A few months ago (six to be precise) I was sent a cookbook on how to make marshmallows. As I am a little big of a gannet-gob when it comes to marshmallows, I jumped at the chance to find out how to make them. Unfortunately it's taken me until now to review it because I don't review items without trying them out first (otherwise it's a press release and I'm not a magazine) and I've had great difficulty finding pectin to use as opposed to the traditional gelatine; being a vegetarian I do try and avoid gelatine where possible, especially in my own cooking. Last weekend I found some (in an Asda I don't normally visit. Asda of all places!) and set to follow one of the yummy recipes.
Marshmallow Madness by Shauna Sever is a very attractive recipe book with intriguing marshmallow recipe beautifully written up and photographed.
The puffy cover gets you in the mood for marshmallows straight away, the inside cover provides a very comprehensive diagram of the different flavours and how they are split into four main base flavours with additional ingredients added. The Kahlua filled chocolate malt marshmallow grabbed my attention straight away! There are a huge range of other flavours from classic vanilla through to pumpkin spice, via margarita and the intriguingly titled fuzzy navel!
The main thing to note about this book is that it is written by an American author and therefore measurements are American (cups and ounces) and a few of the ingredients are different (corn syrup and confectioner's sugar). However, Google is a good friend at times like this and while Britain doesn't stock corn syrup, golden syrup or maple syrup are just as good, and confectioner's sugar turns out to be icing sugar.
I had a go at the deeply chocolate marshmallows which need dark unsweetened cocoa powder and espresso powder along with the usual ingredients. Well, in time honoured tradition in this house I didn't have any unsweetened cocoa powder so used normal drinking chocolate, and as I wanted The Boy to try it I used decaffinated coffee powder. The other notable difference, as previously mentioned, was the pectin as opposed to the gelatine, and golden syrup not corn syrup.
The recipe wasn't too hard to make, and involved four main parts of making 'the bloom' (softening the pectin), making the chocolate syrup, boiling the sugar mix up (difficult to know when you've reached 250°F without a thermometer) and beating the mallow ingredients together to make it rise to three times the volume. This is the only part that went a bit wrong and it could be for any number of reasons, most likely because I wasn't using gelatine.
After six hours of setting time, the end result was the final picture above. It tasted more like a chocolate jelly sweet than the fluffy sweet I'm used to, but it was tasty and moreish. The golden syrup was a very strong taste alongside the coffee, so possibly next time I'll use maple syrup instead.
I will be attempting other recipes from this book because it's quite a fun thing to make, and they'd be a nice delicacy at a party over the Christmas period, especially the buttered rum marshmallows. The author also includes a range of other recipes at the back of the book like Lemon Dream Whoopie Pies, Chocolate Marshmallow Roulade and Blonde Rocky Roadwhich would be great fun over the forthcoming months with Hallowe'en, Bonfire Night and Christmas coming up.
After well, what speaks more of Autumn and Winter than hot chocolate with marshmallows on top?
Marshmallow Madness is available from Amazon here or you could win a copy by filling in the Rafflecopter form below.
I was sent a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. My opinion is honest and unbiased.
Love the cover of the book, not tried making marshmallow before! Must do soon.
Oh My Woolly Word: delicious!
That book looks so pretty – I have no idea how to make marshmallows, very tempted to have a go! x
i really like the cover of the book!!! i can imagine that the book would be fun and i must put making marshmallow on my to do list
I'm a year-round peppermint creme lover, with chocolate coated ones for the winter months. I call it my sanity.
And I spotted veggie gelatin in Asda yesterday too – though I wasn't looking for it.
Any type of sweet item is a winner with me. I have no idea where to even begin with making marshmallows
love treacle toffee, more of an autumn treat but love it anyway
i like all kind of sweets!
Pecan bars – yummy!
I love the fact cookies in our local bakery add a few seasonal spices such as cinnamon to the mix makes them yummy.
I love hot chocolate with marshmallows on top – its a real treat when its so cold outside x
treacle toffee
Ummm, isn't chocolate the answer in any season? 😛 @pipersky1
Turkish delight,it's a christmas thing for me 🙂
Chocolate lindt santas!
Toasted marshmallows, of course! 😉
honeycomb
toffee apples
Quality Streets – I never buy them during the year, but once the tins come into the shops……..
At Christmas-time i love to indulge in traditional treats like Liqueur chocs, truffles and candy canes… yum!
Anything with cinnamon! Jelly Belly Beans!
I don't have a favourite winter one…. i love everything basically…. but i do love to buy the tins of heros and quality street chocolates. It an essential buy at christmas time….. well thats what i keep telling myself anyway 😉
Honey comb on Bon fire night.
