July 4, 2011
Mignardise
http://www.hertzmann.com/articles/miscellany/recipes/img/01046-xl.jpg|800|600
pâte de guimauve
(marshmallows)
I wonder how many kids being born today will have a memory when they grow up of eating marshmallows heated⁄melted⁄burned over an open fire? When I was a kid, everyone was either a Boy Scout or Girl Scout and you could build open fires almost anywhere. Today, Scouting, if kids partake in it at all, it is more about technology than the outdoors.
Even though my memories of campfire marshmallows are mostly positive, I haven’t desired to relive the experience. Today, a bag of marshmallows would sit in my pantry untouched until it spoiled, which I’m not sure can happen. I don’t know why. I think it is because I only liked “cooked” marshmallows as a kid, and now I have no desire to recreate a campfire in my kitchen.
That was until a few months ago. Sonia, friend of mine in Santa Cruz, emailed me with a question about a marshmallow recipe she was preparing. That got me thinking and I decided to follow her lead and make marshmallows from scratch. Other than sugar, I had no idea what was in a marshmallow, so I started to research the subject. I learned that marshmallow first came into being as a medicinal substance. It seems that the mucilaginous extracts from the root of the marshmallow plant was used as a remedy for a sore throat all the back to the Egyptians. (And whoever heard of a marshmallow plant?) I also learned that in the 19th century, French candy makers would extract the sap and whip it up with sugar. Later, substitutes for the sap were found, and in 1948 an extrusion process was developed that brought about the commercial production of marshmallows. (Chemical & Engineering News, April 17, 2006, vol. 84, no. 16, p. 41)
Looking at a slew of recipes, it seemed that either egg whites or gelatin could be used in the preparation. I tried both, but I found the results from the gelatin dried better and was overall less sticky. All the recipes I found called for corn or glucose syrup. Sonia’s question was whether a fruit syrup could be substituted for these. I had no idea. Both corn and glucose syrup are invert sugars that can inhibit crystallization, whereas our homemade fruit syrups are not invert sugars. I decided that I would have to try some recipes to see if it would work.
I had both apple and Meyer-lemon syrup on hand. I decided to use the lemon syrup, mainly because I had more of it. After fiddling with the basic recipe and trying three variations, I found a combination of ingredients and techniques that produced marshmallows that my guests said were good. Some guests even preferred the marshmallows over the other choices on the mignardise plate. And I like marshmallows a little better than before.
The following recipe is derived from multiple sources with multiple modifications. It will produce a slab of marshmallow that’s about 2-cm (810-in) thick and that will cover about two-thirds of a quarter-sheet size, rimmed baking sheet. The number of actual marshmallows produced depends on how large they are cut and how many tasting samples are required. How many days they take to dry will depend on the moisture in your kitchen. I had one batch that took a week and another that only took two days. They are dry when they are no longer too sticky to cut. When drying, don’t cover the marshmallow slab with plastic wrap or anything else that will hold the moisture in.
12 g (716 oz)
gelatin sheets (160 bloom strength)
60 ml (14 c)
cold water
200 g (1 c)
granulated sugar
80 ml (13 c)
syrup, plain or flavored
14 t
fine salt
powdered sugar
1. Swell the gelatin in the water and place both in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
2. Place the sugar, syrup, and salt in a saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. When the temperature is between 114 and 116 °C (237 and 241 °F), pour the sugar mixture into the mixer bowl and whisk at high speed until white and multiplied in size, about 10 minutes.
3. In the meantime, line a quarter-sheet size, rimmed baking sheet with oiled plastic wrap. Similarly cover the bottom of another quarter-sheet size, rimmed baking sheet. Set aside.
4. When the sugar mixture is properly expanded, pour it into the first baking sheet and press down squarely with the second sheet until the layer is the desired thickness, usually about 2 cm (810 in). Set aside, uncovered, at room temperature to cool.
5. When cool, remove the plastic wrap and dust generously with powdered sugar. Set aside to dry for a day or two, or longer.
6. Cut the marshmallows into the desired size with scissors and drop the pieces, separately, into powdered sugar. Coat well. Shake off the excess sugar.
7. Store the marshmallows in a covered container.

© 2011 Peter Hertzmann. All rights reserved.