Marshmallows in Mango-Banana and Purple Yam Flavors

 

Are you ready for spring? The bunnies are coming! And they’re shaped like Marshmallows!  They’re fluffy, soft , luscious and hopping with flavors !

My kitchen is bouncing with a bunch of bunnies.  They’re plump and puffy like little clouds. And I flavored them with my favorite tropical flavors….mango-banana and purple yam.

Back from my trip to Asia, jet lagged and weary, I bounced back immediately when I was invited to join the Marsh Madness event organized by my friends at Quirk Books.

Who could pass up the chance to try the amazing homemade marshmallow recipes from the new cookbook “Marshmallow Madness” by the talented Shauna Sever? I couldn’t let this go by. Even better, the major food blog, Serious Eats was going to recap the  event weekly. It was going to be a Marsh-Marvelous event!

I’m always up for a great gastronomic adventure. And since my taste buds were still full of the tropical flavors I enjoyed on my month-long visit to the Philippines, I  added my favorite flavors: MANGO and PURPLE YAM to the batch of Classic Vanilla Marshmallows recipe from the cookbook.

I have often used these flavors before in my past recipes for various desserts, snacks, breads and even entrees.  If you do try these , you’ll find that Mangoes and Purple Yam are popular flavors used in most Asian dishes. And you’ll enjoy the delightful, unique aromas  these bring to your table. The  mangoes I love are commonly known here in the USA as “ataulfo mangoes”, closely similar to my fave variety in the Philippines. On the outside, these mangoes have a smooth, yellow-orange skin. They are shaped like a long heart. Once fully ripened, the inside flesh is golden yellow, has a soft, velvety texture with a honey-like sweet, fruity flavor.

The purple yam, also called “ube” in the Philippines, is from the species of yams. Inside, it is lavender-colored. It has a sweet flavor and gives a hearty, wholeness to desserts and dishes.

If you’ve never made homemade marshmallows before, now is the time to try it. “Marshmallow Madness” by Shauna Sever, is the best cookbook you can have to guide you through the mallow-making process.

The instructions are clear, concise and easy to follow.  The recipes start with the basic vanilla marshmallows. I followed everything the author suggested. Two attempts done and I was ready to be adventurous with all sorts of flavors, shapes and concoctions.

 

What you need:

1. A Candy Thermometer
2. Measuring cups, spoons and a good stand mixer
3. All the ingredients specified by the recipes
4. Your imagination
5. Your patience, yet the ability to work swiftly
6. Good time management and focus. The mallows shape up real fast. You need to have all your ingredients & supplies ready so you can work efficiently and quickly.
7. A double batch. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll never tire of making mallows, and your family will keep wanting more and more.

The bunny shapes can be made by using bunny-shaped molds. I bought mine from the baking aisle of a major department store. Colored sprinkles all around the bunny mallows made it even more fun to enjoy.

 

First, I made the Classic Vanilla Marshmallows and flavored the mallows at the last stage of cooking:

* CLASSIC VANILLA MARSHMALLOWS

From “Marshmallow Madness” by Shauna Sever

About 2 dozen 1 ½ -inch mallow

Ingredients:

The Bloom

4 1/2 teaspoons : unflavored powdered gelatin

½ cup cold water

The Syrup

¾ Cup Sugar

½ cup cup light corn syrup, divided

¼ cup water

1/8  teaspoon salt

The Mallowing

2  teaspoons pure vanilla extract

½ cup classic coating (page 8), plus more for dusting

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Lightly coat an 8-by-8 inch baking pan with cooking spray.

-Whisk together the gelatin and cold water in a small bowl and let soften for 5 minutes.

-Stir together the sugar, ¼ cup of the corn syrup, water, and salt in a medium saucepan over high heat. Boil, stirring occasionally, until the temperature reaches 240°F. Meanwhile, pour remaining ¼ cup corn syrup into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Microwave gelatin on high until completely melted, about 30 seconds. Pour it into the mixer bowl. Set the mixer speed to low and keep it running.

-When the syrup reaches 240°F, slowly pour it into the mixer bowl. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 5 minutes. Increase to medium-high and beat for 5 more minutes. Beat on the highest setting for 1 to 2 minutes more and beat in the vanilla; the finished marshmallow will be opaque white, fluffy, and tripled in volume. Pour it into the prepared pan, using an offset spatula to smooth it into the corners. Sift coating evenly and generously over the top. Let set for at least 6 hours in a cool, dry place.

Use a knife to loosen the marshmallow from the edges of the pan. Invert the slab onto a coating-dusted work surface and dust it with more coating. Cut into whatever size pieces you wish (a pizza cutter works great for squares). Dip the sticky edges of the marshmallows in more coating, patting off the excess.

(Super vanilla-ize these mallows by adding a scraped vanilla bean or a dab of pure vanilla bean paste along with the vanilla extract)

FOR MANGO –BANANA MALLOWS:

¼ cup mango puree, canned or bottled

2 teaspoons banana flavor

2 drops of yellow food color (optional)

* 1 and 1/2 cups Classic Vanilla Marshmallow (recipe follows below)

At the last 5 minutes  when the mallow mixture is at the highest speed in the stand mixer, gradually add the mango puree, a few teaspoons at a time. Then add the food color and banana flavoring. Quickly pour into the pre-greased, pre-powdered bunny molds or cake pans. Allow to firm up for 4 to 6 hours or more. This marshmallow flavor is best kept in the refrigerator.

FOR PURPLE YAM (Ube) MALLOWS:

2 teaspoons liquid purple yam or  ube flavor

2 drops purple food color (optional)

* 1 and 1/2 cup Classic Vanilla Marshmallow (recipe follows below)

At the last 5 minutes, when the mallow mixture is beating at the highest speed, gradually add the purple yam (ube) flavor. Add the food color drops and blend well. Pour this mixture quickly into pre-greased, pre-powdered bunny molds or cake pans. Allow to firm up for 4 to 6 hours or more. Some time before the mallows fully firm, add one chocolate chip on each bunny for the “eyes”.

Where to Buy Ingredients: The canned mango puree can be found in major supermarkets. For the bottled liquid purple yam (ube) and banana flavors, I bought them at a an Asian grocery. They can also be bought from online Asian retail groceries.

*COOK’S COMMENTS:

To make the two different flavored mallows, at the last 5 minutes of high speed beating, divide the mixture into two batches. Each one should be in its separate mixing bowl. You have to work quickly because this is the stage where the mallows start to harden fast.

TO PREPARE MALLOWS:

Once the marshmallows are firm and ready, coat them lightly with this classic coating*. If mallows are colored like they are in this recipe, sprinkle with a few tablespoons of the coating for easier handling.

*CLASSIC COATING

*From “Marshmallow Madness” by Shauna Sever

1 and ½ cups confectioners’ sugar

1 cup cornstarch or potato starch

Sift  the ingredients together in a large bowl.  As suggested by the author, I made several cups at a time and stored them in an airtight container. This keeps forever, according to Shauna Sever.

 

Marshmallow Madness! Dozens of Puffalicious Recipes By Shauna Sever Photography by Leigh Beisch

Quirk Books  put together MARSH MADNESS, an event of 16 food bloggers from all over the country, each in the traditional March Madness brackets. Each food blogger  created their own spin on Shauna’s Classic Vanilla marshmallow, competing to create the most original mallow. Major food blog Serious Eats  recaped each week with Shauna’s pick at the end of the bracket.  Follow on Twitter hashtag #MarshMadness and enjoy.