Wednesday, February 11, 2009

I'm in a marshmallow state of mind...

Strawberry marshmallows

Quoting – I mean, sort of – Billy Joel reminds me of the day I saw him and his teeny-tiny wife on Oprah. Katie Lee Joel was showing their apartment and telling how she had gotten Nate Berkus to decorate it, after watching him on Oprah one day. When the cameras got to her room, I was in complete shock – the doors of her (huge) closet were all covered in gold. Yes, people, GOLD. Seriously – I found that so tacky I had to laugh. Out loud. Who needs gold splashed on the walls, for heaven's sake? I wonder if they would air that episode nowadays.

Well, back to something important – the marshmallows. These are great and even though there are extravagant amounts of sugar and corn syrup involved you can still taste the fruit. Make sure you check the post I got the recipe from – her marshmallows look absolutely amazing.

Strawberry marshmallows

Strawberry marshmallows

2 tablespoons (or 8 sheets) unflavored gelatin
1/3 cup strawberry purée – blend/process 5-6 strawberries and pass through a fine sieve to remove the seeds
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups (300g) sugar
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons water
½ cup + 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup (140g) confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons corn starch

Line a 20cm (8in) square pan with parchment paper. Coat this with a very thin layer of vegetable oil*.

Fit a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. In the mixing bowl, combine the puree with vanilla extract. Sprinkle with the gelatin and allow to bloom (soften).

In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar, salt, corn syrup and water. Bring to a boil with the lid on and without stirring. When it is at a boil, remove lid and continue to cook without stirring until it reaches the soft-ball stage – 112-115ºC/234-240ºF.

With the mixer at medium speed, pour tall of the hot syrup slowly down the side of the bowl into the gelatin mixture. Please be very careful with the hot mixture - use a splash guard if you have one. When all the syrup is added, bring the mixture up to full speed and whip until mixture is fluffy and stiff about 8-10 minutes – if you are using a Kitchen Aid mixer that will take about 5 minutes.

Pour marshmallow into the parchment lined pan and smooth with an oiled offset spatula if necessary. Drop food coloring over the marshmallow and swirl around with a toothpick to create the marbled effect. Allow to sit, uncovered at room temperature for 10-12 hours.

Mix confectioners’ sugar and corn starch and sift over the rested marshmallows. Turn slap onto a cutting board, peel off paper and dust with more of the powder mixture. Cut as desired and dredge again in the powder mixture, and shake off excess powder – using a lightly oiled knife makes this step a lot easier.

* I had a hard time removing them from the paper, but it was worth it. :D

Makes 36

Strawberry marshmallows

28 comments:

  1. Your marbled marshmallows are soo pretty Patricia! Now, I dunno if Nate Berkus had anything to do with the gilding of the closet but that just sounds so tacky, and not him at all!

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  2. a wonderful opening, Patricia! Gold closet doors are what you get when you have more money than imagination. Just because you can do something doesn't mean it needs doing.

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  3. These look amazing! I've been wanting to try a marshmallow recipe for a long time. Maybe I'll finally get around to it soon!

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  4. These are super nice! I love their colour its so cute! Wish to try these but I don't have a candy thermometer. Still have to buy one.
    Ps Gold doors are horrible :)

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  5. I have marshmallows on my list to try some day.

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  6. I think your marshmallows are beautiful! I keep meaning to make them but havn't gotten the chance. Love your cake plate too !(I have the same one!)
    And I agree, gold doors are sad.

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  7. I've been making lots of marshmallows lately - matcha and vanilla bean so far, but I'm addicted and am going to try other flavors soon, too. I do feel a little guilty making something with such icky ingredients, but they're MARSHMALLOWS!

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  8. you know, i've never made marshmallows! i think it's about time i tried, especially considering how beautifully yours turned out!

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  9. Uh, excuse me, those closet doors that Katie Lee Joel showed on Oprah weren't MADE out of gold. They were simply painted in a gold tone as they often do in a French-style town house. Nate Berkus is a knowledgeable decorator. Stop being so judgemental when you don't know what you're talking about.

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  10. That anonymous poster is right. I've seen that type of treatment done in Parisian apartments. It's a typical 'Beaux-Arts' style of decor. Your own taste is somewhat questionable in this case.

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  11. Mmm, real strawberry puree in the marshmallows sounds yummy.

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  12. mmm they look tasty, would be great in a mug of coco. I also love that they are pink :D

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  13. Strawberry marshmallows?! You're a genius! These look perfectly romantic for Valentine's Day.

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  14. These are so pretty and they sound tasty too. I've never tried to make my own before. Hmm. Thanks for the recipe.
    Michelle
    http://oneordinaryday.wordpress.com/

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  15. Lovely fluffy pink clouds. Such a romantic treat for Valentine's Day.

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  16. Patricia, you are speaking my language! I can never get enough [vegan] marshmallows... I still need to perfect my recipe though!

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  17. Oh golly these are pretty! I thought I didn't like marshmallows until I made some.

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  18. Romance is in the air...gorgeous pink marbled marshmallows! So pretty and perfect for Valentines Day!

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  19. Mark, thank you!
    I was intrigued by that as well. But people with money will do such things...

    Terry, I think you have said it all, my friend.

    Natalie, my thermometer is very old but still works wonderfully! :D

    Pam, you should try them, sweetie.

    Finsmom, thank you for stopping by! And I love that cake plate - may I say you have great taste? ;D

    Anna, I want to try matcha marshmallows, too! Yum!

    Elyse, these are easy! Tks for commenting!

    Pea, strawberry purée is just delicious, isn't it? :D

    Jessy, I love pink too. ;)

    Emily, thank you, darling!
    xx

    Michelle, tks for stopping by!

    Marysol, they do look romantic, don't they? :D

    Hannah, I want to try as many flavors as possible! :D

    Tanna, thank you, sweetie!
    xx

    Lisa, I think you are right, darling!

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  20. beautiful marshmallows! I love the marbled pink look!

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  21. I woke up this morning thinking about these. :)

    (Happy V-Day, even if it's not in Brasil until June...)

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  22. I made a bunch of homemade marshmallows during the holidays & blogged about them as well. I gave them as gifts! I love the fruit swirled in it and will try on my next batch. thanks!

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  23. oh my gosh you made pink marshmallows, i made them for my christmas post! but mine were raspberry. and how funny--but i said the EXACT same thing about lining their pan with paper, good grief that was difficult getting them out! next time, i wrote, will just coat with butter! i try to convince people that only the pink ones are worth eating. but no one will ever listen to me :)

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  24. I've been too scared of making my own marshmallows but these pink beauties have changed my mind! Bravo Patricia!

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  25. Marshmallows I've seen on food blogs, including yours, look SO much more appetising than shop bought ones. Maybe one day I'll build up the courage to make some myself...

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  26. Oh yeah and don't worry about the haters. They, obviously, are the ones with bad taste... coming to a food blog with their sour attitude. The nerve!

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