Making My Own Snow

Not to mention it, but it's been warm around here. The daffodils are blooming, and New York was wandering around coatless yesterday. The wind was at proper strength, and the windows were open. It's Purim, the season of dressing as your opposite number, and getting so drunk that you can't tell the difference any which way between you and your worst enemy.

I know a little about topsy-turveydom at my house right now, as the wind sweeps through and blows the dust around. But the task at hand was anything but chaotic, in fact, these marshmallows were the simplest specimens of their kind that I've ever made. As I sifted the potato-starch-and-confectioners-sugar coating over them, I felt the quiet satisfaction of the snow globe, the mastering of my tiny universe.

Quirk Books sent me over a copy of Marshmallow Madness, by Shauna Sever, to review over a month ago (thanks). Last night, in a bit of a haze, I finally tried it out. The book is essentially a series of flavor variations on one or two basic recipes. Unlike some marshmallow recipes, there are no egg whites, and the base recipe relies almost entirely on sugar, corn syrup, and gelatin. For my 'mallows, I adapted Sever's maple-bacon recipe. Lacking bacon, I substituted cacao nibs for a more austere crunch.

The photo above is one of the first from my new iphone (yay), and while it obviously has room for improvement, I'm very excited to have my own photo apparatus again instead of relying on others for my documentation.

I love marshmallows, but even I found myself a little daunted by possession of a whole tin of home made (and thus more perishable) ones. I feel like, on the whole, this is less of a baking project for a casual Thursday night, and more one for when you have to impress someone or amuse a child (or impress an amused child). I will, however, be making cocoa tonight.

Maple Bacon Marshmallows

from Marshmallow Madness

makes about 2 dozen 1 1/2 inch marshmallows

4 1/2 teaspoons unflavored powdered gelatin

1/4 cup cold water

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup Grade A dark or Grade B maple syrup

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup chopped candied bacon*

1/2 cup Classic Coating**

(Before anything, check all your equipment, especially your candy thermometer, and make the Candied Bacon and the Classic Coating.  Then you can get started.)

Lightly coat an 8 x 8 inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Whisk together the gelatin and cold water in a bowl and let soften.

Stir together the sugar, ample syrup, corn syrup, water and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring it to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally, until it hits 240 degrees F.  (Be prepared to lower the heat as need -- this syrup has a tendency to bubble up.) Microwave the gelatin on high until completely melted, about 30 seconds.  Pour it into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Set the mixer to low and keep it running till you're ready to add the syrup.

When the syrup has reached 240 degrees F., slowly pour it into the mixer bowl.  Increase the speed to medium and beat for 5 minutes.  Increase to medium high and beat for 3 more minutes.  Add the cinnamon, increase to the highest speed. and beat for 1 minute more.  Quickly fold in the bacon bits.  Pour into the prepared pan.  Sift coating over top.  Let it set in a cool dry place for 6 hours.  

Use a knife to loosed the marshmallow from the edges of the pan.  Invert the slab onto a work surface. Cut into piece and dust again with more coating. Eat 'em up!

*To make candied bacon, lay 6 or 7 slices on a wire rack set over a sheet pan lined with foil.  Combine 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon.  Rub over both sides of bacon.  Bake at 350 degrees F until deeply caramelized, 30 to 35 minutes.  Let cool before chopping into bits.

**Classic Coating: Sift 1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar with 1 cup corn or potato starch.  (Store extra tightly covered.)

Daring Bakers: Milan Cookies

The July Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Nicole at Sweet Tooth. She chose Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies and Milan Cookies from pastry chef Gale Gand of the Food Network.

