Marshmallows!!!

Many, many moons ago Martha Stewart Living magazine did a spread on homemade marshmallows. I was intrigued. At the time, my friend Rennie said... "Why would you go to all that trouble when you can buy them at the store for under a dollar?" Since I was a busy wife and mom with 3 kids, a business, a girl scout troop, and running the PTA at the time... I put the idea of making these tender little puffs of sugar out of my head. Besides... other than Rice Krispy treats and S'mores when did I really eat marshmallows?


Now that I am much older (and wiser?) I have decided it's time to tackle the candy thermometer! It has been hanging out in my kitchen drawer unused long enough. It's time that thing earned it's keep.


With recipe in hand I grabbed my equipment, ingredients, and dug out the thermometer. Turned off the phone, cranked up the music, rolled up my sleeves and turned to the stove. Let's do this!!!


Well... it was so easy! I was ready to do battle... and there was no battle to fight. Everything went so smoothly... Amazing! The hardest part was waiting overnight for the marsh to mallow... to set up enough to cut into squares. Don't worry... there was enough on the beaters to lick :-)

So... to reply to Rennie's comment (even if it is over 10 years or more delayed)... "Because they are absolutely delicious and taste like no other marshmallow you have ever eaten... and it was FUN!!!"

Marshmallow Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 packages unflavored gelatin... like Knox
• 1 c cold water
• 1 1/2 c regular sugar
• 1 c light corn syrup
• 1/4 t kosher salt
• 2 t vanilla extract
• 1/4 c confectioners' sugar
• Butter

Directions...

Pour gelatin in bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Add 1/2 c cold water. Let sit.

In a small saucepan combine remaining 1/2 cup water, granulated sugar, corn syrup and salt. Place over medium high heat, cover and allow to cook for 3 to 4 minutes... don't peek. Uncover, clip the candy thermometer onto the side of the pan and continue to cook until thermometer reads 240 degrees F, about 7 to 8 minutes. 

Remove from the heat.

Turn the mixer on low speed and, while running, slowly pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl into the gelatin mixture. Once you have added all of the syrup, increase the speed to high. Continue to whip until the mixture becomes very thick and is lukewarm, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. Add the vanilla and mix another minute.

Meanwhile... 

Butter bottom and sides of a 13 by 9-inch metal baking pan. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar to coat.

When ready, pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Spread evenly with a buttered spatula. Sprinkle top lightly with confectioners' sugar. Allow the marshmallows to sit uncovered for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

Then... 

Turn the marshmallows out onto a cutting board and cut into 1-inch squares using a pizza wheel or knife dusted with confectioners' sugar. Roll each marshmallow gently in the sugar. Store in an airtight container up to 3 weeks.

YUM!!!!!

Hints...

1. Butter is your best friend. It keeps the mixture from sticking to everything. Some people sprayed their pan with cooking spray... you can too... however the oil pools in the corners and makes your marshmallows a little slimy looking and grayish. 

2. Adding a 1/4 c cornstarch to the confectioners' sugar is in a lot of recipes. I didn't like the flavor so omitted it with no problem. Add it if you wish... or not.

3. Think of all the flavor combos you can do!!! Switch the vanilla extract with peppermint. I actually have Chocolate extract... hmmm... a little cocoa powder... some chips... I think I have the makings of Chocolate marshmallows!!!

4. Water is your next best friend. Let your sauce pan, mixing bowl, beaters and all soak in warm water. It makes clean up fast and easy. 

In anticipation of our first nasty weather tonight... I am going to make hot chocolate squares to combine with the marshmallows and deliver them to all of my neighbors tomorrow. Watch for that post!!

Stay warm!

Old & New Friends

As the familiar Girl Scout song goes:

Make new friends, but keep the old.  One is silver and the other is gold.

A ring is round, it has no end. That's how long I want to be your friend.

That song kept spinning in my head all weekend as I met new people, and re-connected with old friends.

I started at The Pennsylvania Quilt Extravaganza in Oaks, PA. For the first time I can remember I was not 'wowed' by any one singular quilt. Not one took my breath away. Don't get me wrong, there were many extraordinary quilts by many incredibly talented people... but I wasn't bowled over. Maybe it was the sour mood I was in. Or maybe it was the rainy weather. Maybe it was the fact that I went late in the afternoon and didn't have the excitement of a large crowd to sway me. I don't know what it was... but that didn't stop me from chatting with fellow quilters.

As I wandered the exhibits, the colors in this quilt caught my attention.

As I looked closer... I realized the color was actually made possible by hand dyed cotton string that was then machine zig-zagged on to heavy black fabric and THEN stitched together to make the quilt. The color of the thread used to zig-zag added another color dimension. Fascinating! Here's a closer look:

As I stood there soaking in the detail and saturated colors... another quilter stood by my side... we started talking... we exchanged contact information... I think we can be friends (Hi Shelia!)

Saturday a friend of mine since I was 5 years old (Hi Beth) called and invited me to join her and a group of people (Hi Jim, Dawn, & Bill) at Monmouth Park... our local horse racing park. This is not something I normally would have thought to do... but I threw caution to the wind and went. It was such a lovely day. Before the horse park I went to PADDLE DAY on the Navesink river in Red Bank, NJ... and had a delightful conversation with a member of Monmouth Boat Club (Hi Carol) and devoured a hamburger off the grill (Thanks Les!). Sprinkle in a few internet chats and phone calls from people I haven't heard from in AGES (Hi Andrea & Brian)... and it was a pretty good day.

A trip to Swedesboro, NJ on Sunday to visit my husband's gravesite (and a few others) and to attend the Wagonhouse Winery Harvest Party to listen to another friend's (and kind of relative) band (Hi Dean) ended up being another opportunity to talk with more people I haven't connected with in YEARS! (Hi Kay & Susan). On a whim I drove by another friend's that I lost contact with over the years. As luck would have it... she and her kids were on their way out to dinner... so I joined them!!! (Hi Rennie, Erin Stevie, Brian... and Gabe). Another phone call brightened my day from a friend I thought I had lost forever (You know who you are... HI). The weekend was topped off by e-conversations with an 'internet friend' I made by joining a yahoo group making BITTYs (3 1/2" quilt squares). BTW... That group is TOTALLY AWESOME!!! (Hi Sooz!)

The friends and family I have mentioned today are just a grain of sand compared to all the others I still have to re-connect with. So 'keep the light on'... I'll be headed your way. I love and appreciate every single one of you. You have all shaped my life in one way or another... and I hope I have done the same for you.

I leave you with another close up of this technicolor quilt. Notice how the purple thread over the blue looks totally different than the red thread? It's mind boggling in person.