)
    Confectioner’s Sugar 2 tbsp
    Granulated Sugar 50g
    Hot Sugar Syrup*Corn Starch 1 tsp (if you need more thickening)

  • Marshmallow Cream

    Corn Starch 50g =¼ Cup
    Confectioners Sugar 50g = ¼ Cup
    Gelatin 44 grams 400-bloom powdered (or 22 gelatin sheets)
    Water, cold 200 ml = 1/2 cup

  • Marshmallows

Steps

  • Hot Sugar Syrup

    Pro Tip: Time the preparation of the egg whites and the sugar syrup together.

    Note: The ratio of water to sugar for syrup is 2:1This process should take about 10-15 minutes.

    STEP 1: Put the boiling water and the granulated sugar in the melting pot on the stove. The burner should be covered with foil to protect it.

    STEP 2: Melt the sugar in the water on medium-high while stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar thoroughly in the water. When all of the sugar is dissolved the liquid will be completely clear.

    STEP 3: Cook the mixture on medium without stirring. DO NOT STIR. 

    STEP 4: Let it start bubbling and as soon as it reaches a low boil, reduce the heat to medium-low.

    Let it simmer to cook out water and it thicken. Don’t let it get too hot. As it starts getting hotter reduce the temperature a little to keep it at a gentle heat. There should be some bubble but no increasing height, rolling, or sputtering.

    STEP 5: When it reaches 210F start whipping the egg whites for the meringue. Work quickly.

    STEP 6: When it reaches 230-245F (I find 230F to be perfect) drizzle the hot syrup slowly into the meringue while whisking on medium low - you don’t want it to splatter. It should be “soft ball”:stage - thick but still liquid and easily pourable. Do not let it reach hardball stage. This is where it becomes heavy thick and a sticky mess. 

    THE BALL TEST:

    Put a tiny drop of the syrup in a cup of cold water and it will firm into a ball you can handle. Pick it up and feel it. If it is soft, pliable it is soft ball. If it is firm or hard, it is hard ball. (Hard ball is used to make hard candies and lozenges).

    Personally I find it easier to just stick a thermometer into it.

  • Italian Meringue

    Swiss meringue is made by heating egg whites over hot water using a bain marie or double boiler.

    Italian meringue is made by adding hot sugar syrup to whipped meringue.

    We are going to do both in one recipe. It makes for a very firm, full bodies, and stable meringue.

    PRELIMINARY CHECK:: Your egg whites are dried and your bowl and utensils are warmed.STEP 1: When the sugar syrup reaches 210F reduce the pot of boiling water to a simmer and put the bowl of egg whites over the steaming pot of water while whisking - do not let the bottom of the pot touch the water or get too close..Your whisking should be moderate and increase.This will cook the egg whites and dissolve sugar. The goal is to dissolve the sugar while developing the egg whites, without making scrambled eggs.

    STEP 2: Whisk egg whites until the egg whites are clear and foamy, then add the cream of tartar. 

    STEP 3: Whisk in 2 tbsp of confectioner’s sugar a bit at a time, dissolving each portion before adding more until it is all incorporated and dissolved. Test with your finger to make sure it is warm and there is no grit from sugar. If there is no grit, the sugar is dissolved and you don’t want to get it any hotter.

    STEP 4: Whisk in the granulated sugar a bit at a time, dissolving each portion before adding more until it is all incorporated and dissolved. Test with your finger to make sure it is warm and there is no grit from sugar.

    STEP 5: As soon as all the sugar is dissolved in the egg whites transfer the mixing bowl to the stand mixer and whisk on medium to medium-high (about 6-8 on a Kitchen Aid mixer) to a strong soft peak.

    STEP 6: Once you have a strong soft peak, the meringue is ready for the syrup. If the syrup is not quite ready, drop the mixer speed to low while you wait on the syrup. You really want to time these to be ready at the same time.

    STEP 7: Slowly drizzle in a very thin stream of  the hot syrup with the mixer on level 6-8. Decrease and increase speed if you need to. You don’t want hot syrup splatter. Aim for the space between the mixer and the rim of the mixing bowl. Keep scraping down the sides of he bowl frequently.

    STEP 8: Whisk to a firm peak (like a ball in the whisk with a space needle sticking up).

  • Marshmallow Cream

    STEP 1: To make marshmallow cream, keep whipping those egg whites over steaming hot water in the bain marie a little longer while adding in addition sugar and corn starch. Keep them moving a lot and manage the heat so that it does not get too hot. Be careful as the egg whites can start to cook!

    STEP 2: Whip them just until they start to turn whitish then quickly put them into the bowl of the stand mixer with the whisk on medium to medium high.

    STEP 3: Continue with the instructions for Italian Meringue whipping to a  very firm peak (ball in whisk). It doesn’t take long at all -so keep an eye on it!

  • Marshmallows

    STEP 1: BLOOM THE GELATIN
    Bloom the gelatin in water.

    STEP 2: ADD THE GELATINE
    When the meringue in the stand mixer reaches soft peak, add the gelatin with a few turns of the whisk or with a hand whisk. This should bring it to a firm peak very quickly.

Notes

MAKING THE MARSHMALLOWS

Fit your piping bag with a round tip consistent with the size marshmallows you want and fill the bag.

Prepare a surface of parchment paper heavily dusted with 50/50 mixture of corn starch and confectioner’s sugar (we'll call this 'marshmallow dust' or just 'dust')

STEP 1: Pipe long ropes on the parchment from end to end. Make them skinny or fat depending on the size marshmallows you want to make.

STEP 2: Sprinkle dust over them to coat the entire surface of the ropes.

STEP 3: Let the marshmallow ropes set 5 minutes

STEP 4: Cut the ropes in pieces. Make them as big or small as you want your marshmallows.

STEP 5:Dip the individual marshmallows in a bowl of dust thoroughly coating them.

STEP 6: Put the dusted marshmallows into a sieve to shake the excess dust off.

You have fresh, homemade marshmallows!


STRAINING THE  EGG WHITES
Another way to improve the quality of egg whites is to strain them. Pour egg whites through a strainer into a bowl. Egg whites contain a lot of water which is not what you want. The thin content that goes through the strainer - throw it away. It is mostly water. The thick part put into a clean bowl and this you use. I also like to pick out the tiny white pieces for a smoother consistency.

DRYING EGG WHITES

Here are some methods for drying egg whites:

A) IN THE REFRIGERATOR
Age egg whites in refrigerator 2 days in ceramic dish covered with plastic. Poke some small holes in the plastic with a toothpick. When you are ready to use, remove the egg whites from the refrigerator and set the bowl on the countertop for 1 hour prior to using.(not more than 2 hours

B) ON THE COUNTERTOP
Set egg whites in an open bowl on the countertop at room temperature for 2 hours.

CLEANING PREP FOR  EGG WHITES
Wash your hands thoroughly with dish detergent - even if they are clean and dry them well with a dry towel, not even slightly damp. Rub down your hands and all bowls and utensils with either vinegar or strong alcohol. This will get rid of any oil or moisture that may be imperceptible to us, but not to the egg whites.

WARMING BOWLS & UTENSILS
Warm the mixing bowls for the egg whites (1 regular & 1 stand mixer bowl) and the two whisks in the oven - only about 30 seconds before use to remove the chill.

CLEANING SYRUP FROM KITCHENWARE
Boil water in your syrup pot. Put any utensils in the boiling water. The syrup will dissolve and you can pour it out with the hot water. Rinse immediately in hot water to ensure all residue is washed away.

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