Natural Marshmallows? - Page 2

[knitted_in_the_wom]

Originally Posted by jenrose

5. Saying you want "sugar free marshmallows" is saying like you want "Oxygen free air." It won't happen.

LOL!

[Home made marshmellows] make people who hate store-bought marshmallows love homemade marshmallows.

SO true. We made some for the first time this past Christmas, and I was truly amazed. It took some pulling from my daughter to convince me to make them, but I finally did, and they were great.

BTW, I don't cover the top of the pan while they are "setting." I grease my hands and pat the surface to smooth, then just let the pan sit out. That was what the Betty Crocker cookbook said to do.

[jenrose]

When I didn't cover them, the top surface was lumpier and weirder than if I put plastic or foil over the top (MUST use cooking spray on these, otherwise things will stick like crazy).

It wasn't bad, just not as pretty.

There's a video somewhere of Clare Danes and Martha Stewart making marshmallows. And Clare is not as quick about getting things out of the bowl and even Martha is rather astonished at how sticky things get.

You can make marshmallow treats with fresh, unset marshmallow, at that point you have a choice about how high fat to make them. Usually you mix marshmallow and fat together iwth rice krispies, but you *CAN* leave out some or all of that fat when you're using with still-hot marshmallow. Organic Krispies may not hold up as well, and may get a little tough, but that's pretty brand-dependent.

I'm tempted to try it with Gorilla Munch at some point, I think that would be fantastic.

[JollyGG]

Originally Posted by dallasslynn

What is golden syrup? How do I make it? If I can't possibly make it-where do I get it?

Golden syrup is just simple syrup. Here's a recipe for you - http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/Hom...le-Syrup-74080

[kjbrown92]

Originally Posted by dallasslynn

What is golden syrup? How do I make it? If I can't possibly make it-where do I get it?

Lyle's Golden Syrup is one brand. It's available in the British section of our regular mega-grocery store. I don't personally think that golden syrup tastes like simple syrup, or is the same texture. Golden syrup is much more like corn syrup in consistency.

I haven't tried palm sugar but I certainly could. I used beet sugar (non GMO) because my DS couldn't have cane sugar either. And when other kids were having s'mores, I cut a banana in half, then sliced lengthwise, spread one half with natural peanut butter, then put in the toasted marshmallow. WAY better than a "s'more". This year I'm thinking of using my chocolate buckwheat waffles in a pie iron with a homemade marshmallow (one giant s'more) in between.

[jenrose]

Simple syrup and Golden Syrup are not the same thing. Simple Syrup is invert sugar, made from sucrose, which is a combination of glucose and fructose.

Golden syrup and corn syrup are both mostly glucose.

The recipe linked to is essential a recipe for homemade glucose-fructose syrup, no better, IMO, than corn syrup, except for possibly being homemade and not having corn in it. The dramatic effects of free fructose on blood lipids are likely to be just as bad from an invert sugar syrup as they are from HFCS.

I'd *rather* use plain old corn syrup that has not been enzymatically changed into fructose. Golden syrup or glucose syrups are sometimes derived from wheat.

[jenrose]

To clarify, the simple syrup recipe is actually an invert syrup recipe, a "broken down" simple syrup, as simple syrup is just heated sugar and water.