I was lucky to be invited to two beautiful weddings this Summer. Both I was kindly asked to make sweet elements to their sweet days. I made for my lovely friend Jude, the wedding favours for everyone’s table setting at the wedding breakfast. The couple wanted three different flavours of marshmallows that either represented their relationship or memories together. This leads me to making 100 boxes of three different flavours for their big day.
Having practised making them before the big day, I learnt some key things through the process, which I’ll share with you so –
– If you want to add an alcohol flavour, use a flavouring than the actual spirit, the gelatine doesn’t really play nicely with the alcohol, also you will tend to get a better flavour using an extract or flavouring.
– Powdered gelatine (non-veggie) works the best in rehydrating and being more stable when adding the hot syrup.
– If making multiple batches, stick to the same timings for a more reliable result, don’t go just on appearance.
– A stand mixer like my Kitchenaid or a Kenwood really is essential to make these marshmallows safely and consistently. They also have so much more power than a hand mixer to trapped lots of air in to make them nice and fluffy.
– Well dusted clingfilm trays will make your life so much easier for removal – trust me.
– All the recipes are made in a 12″x9″ tray to give a good inch depth marshmallows
Now the boring part is over, let’s talk flavours. For the wedding favours, I made a Gin & Tonic, Chai Tea and a Double Decker (chocolate marshmallow with a chocolate rice crispie base) for their mix. I’ll share with you the base recipe and then the recipes how I adapted it to make the range.
Left to Right: Chai Tea, Double Decker and Gin and Tonic Marshmallows
Plain Marshmallow Recipe
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 24 Marshmallows 1x
Description
Based on delicious magazine recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp Cornflour
- 4 tbsp Icing Sugar
- 120 ml Water
- 23 g Powdered Gelatine (normally two sachets)
- 120 ml Water
- 440 g Caster Sugar
- 160 g Golden Syrup
Instructions
- Mix the cornflour and icing sugar together in a bowl and sift half of the mixture over the clingfilm lined tray and carefully put to one side.
- In a stand mixer bowl, add the water and powdered gelatine and allow to absorb for 10 minutes. Fix the whisk attachment to the stand mixer.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the second lot of water, caster sugar and golden syrup. Over low heat, slowly dissolve the sugar, then turn up the heat to a boil until the syrup reaches 130C on a sugar thermometer. When the temperature is reached, leave to stand for a minute off the heat.
- Whisk the gelatine/water mix on medium speed, adding the hot syrup slowly pouring down the side of the bowl until all the syrup is added.
- Increase the speed to maximum and whisk for 8- 10 minutes until the marshmallow becomes thick and fluffy, looks stretchy.
- Scrap the mixture into the prepared tin, try to level as much as possible. Sift over the remaining cornflour and icing sugar mixture over the surface. Leave uncovered overnight to dry and set.
- Turn the marshmallow out onto a chopping board and using a dusted knife in more cornflour/icing sugar mix, cut the marshmallows into 24 pieces. Will keep for 2 weeks in an airtight container, if you can last that long.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Confectionery, Dessert
- Cuisine: American, British
Gin and Tonic Marshmallow Recipe
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 24 Marshmallows 1x
Description
Based on delicious magazine recipe, using citric acid powder in the dusting for a sour fizzy note, tonic water in the syrup for quinine and the gin and tonic flavouring as more stable than using actual gin and more punchy flavour.
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp Cornflour
- 4 tbsp Icing Sugar
- 1 tbsp Powdered Citric Acid
- 120 ml Water
- 23 g Powdered Gelatine (normally two sachets)
- 5 ml Gin & Tonic Flavouring (I got mine from Sainsbury’s)
- 120 ml Tonic Water
- 440 g Caster Sugar
- 160 g Golden Syrup
Instructions
- Mix the cornflour, icing sugar and citric acid powder together in a bowl and sift half of the mixture over the clingfilm lined tray and carefully put to one side.
- In a stand mixer bowl, add the water, flavouring and powdered gelatine and allow to absorb for 10 minutes. Fix the whisk attachment to the stand mixer.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the tonic water, caster sugar and golden syrup. Over low heat, slowly dissolve the sugar, then turn up the heat to a boil until the syrup reaches 130C on a sugar thermometer. When the temperature is reached, leave to stand for a minute off the heat.
- Whisk the gelatine/water/flavouring mix on medium speed, adding the hot syrup slowly pouring down the side of the bowl until all the syrup is added.
- Increase the speed to maximum and whisk for 8- 10 minutes until the marshmallow becomes thick and fluffy, looks stretchy.
- Scrap the mixture into the prepared tin, try to level as much as possible. Sift over the remaining cornflour, icing sugar and citric acid powder mixture over the surface. Leave uncovered overnight to dry and set.
