Homemade Strawberry Marshmallows
- On July 4, 2012
- In Soule Food
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I have to say I have always wanted to make my own marshmallows ever since a local bakery called Butter started making them and I realized that it was even possible to make homemade Marshmallows.
Then the latest issue of Edible Vancouver came out featuring homemade strawberry marshmallows on the cover and that was it, no more waiting around I was on a quest for the best strawberries I could find and I was going to make me some tasty treats!
I have to say I was surprised to find out how easy making these were, dangerously easy, if you have a mix master and a candy thermometer that is.
It was easy to convince Zahra to make them with me and together we set about a few nights ago to make these tasty confections.
Gathering the ingredients was also pretty easy except that all I had was golden corn syrup and not the light kind, but we tried it anyways and all I can say is that it did not seem to make any difference at all, since they next day I had to run out and get the light kind and make another batch and they both taste amazing, so I am not sure what the difference is?
The first batch we made was strawberry and the second batch was Vanilla Rose, both are swoon-worthy, creamy in texture and full of flavor, the strawberry especially!
So without any further chit chat here is the recipe exactly how I made it and taken from the Edible Vancouver article by Michele Adams with my own additions and comments added in of course!
Strawberry Marshmallows:
Ingredients:
- 1-1/4 cups water, divided
- 1/2 cup strawberry puree
- 4 envelopes gelatin
- 3 cups sugar
- 1-1/4 cups light corn syrup
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
Preparation:
1. Prepare a 9×13 pan. They say line it, but I oiled mine liberally with veg oil and it was fine.
2. Place ½ cup of the water and the strawberry puree in the bowl of a large stand mixer. Sprinkle the gelatin on top and stir briefly to distribute. Let gelatin sit and dissolve for at least 5 minutes. If you want a really pink color add 4-6 drops of food coloring to the mix at this point.
3. Place remaining ¾ cup of water, corn syrup, and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar, and insert a candy thermometer.
4. Allow the mixture to cook without stirring until it reaches 240 degrees on the thermometer. Brush down the sides occasionally with a wet pastry brush to avoid crystallization. While the candy cooks, briefly run the mixer on low to ensure the gelatin and puree is well-mixed.
5. Once the candy reaches the proper temperature, remove it from the heat immediately. Turn the mixer to low, and slowly pour the hot syrup into the mixer bowl. Be careful, as the syrup is extremely hot. If you have a large (at least 3 cup) liquid measuring cup with a spout, you can transfer the hot syrup to the cup before pouring to make it easier.
6. Gradually increase the speed of the mixer until it running on high. Whip the marshmallow mixture for 10 minutes, or until it is stiff and shiny. You can tell it is done when you stop the mixer and lift up the beater, the marshmallow will slowly drip back down into the bowl in a thick, shiny stream.
7. Pour the marshmallow into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Allow it to sit and firm up at room temperature for at least 10 hours.
8. Sift the powdered sugar and cornstarch together. Cover your workstation with waxed paper to protect it, and liberally sprinkle the surface with the sugar/starch mixture. Sprinkle the top of the marshmallow with the sugar/starch coating, and flip the marshmallow face down onto the prepared surface.
9. Carefully peel back the foil from the marshmallow, and sprinkle the top of the marshmallow slab with the coating powder. Spray a large smooth-bladed knife with nonstick cooking spray, and coat both sides with the coating powder. Cut the marshmallow into squares, coating the knife blade with sugar/starch as needed. Roll the cut edges of the marshmallows in the coating mixture so that all sides are smooth and not sticky.
10. To save marshmallows, store them in a dry airtight container in a temperate, dry location. Do not refrigerate them or keep them in a very humid place. If they are stored longer than two or three days, you may need to re-roll them in coating. Fresh marshmallows go stale after about a week, so these are best eaten soon after they are made.
Harvesting Nettles
We drove for over an hour deep into the mountains and into the wild beauty of Squamish, then it was down an old roads, on which we got stuck, but us gals managed just fine and with a few pushes Zahra and Shanti had us out!
The forest is alive and bursting with growth this time of year, moss is vibrant and dripping off of the trees and the local salmonberry bushes are bursting with deep pink flowers, and of course the nettle patches are lush and full, it truly was magical!
First we gave offerings and prayers to the land asking for permission to harvest the nettles and other sweet pickings, tossing sweet pollen from my bee hives laced with lavender and big pinches of sage and tobacco.
Then of course nettles sting so we had to don our gloves for the task, somehow I still managed to come home with tender arms and legs, but it was well worth it!
Nettles are high in Iron, calcium, magnesium, iron, B complex A and D, potassium, zinc, copper and many other nourishing vitamins. Nettles are great for a myriad of things, but mostly they serve as a nourishing tonic, especially for us woman. Nettles are great for menstrual cramps, anemia and serves as a deeply a fortifying tonic for anyone who is pregnant or lactating.
Most years I can get my hands on a small amount of these from the farmers market, but this year I was able to harvest a large basket full which is a true blessing!
