marshmallow like an egyptian

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            When you think of Cleopatra, as one often does, do you picture her surrounded by muscle men with fans holding bunches of grapes for her to nibble?  Well, let me blow your mind. Those muscle men might just have been dangling marshmallows for her!  Marshmallows actually started as candies made from the sap of an Egyptian marsh plant (Athaea officinalis), that was mixed with nuts and maybe honey.  They have been enjoyed by royalty since 2000 BC.  Surely, this is a more realistic portrayal than the over the top classic movie where Elizabeth Taylor, as Cleopatra is literally rolled out from a carpet.  If you haven’t seen that scene, stop everything, and google it.  While you watch, munch down on some homemade marshmallows!  Once you go homemade, the stay puff kind will never be good enough for your regal marshmallow tastes! If you are too busy to make your own, check out the bakery, where you can find them- fresh and ready to be rolled right in your mouth!  Cleopatra and Nefertiti approved.  Now if only I could find a bunch of gold and eyeliner…

tie dye marshmallows, see note below recipe for how-to
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marshmallow

Prep Time 3 hours

Ingredients

  • 3 envelopes gelatin powder
  • 1/2 c water to bloom gelatin
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 c water for sugar syrup
  • 1/3 c corn syrup
  • 1 3/4 c sugar
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tbs melted butter (can use browned butter, too)
  • 1/3 c powdered sugar

Instructions

  • mix gelatin with water and add vanilla
  • combine water, sugar, corn syrup and salt in sauce pan and, over medium head, bring to bubbly stage. Raise the heat to med-high and boil without stirring until the temperature reaches 250 degrees F
  • pour into stand mixer with whisk attachment and cool to 212 degrees F
  • whisk in the gelatin on low until it is melty and incorporated, then raise the power to high whip it until white, fluffy and pulling away from edges of the mixing bowl- around 10 minutes
  • smear into a greased 8x8" pan (I find a silicon pan works like magic for ths recipe.) The marshmallows firm up after 2 hours in the fridge, or 24 hours at room temperature
  • after they are firm, cut using scissors into cubes, coating with powdered sugar as needed to keep them from being too sticky (I drop them into the powdered sugar bowl and just toss around as I cut them)

Notes

to make tie-dye marshmallows, separate into separate bowls and add food coloring, then add to the prepared 8x8'' pan and swirl with a knife to combine all the colors OR add food coloring drops at last 15 seconds of mixing try not to over mix.