- Turn the marshmallow out onto a chopping board and using a dusted knife in more cornflour/icing sugar/citric acid powder mix, cut the marshmallows into 24 pieces. Will keep for 2 weeks in an airtight container.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Confectionery, Dessert
- Cuisine: American, British
Chai Tea Marshmallow Recipe
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 24 Marshmallows 1x
Description
Based on delicious magazine recipe, I used Pukka Vanilla Chai tea bags to infuse with the gelatine water. Gold luster in dusting for some extra sparkle.
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp Cornflour
- 4 tbsp Icing Sugar
- 1 tbsp Gold Lustre
- 120 ml Chai Tea (cooled down, made with two tea bags for a stronger flavour)
- 23 g Powdered Gelatine (normally two sachets)
- 120 ml Water
- 440 g Caster Sugar
- 160 g Golden Syrup
Instructions
- Mix the cornflour, icing sugar and gold lustre together in a bowl and sift half of the mixture over the clingfilm lined tray and carefully put to one side.
- In a stand mixer bowl, add the cold chai tea and powdered gelatine and allow to absorb for 10 minutes. Fix the whisk attachment to the stand mixer.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the water, caster sugar and golden syrup. Over low heat, slowly dissolve the sugar, then turn up the heat to a boil until the syrup reaches 130C on a sugar thermometer. When the temperature is reached, leave to stand for a minute off the heat.
- Whisk the gelatine/chai tea mix on medium speed, adding the hot syrup slowly pouring down the side of the bowl until all the syrup is added.
- Increase the speed to maximum and whisk for 8- 10 minutes until the marshmallow becomes thick and fluffy, looks stretchy.
- Scrap the mixture into the prepared tin, try to level as much as possible. Sift over the remaining cornflour, icing sugar and gold lustre mixture over the surface. Leave uncovered overnight to dry and set.
- Turn the marshmallow out onto a chopping board and using a dusted knife in more cornflour/icing sugar/gold lustre mix, cut the marshmallows into 24 pieces. Will keep for 2 weeks in an airtight container.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Confectionery, Dessert
- Cuisine: American, British, Indian
Double Decker Marshmallow Recipe
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: 24 Marshmallows 1x
Description
Based on delicious magazine recipe, a chocolate rice crispie base using more marshmallows for some chewy and cocoa powder in the marshmallow mix.
Ingredients
- 150 g Dark Chocolate
- 100 g Unsalted Butter
- 100 g White Marshmallows
- 150 g Rice Crispies
- 2 tbsp Cornflour
- 6 tbsp Cocoa Powder
- 120 ml Water
- 23 g Powdered Gelatine (normally two sachets)
- 10 g Cocoa Powder
- 120 ml Water
- 440 g Caster Sugar
- 160 g Golden Syrup
Instructions
- Line the tray with clingfilm and set aside. In a bowl over boiling water, melt the chocolate, butter and marshmallows until smooth and combined. Stir in the rice crispies until coated. Add to the lined tray, using the back of a spoon to level out to the corners. Place in the fridge to set.
- Mix the cornflour and cocoa powder together in a bowl and put to one side.
- In a stand mixer bowl, add the water and powdered gelatine and allow to absorb for 10 minutes. Fix the whisk attachment to the stand mixer.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the water, caster sugar and golden syrup. Over low heat, slowly dissolve the sugar, then turn up the heat to a boil until the syrup reaches 130C on a sugar thermometer. When the temperature is reached, leave to stand for a minute off the heat.
- Whisk the gelatine/water on medium speed, adding the hot syrup slowly pouring down the side of the bowl until all the syrup is added. Add in the cocoa powder at this stage.
- Increase the speed to maximum and whisk for 8- 10 minutes until the marshmallow becomes thick and fluffy, looks stretchy.
- Scrap the mixture into the prepared tin on top of the set chocolate rice crispies, try to level as much as possible. Sift over the cocoa powder/cornflour, mixture over the surface. Leave uncovered overnight to dry and set.
- Turn the marshmallow out onto a chopping board and using a dusted knife in more cornflour/cocoa powder, cut the marshmallows into 24 pieces. These were decorated with gold lustre chocolate wax seals with the bride and grooms initials (made by them!), which a dot of the cocoa powder was dabbed off with a wet clean paintbrush, then affixed with a blob of melted dark chocolate and let to set.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Confectionery, Dessert
- Cuisine: British
The three flavours were then boxed in heart paper lined boxes with labels explaining the flavours to the welcomed wedding guests. Was lovely to sit in the reception and see the reactions to the favours and people discussing which was their favourite flavour. A good base recipe that you can have great fun with. Let me know what flavours you try out.
Me with the gorgeous bride x
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