Once we got back home I excitedly began making nettle vinegar which I have always wanted to make but never had enough to really get a good batch or more more then a tincture or some nettle chips which I blogged about last year.
I was also able to get several bunches together for drying, and these will be made into teas and nettle salt.
The rest I have cut up for making Nettle soup{Next time it will be nettle gnocchi!} with the leftover stems and other bits boiled into a broth that will go into the garden as a tonic give back to the land, the flowers love the extra nutrients!
Yes today we all were truly nourished, full of offerings from the land and giving a little back for out part in taking.
I feel truly grateful, and blessed to be living so close to such abundance.
Nettle Soup:
Ingredients:
3-4 large potatoes
1 med sized onion
½ lb- young nettles-approx 8 cups
7-8 basil leaves
2 tbsp butter
4 cups chicken or veg stock
sea salt & black pepper
4 tablespoons sour cream
Method:
Peel, chop the potatoes and boil for 10 min’s in salted water. Drain.
Wash & chop coarsely the nettles and basil
Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the nettles, onions and basil and stir cooing the onions until tender. Add the potatoes and stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
When all is cooked and soft, cool slightly & purée in a blender, adding salt, pepper and the sour cream.
Russian New year
Russia has been an unintentional theme this week….
It started with a package that arrived in the mail from my friend Nao filled with goodies and a small bag of Russian tea called Chaga, which is a mushroom that grows on Birch trees that was first discovered in Russia. Folklore said that when the local peasants who could not afford black tea they drank Chaga and swore that it boosted the immune system and prevented cancer. Later when studies were done, it was found that it was in fact good for treating patients for cancer and at shrinking tumors!
Since I have been fighting a head cold, my favorite thing to do is to brew up a spicy pot full of ginger and other herbs, but since I always have to drink one caffeinated cup of black tea a day I decided to make a strong gingery pot of “Chaga Chai”!
All I can say is this is delicious in a cup, and I am starting to feel better!
Later that day an e-mail came in from one of my favorite cooking blogs with a Russian Cake called Apple Sharlotka, made with apples and sounding divine. Oh and today is January 7th the Russian New year, as I have mentioned here before Russia is dear to my heart for my great Grandfather and grandmother came here from Romania, which at the time was a part of Russia and still steeped in many of the same traditions.
And so, as I write this post, the house is lingering with of the smell of baking apples, and the gingery pot of brew I have been drinking all day, the kids tummies are full of cake, and I am feeling cozy and cared for. Oh and today, January 7th is the Russian New Year–Happy New Year Russia!!
Perhaps I can start the New year all over again, yes I think that sounds perfect!
Here is the recipe of the best, most simple, creamy, sweet and divine apple cake I have ever baked–seriously, it has no baking powder or soda which is surprising, but it works due to the eggs.
Russian Apple Sharlotka
Ingredients:
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 eggs
- 3-6 tart apples, such as Granny Smith
Method:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Combine flour, sugar, and eggs, beating well to completely dissolve the sugar.
- Wash the apples, cut them into quarters, and cut away the core and seeds.
- Cut the apples into thinish slices.
- Grease a round cake pan and dust it lightly with flour, this cake is sticky.
- Toss all apple slices on the bottom of the pan.
- Pour the batter mixture over the apples, spreading it gently with a spatula.
- Bake for 40 minutes until a toothpick, inserted into the center of the cake, comes out dry and the cake is beginning to pull away from the edges of the pan.
- Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack. Run a knife around the edges of the pan, and place a serving plate over the pan. Invert the pan (turn the pan upside-down) onto the serving plate. May be served warm or at room temperature.
Scenes from a week-end…
Weekends are sacred especially when the sun is out!
This week-end though these Red Pears called to me and I answered their siren call!
My inspiration for this jam came from 2 places and although I may have to make another batch, I have to admit that my playing around made for a more syrupy jam then I had hoped for. Also next time I will not double the recipe!
My latest inspiration is coming from my new book We Sure Can By: Sarah B Hood.
I am loving all the recipes and full color pages, inspiration is not hard to find in this book!
I am also loving this newly found blog Food In Jars, and it was their recipe that I mostly used here and tweaked.
Red Pear Lavender Vanilla Jam
5 cups chopped red pears-skins on. This helps with thickening the jam and for it’s pretty color.
2 1/2 cups granulated white sugar
3 tablespoons food grade lavender buds
juice from 1/2 lemon
2 tsp vanilla extract
Combine chopped pears and sugar in a medium, non-reactive pot. Stir to combine so that the sugar starts to bring out the liquid in the pears.
Place lavender buds in a muslin spice bag or tea ball,{or place directly into your pot, which is what I did mostly because I love the little bits of candied lavender in my jam.} Place in pot with pears and sugar. Add lemon juice and stir.
Put pot on stove and heat to high. Bring jam to a boil, stirring regularly. Continue to cook over high heat until jam thickens. Or at this point if your jam isnot thickening you can add pectin–just simply follow directions for making pear jam-you will probably also need to add more sugar though.
