Marshmallows

Marshmallows are a soft, airy confectionery often used in the top of hot chocolate. These days there are a few variations on the plain white ones – multi coloured, swirls, pink and miniature.

I can always get supplies of the plain white, pink or miniature ones for your special occasions and cake decorating as well as heart shaped ones.

They contain cane sugar, wheat glucose syrup, invert sugar, gelatine, colours, wildberry, passionfruit and vanilla flavours, cornstarch. Marshmallows are suitable for dairy and nut free dietary constraints/choices.

The modern marshmallow is probably a version of a medicinal confection made from Althaea officinalis, the marshmallow plant, to treat sore throats. The use of marshmallow to make a sweet dates back to ancient Egypt, where the recipe called for extracting sap from the plant and mixing it with nuts and honey. Another pre-modern recipe uses the pith of the marshmallow plant, rather than the sap. The stem was peeled back to reveal the soft and spongy pith, which was boiled in sugar syrup and dried to produce a soft, chewy confection.

Confectioners in early 19th century France made the innovation of whipping up the marshmallow sap and sweetening it, to make a confection similar to modern marshmallow. The confection was made locally by the owners of small shops.  In the late 19th century, French manufacturers thought of using egg whites or gelatin, combined with corn starch, to create the chewy base. This avoided the labour-intensive extraction process, but it did require industrial methods to combine the gelatin and corn starch in the right way.

Another milestone in the development of the modern marshmallow was the extrusion process by the American Alex Doumak in 1948. This invention allowed marshmallows to be manufactured in a fully automated way. The method produced the cylindrical shape that is now associated with marshmallows. The process involves running the ingredients through tubes and then extruding the finished product as a soft cylinder, which is then cut into sections and rolled in a mixture of finely powdered cornstarch.

By far, my most favourite way to enjoy marshmallows is by placing a couple of warmed ones on a Furry Friend chocolate and sandwiching this between two Nice biscuits…………….mmmmmm

Marshmallow Teacups

Ingredients:

• 1 Packet of flat round biscuits (TicToc are good because they are iced)
• 1 Packet of Musk Lifesavers
• 100g  Marshmallows
• 50g Freckles
• 3 tablespoons icing sugar

Method

1. Line a tray with baking paper and place the biscuits (icing side up if you are using TicTocs).
2. In a small bowl or cup, mix together the icing sugar with just enough water to make a pliable but not runny icing.
3. Using a teaspoon, place a tiny dot of icing in the middle of the biscuit and add a marshmallow.
4. Then add another dot of icing on top of the marshmallow and add the freckle.
5. Using a very sharp knife, carefully cut the Lifesavers in half.  Using the icing to gently stick the the ‘handles’ to the teacup.

This recipe is best made on the morning before serving.  Store in an air tight container (not in the fridge!).

Variation:

•  Sprinkle the top of the marshmallow with grated chocolate for a cappuccino look.

 

Cobbers	Jersey Caramels	Lypties	Marella Jubes