The holidays are fast approaching, and people are looking for something a little sweet and treat-like to indulge in, and I’ve been making marshmallows like a mad fiend here at the Shiba Shack, and will be continuing to make them for special orders right through to Xmas.
Folks who have never had a marshmallow are particularly dazzled when they try a homemade marshmallow — the texture is something special, and the flavor is so much more nuanced than a jet-puft out of a bag.
Most of the flavours you might think of can easily be made as variations on a basic marshmallow recipe — they can be made with egg whites or not (pasteurized egg whites from a carton are just fine). Here’s the one I like to use … a recipe published years ago in Gourmet magazine … (I still refer occasionally to the dog-eared copy of the magazine!).
Chocolate marshmallows however, are a slightly different beast. You still need to achieve that delicate balance of gelatin, heat, sugar and air, but the cocoa solids really do throw a monkey wrench into the works! It is possible to just swirl in cocoa powder at the end of the process, but that never seemed like a satisfying solution to me, and leaves a bit of a sharp cocoa flavour IMO. I want marshmallows that are soft and comforting, with a mellowness to them that is reminiscent of a cup of hot cocoa … and to do that means integrating the cocoa early on the in process. Cocoa solids present 3 challenges here:
- cocoa solids are heavy and oily, naturally countering the fluffiness you are building
- good cocoa flavour can be achieved with “regular” i.e. non Dutched cocoa, BUT needs some acidity to counterbalance things and bring out the best flavour
- cocoa absorbs a heck of a lot of moisture.
My other criteria here was I really wanted to be able to fill a 9×13 pan with fluffy marshmallows that were at least 1″ tall … a minor quibble, but if you are going to the trouble of making marshmallows, you might as well reap maximum rewards, right? 😉
So the final recipe ended up with a few modifications that make a lot of difference. I’ve used what looks like a lot of gelatin here, BUT it is necessary to provide structure and counterbalance the density of the cocoa powder. I’ve also used honey because it is a natural humectant and will offset the drying tendencies of the cocoa, AND because it is also acidic.
And, without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you make it, PLEASE follow the directions precisely … candymaking is all about precision. You need to use a candy thermometer for this (unless you are the candy whisperer and can tell exactly from the sound of the bubbling sugar when it hits the soft-ball stage!). You also need a stand mixer for this one, as this will need to be whippped for at least 12 minutes, maybe more depending on conditions in your kitchen. If it has not cooled sufficiently, you will get condensation forming on the bottom of your chocolate marshmallows — NOT cute in the least!
Chocolate marshmallows guaranteed to hit the spot!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 4 T gelatin
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup (or invert sugar)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/2 cup warm water
- pinch of salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large egg whites (or 60 ml of pasteurized egg whites)
Instructions
- Prepare a 9x13" pan by lightly oiling and dusting liberally with a mixture of 50% cornstarch and cocoa powder OR 50% cornstarch and icing sugar.
- Bloom the cocoa powder in 1/2 cup boiling water in a small bowl. It will form a thick paste ... stir well and set aside.
- Bloom the gelatin in 1/2 cup cold water in the bowl of a stand mixer. Set aside for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine the sugar, corn syrup, honey, salt and warm water in a 2 or 3 quart saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat-high heat, swirling rather than stirring, until the mixture registers about 242 F.
- Add the cocoa paste to the bowl of the mixer.
- Take the syrup off the heat, and immediately add to the bowl of the mixer. Using a metal whisk, stir everything together until well combined, and the gelatin has fully dissolved.
- Add the whisk attachment to your stand mixer and place on medium speed for 2 minutes. (Mine has settings up to 12, and I start on 6). Increase the speed slightly -- I move mine to 8 -- and continue whisking for at least 8 minutes. You should see an increase in volume . Similar to egg whites, you want to build structure on a lower speed and then increase the speed to achieve volume.
- While the gelatin-syrup mixture is whipping, beat your egg whites with a hand mixer to stiff peaks. Do not overbeat at this point (you can also do this ahead of time in the stand mixer and hold in a bowl until you need them... add a pinch of cream of tartar if you do)
- Feel the side of the bowl of the stand mixer. If it is still warm to the touch, continue to beat for another 2 minutes or so ... in my mixer, this process normally takes at least 12 minutes in total. Add the beaten egg whites and mix for 1 more minute.
- With an oiled spatula, work quickly and pour/spoon the marshmallows into the prepared pan. smooth out the top as best you can. Dust the top with the same mixture you used to dust the pan, and let sit undisturbed for 6 hours or longer -- overnight is fine. You want these to continue cooling completely and set up.
- When the marshmallows are set up, using the same mixture you dusted everything with, cut the marshmallows into whatever shape you desire, dusting all the cut edges as you go.
- Store in an airtight container for 2-3 weeks.
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Just letting you know that I linked to this post on my page about Gourmet Hot Chocolate Recipes: http://www.zujava.com/gourmet-hot-chocolate-recipe