Archive for: marshmallow
As a pumpkin fan, things that call for pumpkin pie spices always catch my eye, though I am always surprised to see the wide variety of foods that get an infusion of fall flavor through pumpkin spice flavoring. These Pumpkin Spice Marshmallows were no exception. The jet puffed marshmallows are made by Kraft and appeared on the shelves in the baking aisle at stores in my area just a couple of weeks ago. Pumpkin pie spice is made with cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg, and this combination of spices is so closely associated with pumpkin pie that it will give just about anything a dose pumpkin pie flavor. When I picked up the marshmallows to give them a try, I wasn’t sure how the flavor would come through, but the marshmallows actually tasted great. They had a distinct pumpkin pie spice flavor without being too strong, and they had a nice sweetness to them that actually made them turn out to be a pretty good snack. The marshmallows were smaller than your typical jet puffed marshmallows, and were shaped like little orange pumpkins, too.
I’ve made homemade marshmallows with a variety of different flavors and typically have very good results. These are probably the most successful commercially available flavored marshmallows I’ve tried – and because of that, I’m glad that I did! These are great in hot chocolate and other pumpkin spice coffee drinks, and I suspect that they might make a good marshmallow topping for that classic marshmallow topped sweet potato dish that is a Thanksgiving staple for many, too.
Update: Use these to make Pumpkin Pie Rice Krispy Treats for a fall twist on a classic childhood treat!
Rocky Road ice cream is a flavor with a great story behind it. It was created in March of 1929 by ice cream makers Joseph Edy and William Dreyer, who put marshmallows and walnuts into chocolate ice cream. After the big Stock Market Crash in December of 1929 (which started the Great Depression), the partners gave the flavor it’s current name – Rocky Road – “to give folks something to smile about in the midst of the Great Depression.” Even the story puts a smile on my face, and the ice cream itself is one of the most popular flavors out there almost a century later.
Rich chocolate ice cream, crunchy walnuts and sweet, fluffy marshmallows are a fantastic combination for an ice cream flavor. I start my Homemade Rocky Road Ice Cream with a classic chocolate ice cream base. The basic custard is made with milk and cream, and thickened with egg yolks. The chocolate flavor comes both from semisweet chocolate and cocoa powder, so it has a really balanced chocolate flavor that is neither too dark nor too sweet, but just right for a batch of rocky road. You’ll need an ice cream maker to get the best, creamiest results with this recipe – and with most homemade ice cream recipes, so it is worth investing in one if you’re an ice cream lover planning to make it yourself on a regular basis.
My biggest complaint with rocky road ice creams that you can buy at ice cream shops or at grocery stores is that they don’t have enough stuff in them. Not that there is anything wrong with chocolate ice cream on its own, but if I wanted plain chocolate I would buy that! Fortunately, when you’re making your own ice cream you have a lot of control over how many add-ins you can add. I like to put in a lot of miniature marshmallows (homemade will work, but I tend to prefer the lighter store-bought minis for ice cream) and plenty of nuts. Walnuts are classic for rocky road, though I will often use a combination of toasted walnuts and pecans when I’m making it at home.
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Marshmallow creme is scoopable, spreadable marshmallow confection. Packaged in jars, the semi-liquid marshmallow is much softer than a regular marshmallow, and both creamy and sticky at the same time. I tend to always call this confection “marshmallow fluff,” although the name might not be familiar to all consumers, as it is actually a trademark for a single product. When produced by other companies, the marshmallow goo is labeled as “marshmallow creme” and you’re much more likely to see it on store shelves that way.
Marshmallow creme was invented in the early 20th century, after “regular” marshmallows had been in production for a number of years. It is made using some of the same ingredients that come into play in most marshmallow recipes – sugar, corn syrup, vanilla – but creme usually uses egg whites (often in powdered form) while regular marshmallows tend to use gelatin as a stabilizer. The reason that marshmallows usually use gelatin is to give them some firmness, allowing them to be sliced and packaged in pieces. Marshmallow cream does not firm up and remains soft, even when it sits out for a while.
There are plenty of recipes that use marshmallow creme, including Fluffernutters and S’mores Cookie Bars. You can make a great cream cheese frosting with the fluff, too. You can’t however, substitute regular marshmallows for fluff even if you melt them down. Fluff keeps for a very long time in the cupboard, so it’s something to keep on hand for a time when you might need it even if its not on your regular grocery list.
Colorful, sugar-coated marshmallow Peeps are synonymous with Easter. They’re simple and loved by most kids. A great way to take advantage of their colorful look is to use them as a decoration for cakes and other baked goods. I’ve taken that one step further here by making Peeps-inspired cupcakes for Easter!
These cupcakes have a vanilla butter cake base and are topped with a marshmallow cream cheese frosting that is coated in colorful sugar – just like Peeps are. The vanilla cake base is easy to make and is just a great cake for a spring gathering, as it is somewhat lighter in flavor than a chocolate cupcake. The white cake also blends in with the white frosting, giving the cupcakes a more spring-like look than a darker color cupcake would. Since the major complaint of those who don’t care for Peeps straight is that the marshmallow critters are too sweet, I opted for a fluffy cream cheese frosting that incorporates marshmallow fluff. This adds a great flavor to the cupcake as a whole and does prevent the frosting from seeming too sweet when it is covered in sugar.
I’d recommend sprinkling the frosting with sugar over the sink, rather than trying to dip the frosting into a bowl of sugar. It’s easier to control where the sugar goes this way, and the frosting won’t get smushed down while you work. Peeps generally come in yellow, green and purple, so try to stick to those colors for the sugar. Use a toothpick to prop each of the Peeps up on top of the cupcakes to finish off the presentation. Leftover Peeps make great s’mores, but you can always save any leftovers for another batch of cupcakes.
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One way to take homemade marshmallows to the next level – aside from flavoring them creatively – is to dip them in chocolate, turning the light and fluffy candies into a more substantial snack. There are a couple of potential pitfalls that you can encounter when using chocolate, however, and it might not be best to simply melt some chocolate and dunk in the marshmallow.
Marshmallows have a subtle vanilla flavor and a cloud-like texture. It is very easy for both of these to be overwhelmed by chocolate. Dark chocolate can easily dominate the vanilla flavor or cover it up entirely, depending on whether the marshmallow is completely encased. A thick layer of chocolate virtually guarantees that you won’t be able to taste much marshmallow, and the crunch of a thick shell can really hide the signature texture of the marshmallow, as well.
To avoid these problems, I take two precautions. First, I only dip half of each marshmallow into chocolate. Second, I use a thinner chocolate ganache to dip them in, rather than using straight melted chocolate. The ganache – made with a combination of butter and chocolate – produces a much thinner shell once the marshmallow has been dipped into it, but still sets up nicely. I prefer milk chocolate because the sweetness goes well with the marshmallows. Darker chocolate can sometimes be a little overpowering, especially if you opt for a very dark chocolate with a high cocoa content. That said, chose any chocolate you like and I doubt you’ll be dissatisfied when you have a full batch of these to enjoy with hot chocolate.
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