I made both, and found them both wonderfully easy (although I almost forgot the flour again in the Milans, is this a trend?)--and addictive. Nicole admits that she picked these recipes just because she personally loves them, and I agree. They're impressive and fun, and simple. I only have pictures from the Milans, but I also made the Mallows (with store bought marshmallows and whole foods chocolate chips) and they were equally excellent. The recipe makes a lot.
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Mallows (Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies)
Recipe courtesy Gale Gand, from Food Network website

• 3 cups (375grams/13.23oz) all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (112.5grams/3.97oz) white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 12 tablespoons (170grams/ 6 oz) unsalted butter
• 3 eggs, whisked together
• Homemade marshmallows, recipe follows
• Chocolate glaze, recipe follows

1. In a mixer with the paddle attachment, blend the dry ingredients.
2. On low speed, add the butter and mix until sandy.
3. Add the eggs and mix until combine.
4. Form the dough into a disk, wrap with clingfilm or parchment and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.
5. When ready to bake, grease a cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper or a silicon mat.
6. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
7. Roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thickness, on a lightly floured surface. Use a 1 to 1 1/2 inches cookie cutter to cut out small rounds of dough.
8. Transfer to the prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Let cool to room temperature.
9. Pipe a “kiss” of marshmallow onto each cookie. Let set at room temperature for 2 hours.
10. Line a cookie sheet with parchment or silicon mat.
11. One at a time, gently drop the marshmallow-topped cookies into the hot chocolate glaze.
12. Lift out with a fork and let excess chocolate drip back into the bowl.
13. Place on the prepared pan and let set at room temperature until the coating is firm, about 1 to 2 hours.

Note: if you don’t want to make your own marshmallows, you can cut a large marshmallow in half and place on the cookie base. Heat in a preheated 350-degree oven to slump the marshmallow slightly, it will expand and brown a little. Let cool, then proceed with the chocolate dipping.

Homemade marshmallows:
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 3/4 cup (168.76 grams/5.95oz) sugar
• 1 tablespoon powdered gelatin
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 2 egg whites , room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. In a saucepan, combine the water, corn syrup, and sugar, bring to a boil until “soft-ball” stage, or 235 degrees on a candy thermometer.
2. Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water and let dissolve.
3. Remove the syrup from the heat, add the gelatin, and mix.
4. Whip the whites until soft peaks form and pour the syrup into the whites.
5. Add the vanilla and continue whipping until stiff.
6. Transfer to a pastry bag.

Chocolate glaze:
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 2 ounces cocoa butter or vegetable oil

1. Melt the 2 ingredients together in the top of a double boiler or a bowl set over barely simmering water.
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Milan Cookies
Recipe courtesy Gale Gand, from Food Network website

• 12 tablespoons (170grams/ 6 oz) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 1/2 cups (312.5 grams/ 11.02 oz) powdered sugar
• 7/8 cup egg whites (from about 6 eggs)
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons lemon extract
• 1 1/2 cups (187.5grams/ 6.61 oz) all purpose flour
• Cookie filling, recipe follows

Cookie filling:
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 orange, zested

1. In a mixer with paddle attachment cream the butter and the sugar.
2. Add the egg whites gradually and then mix in the vanilla and lemon extracts.
3. Add the flour and mix until just well mixed.
4. With a small (1/4-inch) plain tip, pipe 1-inch sections of batter onto a parchment-lined sheet pan, spacing them 2 inches apart as they spread.
5. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or until light golden brown around the edges. Let cool on the pan.
6. While waiting for the cookies to cool, in a small saucepan over medium flame, scald cream.
7. Pour hot cream over chocolate in a bowl, whisk to melt chocolate, add zest and blend well.
8. Set aside to cool (the mixture will thicken as it cools).
9. Spread a thin amount of the filling onto the flat side of a cookie while the filling is still soft and press the flat side of a second cookie on top.
10. Repeat with the remainder of the cookies.

Delicious Goo

What is this wonderful mess? Guess...Yes it is. I made marshmallows. Real ones. This is one of the few times I'm willing to suspend all my food additive iffiness, because you just can't really make this kind of candy without really going all out on corn syrup and white sugar. And it is gooey and delicious. And easy. To make these, I used an Alton Brown recipe recommended by Artisan Sweets.

They are basically sugar, salt, corn syrup, gelatin, vanilla extract, and water. Heat em, whip em, dry em and coat them in tapioca starch and powdered sugar, and then cut them up and eat them! They work! They are marshmallows! Matt used them for raw s'mores and I put them into my cocoa. Actually, I made cocoa especially for them. Now I am consumed with plans to make them thicker, higher, and better flavored...Any ideas? Coffee flavored and cocoa dusted comes to mind via Martha Stewart...