The Glory of a Humble Marshmallow.
February 5, 2010Marshmallows are incredibly cool
not only do they taste good
but
by lighting them
you can create a great source of light!!!!
Americans buy 90 million pounds of marshmallows each year, about the same weight as 1286 gray whales.
Technically
marshmallows area confection – Candy, the yanks call it
They’ve been around in the form we know them since the mid-1800s.
Squishy
Soft
Fluffy
and sticky when hot
They are called “marshmallows” because part of the early recipe called for sap from the root of the marshmallow plant.
This is a pink-flowered European perennial herb (Althaea officinalis) of the mallow family that is naturalized in the eastern U.S. and has a mucilaginous root sometimes used in confectionery and in medicine.
That word “mucilaginous” means “jelly-like.”
Later, the root was replaced by gelatin, and that is how modern marshmallows are made.
To make your own marshmallows, here is the recipe:
* 1/4 cup cornstarch
* 1/3 cup confectioners sugar
* 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
* 1/3 cup water
* 2/3 cup granulated sugar
* 1/2 cup light corn syrup
* Pinch of salt
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Sift the cornstarch and confectioners sugar into a bowl. Lightly grease an 8×8-inch square baking pan and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the cornstarch-and-sugar mixture into it. Tilt the pan to coat the sides and the bottom. Leave any excess in the pan.
2. Sprinkle the gelatin into the water in a small saucepan and let soak for five minutes. Add the granulated sugar and stir over low heat until the gelatin and sugar dissolve.
3. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, combine the gelatin mixture, corn syrup, salt and vanilla and beat for 15 minutes on high speed, until peaks form.
4. Spread the fluffy mixture in the prepared pan and smooth the top. Leave for two hours or until set.
5. With a wet knife, cut the marshmallow mixture into quarters and loosen around the edges. Sprinkle the remaining cornstarch-and-sugar mixture on a baking sheet and invert the marshmallow blocks onto it. Cut each quarter into nine pieces and roll each one in the starch and sugar.
6. Place the marshmallows on a cake rack covered with paper towels and let them stand over night to dry the surface slightly. Store airtight; the marshmallows will keep for a month.
