Marshmallow-a-Month

I have this amazing contraption called the Aerogarden--or, Hydroponics for Dummies, as I like to call it. It's a great way to have fresh herbs in your kitchen all winter long. Highly recommended. I have so much basil I'm never quite sure what to do with it. Luckily we have this marshmallow a month project that gives us an outlet. Here it is, folks--the Basil Marshie.

Bourbon. Bacon dust. Need I say more?

When The Red Prince apple first showed up (on my radar at least) last year, I had a conversation with Joshna about it and I remember her saying one of the things that excited her most was that when you bit into one, trails of red came from the peel and dyed the flesh. She hoped this red dye would make its way into the preserves and sauces she imagined making with these winter beauties.

So naturally, when we thought of making a Red Prince Apple Marshmallow -- in Februrary, when they become available -- we knew the marshmallow *had* to be pink. And pink they are--a soft pink as delicate and dreamy as their texture. A lovely nod to Valentine's Day without being too in-your-face, and certainly a delicious way to brighten a dreary February day, especially if paired with a cup of hot cider. Joshna's confit bits add texture, but are soft enough not to clash with the marshmallow's creaminess. There is a hint of cinnamon, but it doesn't run straight for apple pie--it's the cider and fruit you taste. My favourite to date.

In honour of The Red Prince, may I present to you The Pink Lady. 

Ok, so last December, the great Allie and I made icewine marshmallows, to break in her new stand mixer, and to see if we could.  They were delicious, and we had such fun dreaming up different flavours and garnishes that we decided to do a marshmallow a month for 2011!  Life got super busy, but we've managed to make two brilliant marshmallows so far: chocolate stout in January and apple cider in February.  Sadly, we're only telling everyone else about them now, in March.  Making marshmallows is crazy good fun, the results are delicious, and I get a regular hang out with Allie, one of the loveliest additions to my family.  Here's a recap of what we've been up to:

So marshmallow is essentially sugar and gelatin, all whipped together with added flavour.  You bloom gelatin in the bowl of a stand mixer, then add in a hot sugar syrup while the machine is running.  You let it go for about 15 minutes, and this glorious cloud of sweetness starts to form.  On the heels of our icewine success, we went for stout, and then on a whim decided to add a bit of cocoa, echoing a delicious guinness chocolate cake i remember making.  The marshmallow manifestation held the flavour of the stout beautifully, and there was complexity and an interesting finish.  And look at these photos!  In addition to an already impressive list of cool bits, Allie is also an awesome photographer, and we share aesthetic and crafty sensibilities.  

Allie came up with the idea of using Red Prince apples for our February marshie, which I was totally on board with.  We did a bit of research on natural ways to add colour to food, but came up with nothin', and decided to add a few drops of good ol' food colouring for a little bit of pink.  We made a sugar syrup with reduced apple cider for the marshmallows, and I made a confit of tiny cubes of Red Prince apples that we added to the mix at the end.  The cider was perfect, and stumbling upon the little sweet nuggets of apple confit was like a reward for eating.  Here are some highlights:

This is what the slab of apple marshmallows looks like.  The bits of apple added more moisture to the marshie, which was remedied by a good dousing of icing sugar.  You have to work quickly and wash your knife frequently when slicing this sweet duvet into chunks.  But all of that hard work is rewarded by these heavenly pink pillows:

Allie and I have made lots of friends with little baggies of marshmallows, and the fun is only two months old!  Stay tuned for March marshie magic!