Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Homemade Mini Marshmallows


Yes, I've made them before. Memory is not my friend sometimes. In my defense, they weren't MINI marshmallows, they were a completely different beast; chocolate-covered marshmallow Easter eggs. So. Right, thin excuse.

At any rate, my penance shall be to give you not one, but two treasured family recipes.

But first, these marshmallows. I was going to use the recipe in BAKED, but it called for gelatin sheets. I'm sure one could find them, as they suggest, in a specialty shop. But I don't think we have any of them newfangled things out here in the Wild West. And, as usual, I didn't think far enough in advance to order from someplace online. Ah well, lucky me, Alton Brown has a homemade marshmallow recipe that uses packaged gelatin--which--I have! AND, he gives instructions on how to make them mini. Super easy. I think maybe I beat the mixture a little too long and let it get a litte bit too cool. When I finally decided to take it out and pipe it into strips it was extraordinarily sticky. I don't have a 1/2 inch round piping tip, so I figured I would just put it all in a big Ziploc bag and cut the very corner as a piping tip. Sticky sticky sticky mess. I got 3 or 4 strips piped on each of 3 pans and still had quite a bit of the mixture left but it had started exploding through self-made holes in the seams of the bag and I was utterly glued to the bag. So I figured what I had piped to that point was sufficient. I also had to make at least 3 times the amount of cornstarch/confectioners' sugar mixture in order to have enough to sprinkle over all the pans and then sprinkle over the piped marshmallow strips.


AND, I completly forgot to add the vanilla. BUT, all of this was really no big deal. I would still do this again in a second. BECAUSE. Homemade marshmallows are far, FAR superior to that storebought nonsense. I used them in homemade Rocky Road ice cream (there's a fascinating story on that link-click on it!).


And ate some just as they were. And put some in hot cocoa.


And yum, YUM, YUM!


And, by way of penance:



2 eggs
1-1/4 c. sugar
2-1/4 c. milk (I use whole milk)
2-1/4 c. heavy cream
1/2 T vanilla
1/8 t. salt
4 T cocoa stirred into 1/4+1/8 c. hot water

Beat eggs until fluffy.
Add sugar gradually, beating until thick.
Add remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Freeze in home ice cream freezer according to instructions.

For Rocky Road Ice Cream:

Toast and cool 1 c. chopped almonds and stir into frozen ice cream along with at least 1 c. homemade mini marshmallows (honestly, put in as much of both of these as you like--depending on how rocky you like your road to be).


You may notice that I don't cook the ingredients and make a custard before freezing. This is the recipe my family has been using since I was a kid and nobody, NOBODY has ever gotten sick from the raw eggs. So, take from that what you will.


AND:


Marshmallow Eggs *click here for printable version*
(makes approx. 15-20 eggs)

6 T cold water
2 packages plain gelatin
1/2 c. water
1-1/2 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla (or other flavoring as desired)
dash salt
Food coloring (as desired)

1 hard cooked egg with shell left on
some flour in a large pan

Soften gelatin in 6 T cold water.

Put sugar and 1/2 c. water in saucepan and bring to a full boil. Remove from heat. Add gelatin and stir until dissolved. Let cool until just barely warm. Beat with electric beater for about 15 minutes (usually it doesn't take this long if the mixture isn't too warm). Mixture should look like whipped cream when done. Add salt, flavoring and coloring (if using). Fill a large dripper pan (what is a dripper pan, anyway?) with 1 to 2 inches of flour. Make egg shaped depressions by pressing the hard cooked egg as deep as possible in the flour. These holes should be about 1/2 inch apart. With a spoon, heap each hole with the marshmallow mixture, rounding the tops as much as possible. Place pan in refrigerator. When set, remove eggs. Shake off excess flour. Roll eggs in powdered sugar or dip in chocolate.


This is a recipe my mother has used for years and years and years. The version that I have was typed and, I think, mimeographed for distribution. I have made these a couple of times before, dipped in chocolate and then piped flowers on with Royal Icing once the chocolate is set. They're pretty and perfect for Easter.

So...

TGIP Rating--Homemade Mini Marshmallows--KEEPER.

Next up: Geeze, I've got so many things I want to try...I have leftover pie crust in my fridge that probably needs to be used soon. I'll take a pass at Black-Bottom Strawberry Pie.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

The ice cream recipe sounds delicious. However, I remember reading somewhere that eggs are the most common source for salmonella. I think I'll opt for a pasteurized egg when I make this recipe.

April Fossen said...

Sure. I'm just saying, none of us has ever EVER gotten sick after eating it.

pinky said...

Do I understand you to say your udder got glued to the bag? How udderly horrid!!