candyman!

TWD: Marshmallows!!!
Sippin' from a bottle of vodka double wine

Sweet, sugar, candy man

recipe for the week! *drum roll...* marshmallows!!! chosen by our lovely Judy from Judy Gross Eats

never in my wildest dreams have i thought about making marshmallows. Number one, because i ain't exactly nuts about them, even when u pass me a stick and a bag of marshmallows at a barbeque. Number two, I have never thought about nor attempted dwelling into the art of candy making. honestly, im a wimp and it took me ages to start venturing into bread. candy?!?! I find that even more so intimidating since I don't own a candy thermometer. and EVERYONE knoes that you need one in candy making *rolls eyes*

With that pre-notion, i decided to defy the rules and headed on throught the recipe w/o a candy thermometer. making sure to observe for the sugar syrup boiling to a hard boil stage before i stopped the process. Took a little than less than 10mins, perhaps because the fire settings were bigger.

In the end, the marshmallows turned out perfect.. and when i say perfect, i say it from the opinion of a person who has never ever laid eyes on a piece of marshmallow in a lustful manner. Shuns rocky road brownies and ice-creams because of the marshmallows and even attempts to free her oreo cereal of the teenie bits of marshmallows strewened ard. that says it all does it. They were GOOD!

flavored with mango puree (it was babe's idea! *points innocently at zh.. he claims to be a 'fruity' guy. oh well), the marshmallow was light and melted beautifully in the mouth. the light hue of yellow and the fragrance of the mango matched perfectly. the heavenly scent bursting each time i opened the container to steal a whiff. addiction...

I'll definitely be making these again with the different flavorings recommended in the book. cappuccino marshmallows.. yum.. chocolate marshmallows? (hmph, heard it wld lead to some curdling problem, not sure if that is true or not?)

But for now, here is the much loved recipe for marshmallows from Dorie Greenspan's book.

Adapted from Baking from My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

Makes about 1 pound marshmallows

Ingredients: About 1 cup cornstarch

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

2 1/4-ounce packets unflavored gelatin

3 large egg whites, at room temperature

3/4 cup cold water

1/4 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/3 cup mango puree

GETTING READY: Line a rimmed baking sheet -- choose one with a rim that is 1 inch high -- with parchment paper and dust the paper generously with cornstarch. Have a candy thermometer at hand.

Put 1/3 cup of the water, 1 1/4 cups of the sugar and the corn syrup in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Once the sugar is dissolved, continue to cook the syrup -- without stirring -- until it reaches 265 degrees F on the candy thermometer, about 10 minutes.

While the syrup is cooking, work on the gelatin and egg whites.In a microwave-safe bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the remaining cold water (a scant 7 tablespoons) and let it sit for about 5 minutes, until it is spongy, then heat the gelatin in a microwave oven for 20 to 30 seconds to liquefy it. (Alternatively, you can dissolve the gelatin in a saucepan over low heat.)Working in the clean, dry bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in another large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until firm but still glossy -- don't overbeat them and have them go dull.

As soon as the syrup reaches 265 degrees F, remove the pan from the heat and, with the mixer on medium speed, add the syrup, pouring it between the spinning beater(s) and the sides of the bowl. Add the gelatin and continue to beat for another 3 minutes, so that the syrup and the gelatin are fully incorporated. Beat in the vanilla and mango puree.

Using a large rubber spatula, scrape the meringue mixture onto the baking sheet, laying it down close to a short end of the sheet. Then spread it into the corners and continue to spread it out, taking care to keep the height of the batter at 1 inch; you won't fill the pan. Lift the excess parchment paper up to meet the edge of the batter, then rest something against the paper so that it stays in place (I use custard cups).

Dust the top of the marshmallows with cornstarch and let the marshmallows set in a cool, dry place. They'll need about 3 hours, but they can rest for 12 hours or more. Once they are cool and set, cut the marshmallows with a pair of scissors or a long thin knife. Whatever you use, you'll have to rinse and dry it frequently. Have a big bowl with the remaining cornstarch at hand and cut the marshmallows as you'd like -- into squares, rectangles or even strips (as they're cut in France). As each piece is cut, drop it into the bowl. When you've got 4 or 5 marshmallows in the bowl, reach in with your fingers and turn the marshmallows to coat them with starch, then, one by one, toss the marshmallows from one hand to the other to shake off the excess starch; transfer them to a serving bowl. Cut and coat the rest of the batch.

next week's recipe as chosen by Amanda of slow like honey is Bill's Big Carrot Cake! now..tts just exciting! (sam..i knoe you'll be drooling over this one.. MUAHAHA).. Guess i'll be saving up my cravings for this treat then.