When jam is done (mine took 30 minutes to cook probably because my pears were really ripe), remove pot from heat. Pour into your sterilized jars.
Wipe jar rims, apply lids and rings and process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes.
When time is up, remove jars from canner and let them cool.
Sealed jars can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to one year. Unsealed jars should be refrigerated and used relatively quickly.
The soul of soule food
About a year ago I added a new category called Soule food, because I am constantly inspired by the vast creation that can happen in the kitchen, the feelings associated with certain smells and the invocation of childhood memories through a simple taste or smell.
When I became a mother I felt like I was suddenly tapped into all of my maternal ancestors, the Irish and Ukrainian on my fathers side and the Welsh and Scottish on my mothers, they all clamored for me to bake, preserve and nurture my family and I have willingly allowed them to come through!
Here in Canada, Thanksgiving week-end is upon us, and like much of Canada we are a multi-cultural family full of our own traditions and using the long week-end as an excuse to gather, paying little tribute to it’s long and bloody past.
My husband is East Indian, well actually he is Canadian, but his parents are both Indian, and so our gatherings whether they are for thanksgiving ,Christmas, or birthdays always have a component of their culture.
This means that we can usually be found eating Butter Chicken, Byriani, homemade samosas and Indian sweets such as Gulab’s or Rasmali as a part of these gatherings!
I love to watch the memories that our children are gathering, as we cook, making the smells of cooking spices and the promise of Indian treats that they not not get anywhere else but with this family. These are priceless moments, and they build on each other to create something sacred in amongst everyday living.
For the past year Sohrab’s mother whom our children refer to as Dadi Jan has been teaching Zahra how to cook Indian food, starting with Zahra’s favorites Puris, which are a puffed chapati like bread that is served with Mango pulp at dinners.
I can not describe the joy I get from watching this being passed on, something that was rare with my own grandparents, being that they were either very old or dead by the time I was interested in cooking.
The children gather all in a line rolling out the dough, with Zahra now teaching the little ones since she is the older cousin. I myself have been taking lessons since we got married, and have been given the job of the “fry queen” cooking the puri’s up into golden puffs of yumminess!
This thanksgiving week-end has been full of equal amounts of relaxing and eating, but I also realize that there is so much to be grateful for in lieu of how the rest of the world lives. We have our health, food and family together–for this I am utterly grateful!
On Sunday Suppers and Sweet Pea Pesto….
Every Sunday our family tries to attend a sacred outdoor church. Yes we try as much as possible to get out of the city and into the cathedral of the red wood trees, for our church is the most beautiful, the oldest and most sacred of all the churches we could find anywhere.
Once out of the city, we hike as far as the kids can go, and then sit in the cool shade for drinks, chatter and quiet reflection. After an hour or two we head back into the city stopping at the market on the way home to pickup special things for our Sunday supper.
Sunday suppers are my favorite meal of the week, mostly because there is no rush, we have all settled into the week-end and are ready for a quiet evening in because tomorrow it is back to school and work for us all. I like to take the afternoon to decide on the meal and then we all get excited as I work in the kitchen preparing it, as it is usually either something none of us have had before and are excited to try, or an old favorite that we all know and love.
This Sunday I found a big beautiful bag of sweet peas from the farmers market, and so armed with these, and a recipe from my favorite cooking site Smitten Kitchen for Sweet pea pesto, I was set to make a fresh pasta for our Sunday supper. I could not wait to share this recipe with you because it is simple to make and crazy good!
The pesto was easy to make and the color stunning!
The end result a smooth and creamy pesto that you add to any of your favorite pasta, I used some fresh linguini I picked up but any type would have worked here…..
The recipe I used{and tweaked} from Smitten Kitchen.
1 1/2 cups fresh peas or a 10-ounce package frozen peas, defrosted
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
1/2 cup grated or dried Parmesan cheese
1 small tomato diced
1/4 teaspoon table salt, plus more for pasta water
1/3 cup olive oil
12 ounces dried linguine or 1 package of fresh
Basil or mint leaves 2-3 leaves of either.
The trick when cooking fresh peas is all in the “not overcooking them” so although it is a real pain, plan to have a ice bath or some super cold water running for them when they come out of the boiling water AND only cook them for 2 min’s.
Once your peas are cooked put 1/2 cup aside and then get the rest of them into your food processor along with the cheese, pine nuts olive oil and if you wish either fresh basil or mint. I used the basil this time, but I bet the mint would also be pretty good. Whiz it all together and while your pasta cooks.
Make sure that you save 1-2 cups of your pasta water to mix back into it as the pesto is really thick and the pasta water makes for a creamy sauce.
Once you have mixed half of the pesto into the pasta along with your pasta water you can decide if you want more pesto or not, I only ended up using half of mine and freezing the rest, it really is personal taste.
Add more Parmesan to the top along with the diced tomatoes and enjoy!
Where is your Sunday church?
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