I have loved marshmallows for as long as I can remember. The light and airy, spongy texture, combined with the rich vanilla flavour, was and will always be a true delight for me.
They are quite easy to make, as quite a bit of gelatine-based confections are. Moreover, requiring only a handful of ingredients and minutes of time, they are much better than any shop-bought marshmallow can be.
Kept it a box with a tight seal, they will last for days. Amazing on their cloudy own, and wonderful with a mug of hot chocolate, they are the perfect homemade gift, wrapped and adorned with a satin ribbon, and a few chosen words.
Ingredients
For the marshmallows
400 grams granulated sugar
240 ml cold water, divided
15 grams unflavoured gelatine
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
For the coating
150 grams ground walnuts
1 ½ teaspoon espresso powder
Preparation
Before you start, make sure everything is prepared. Mix together the ground walnuts and the espresso really well, and set it aside. Take a 20x20 cm square pan, lightly grease the bottom and sides, line it with baking parchment, and then spread some of the walnut mixture on the bottom and set aside. Pour 120 ml of cold water in a bowl of a large stand mixer, or a large mixing bowl, sprinkle in the gelatine, and set it aside for about 10 minutes, so the gelatine can bloom. Pour the rest of the cold water into a heavy-bottomed, add in the granulated sugar, and place it over high heat. Let it come to a boil, lower the heat to medium, and let it boil until it reaches the soft-ball stage – 115°C. Do not stir while the syrup is cooking.
Once it is ready, carefully remove the pan from the heat, and pour it over the gelatine. Mix very carefully on the lowest speed until gelatine is dissolved, being very careful, because it is extremely hot; then bring up the speed to the highest setting and mix for about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla bean paste, and blend until it becomes very thick and fluffy, about 10 minutes more. When the mixture has tripled in volume, pour it quickly into the prepared pan, level the top, and lightly sprinkle with the walnuts and espresso. Let the marshmallows sit at room temperature for at least 8 hours. Carefully invert the marshmallow block onto a sheet of baking parchment, and then sprinkle walnuts on the bottom side. Cut into desired pieces, and roll them into the remaining walnuts. Serve with hot chocolate and cocoa. Yields 16 large marshmallows, or 64 small pieces.