Caramelised almonds – I absolutely love it!
@caro_mad
I Love walnut whips! mmm
Honey comb
Toasted marshmallows
treacle toffee
Im terrible at December time for fudge, the victorian market always brings lavish quantities, I beg the family to all pitch in and get me some. I swear i must ear over a kilo of sugar… or two over that period..
So naughty, but oh so nice..
Marshmallow or fudge, but then Christmas is time for Quality Street LOL
thorntons toffee and cinammon latte
Terrys Chocolate Oranges, some reason I only ever buy them in the winter. If they have popping candy in them, even better!
Snowballs!! Because they put me in the christmas spirit 😀
fudge x
Lemon meringue pie baby
Milk Terrys Chocolate orange, or mint popperts!
Gingerbread
Victory V'S I like those in the winter time!
Great Comp !!!
Peppermint Bark – yum, yum, yum
Dark chocolate with Chilli
Never even considered making my own marshmallows, and fudge yummy x
Selection Packs
Treacle toffee
Toffee Apples
Treacle toffee
Fudge is definately my favourite
Toasted Marshmallows! I can't believe there are people out there who havent tried it, i come across them all the time.
peppermint creams always get me in a christmassy mood
Wow, great competition. Me and my daughter could have lots of fun with this book
Bonfire toffee.
FUDGE WILL DO
FUDGE FOR ME!
scotish tablet .
I love marshmellows!!!!!
Favourite winter confectionary is warm chocolate fudge cake.
I love a good apple crumble!
Fudge & toffee are for me.
I absolutely adore homemade fudge
I couldn't choose just one to be my favourite…..I love ALL things sweet, including my Husband….but don't tell him I said that.
Fudge 🙂
Looks delicious!!!
Rice crispy and marshmallow cakes!
Candy canes omnomnom x
I Love Fudge Yum!
Sweet roasted nuts. Yummy
Cranberry bliss bars
Treacle toffee or (cake style) gingerbread 🙂
Homemade peppermint creams!
Would it be too ironic to say marshmallows? I can't have my hot chocolate without them!
Anything that contains sweets or chocolate
I love treacle toffee. When i was a kid my Grandmother use to make it and roll it into spiral sticks.
treacle toffee
Terry chocolate orange and toblerone.
I love toffee and fudge and at Christmas I love the tins of Roses etc
I'm not fussy any sweets will do, fudge my fav tho
Hot chocolate with marshmallows 🙂
Marshmallows toasted in the fire on bonfire night
Homemade Fudge!
Turkish delight at christmas.
Yorks berry fruit sweets make me feel Christmassy when I see them in the shops. My mum used to buy them when I was little.
Pistachio and cranberry fudge, very christmassy and VERY delicious
hot choc with marshmallows, whipped cream and sprinkles
Chocolate Liqueurs!
I love fudge; all year round!
Treacle toffee, yum!! I am heartbroken because NO supermarkets stock it around here. Why, I don't know. I have to go to Thorntons which is miles away 🙁
Coconut ice, I make it every Christmas for my Dad 🙂
I love traditional treacle toffee in the winter. This book looks great.
Toffee is definatley my favourite
honeycomb
homemade chocolate chip cookies – they brighten up any day.
chocolate covered honeycombe
A big box of Quality Street – something so Christmassy about it!
I had no idea you could even make marshmallows at home – I assumed special equipment was required. *shameface*
At Christmas, I turn into a Quality Street addict!
Hot chocolate with marshmallows! Makes you feel all cosy during the winter months.
Homemade Peppermint Creams made with the kids at xmas !
I love gingerbread all year round (& imho you can't beat traditional Grasmere Gingerbread). At Christmas my SiL (who is American) makes wonderful Gingerbread cake with a crumbly topping from her Grandmothers recipe – it's divine!
I love after eight mints!
Treacle Toffee
Chocolate covered brazil nuts. yum
Chocolate with a cup of coffee!
A bar of chunky milk chocolate
Treacle toffee 🙂
Coffee creams or coffee truffles
Turkish Delight , the one that comes in boxes with all the dust and you only see around Christmas time
Definitely fudge. Delicious!
I'm always obsessed with cookies, especially the soft ones that are kinda half baked!! Add some toffee bits in and I'm in heaven!
Homemade chocolate truffles at christmas
Toffee Apples mmmmmm
caramel covered marshmallows
Coconut Ice
cinnamon cookies
Mulled Wine toffee! its incredible!
I do love a toffee apple and we're coming up to just the right time of year!
melted chocolate x
Treacle toffee! yum yum yum.
Baileys truffles, mmm