Pink Peppermint Marshmallow Clouds Food

PINK PEPPERMINT SWIRL MARSHMALLOWS

Steps:

• Brush bottom and sides of metal pan with some vegetable oil.
• Put 1/2 cup water in bowl of stand mixer and sprinkle gelatin over it. Stir it briefly to make sure all the gelatin is in contact with water and let it soften while making the syrup.
• Heat sugar, corn syrup, salt, and remaining 1/2 cup water in a small heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved, then bring to a boil over medium heat, without stirring.
• Put thermometer into syrup and continue boiling, without stirring, until it registers 240°F (soft-ball stage). Remove from heat and let stand until bubbles dissipate.
• With mixer at low speed, pour hot syrup into gelatin in a thin stream down side of bowl. Increase speed to high and beat until very thick and the mixture forms a thick ribbon when beater is lifted, about 5 minutes. Beat in peppermint.
• Quickly scoop about two-thirds of still warm marshmallow into another bowl. Add the red food coloring to the remaining one-third marshmallow and beat it to combine.
• Working quickly, fill the prepared pan with alternating dollops of the white and pink marshmallow (it will be very sticky), then swirl a knife through the mixture to marble it. Smooth the surface with dampened fingertips. Let stand, uncovered, at room temperature until surface is no longer sticky and you can gently pull marshmallow away from sides of pan with your fingertips, 2 to 3 hours.
• Using a sieve, dust a cutting board with confectioners' sugar. Use a spatula to pull sides of marshmallow from edge of pan, then invert onto cutting board. Dust top with confectioners' sugar. Cut lengthwise into 8 strips, then crosswise into eighths, to form a total of 64 squares.
• Coat marshmallows, one at a time, in confectioners' sugar, shaking off excess.

PINK PEPPERMINT MARSHMALLOWS

Steps:

• 1. Coat an 8-inch square pan with cooking spray. Line the bottom and 2 sides with parchment paper, and then coat the parchment with cooking spray. Set aside.
• 2. Put sugar, corn syrup and ¾ cup water in a small sauce pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Stop stirring and let the mixture come to a boil. Raise heat to medium high; cook until mixture registers 260 degrees on a candy thermometer.
• 3. While sugar is boiling, sprinkle gelatin over ¾ cup water in a glass or other heat proof bowl. Let stand 5 minutes to soften. Place the bowl in the microwave, and head in 20 second increments until the gelatin is dissolved. Between each zap in the microwave, whisk the mixture. You want it to be warm and liquid, with no rubbery or grainy chunks. Add a few drops (3 or 4) of food coloring to the gelatin mixture. Stir in peppermint extract; set aside.
• 4. Beat egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until stiff (but not dry) peaks form. Whisk gelatin mixture into sugar mixture with mixer running, gradually add to egg whites. Mix on high speed until very thick, 12 to 15 minutes. This is the best time to adjust the color. You can add drops of food coloring to the fluff while it's whipping in the mixer. Add one drop of food coloring at a time, let it integrate, and continue adding until the fluff becomes the color you want it.
• 5. Pour mixture into lined pan. Let the marshmallow stand, uncovered, at room temperature until firm, at least 3 hours or overnight. Once firm, turn the marshmallow block out onto a well oiled cutting board. Spray your knife with cooking spray and cut into squares. If you want to make different shaped marshmallows, I recommend cutting slices of marshmallow off of the block (like slicing a ham), oiling a cookie cutter and VERY SLOWLY cutting out the shapes. If you push down too fast, the shapes come out all wonky.
• 6. Some flavor variations I have tried and recomend: Coconut: exchange extract for imitation coconut flavoring. Omit food coloring. Roll in toasted shredded coconut after marshmallows are cut. Banana: Exchange extract for imitation banana flavoring. Use yellow food coloring. Dip bottoms of cut marshmallows in chocolate, and top with a walnut, also dipped in chocolate. Citrus: Exchange extract for lemon or orange extract (NOT oil). Use corosponding food coloring. Dizzle with dark chocolate. Bailey's: Exchange extract for Irish Cream Concentrate (can be found in specialty food supply stores). Use one drop of red, yellow, and blue food coloring at a time while the mixer is running to make a light brown/cream color. Pumpkin Spice: Exchange extract for vanilla. Add 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spices to the sugar before boiling. I recomend using a bigger/taller pot than usual for boiling the sugar, because for some reason the addition of spices makes the sugar bubble and foam more than usual. Omit food coloring for natural color from the spices, or add orange food coloring for festive fall marshmallows.

PINK MERINGUE CLOUDS

Steps:

• Combine everything for the cookie dough; chill while preparing meringue.
• To prepare meringue: Beat egg whites with salt in small bowl until soft mounds (not peaks) form. Gradually add sugar; continue beating until stiff peaks form. (Once you get peaks that stand up, stop. You can overbeat meringue.) Fold in vanilla, vinegar, chocolate chips, and crushed candy.
• Shape dough into balls using a rounded teaspoon. Place on ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten with bottom of glass dipped in sugar.
• Top each cookie with a rounded teaspoon of meringue. Bake at 325 for 20-25 minute.

MERINGUE CLOUDS

Steps:

• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 250 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Beat the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt in a large clean dry bowl with a mixer on medium speed until foamy. Increase the speed to medium high and beat until thick and opaque, about 1 more minute. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, and beat until stiff shiny peaks form, about 5 more minutes.
• Scoop 6 large mounds of meringue (3/4 cup each) onto the baking sheets, leaving space between each. Using the back of a spoon, pull up the meringue to form swoops and spikes on each mound. Sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake at 250 degrees F until dry and crisp, 4 to 5 hours. Let cool completely on the baking sheets. Store in an airtight container in a dry place for up to 1 week.

PINK MARSHMALLOW VINES

Steps:

• Roll the edges of the cupcake in white sanding sugar, leaving the top sugar free. Cut the jelly candy into two 2-inch strips; put on the cupcake with one set of ends touching. Snip the marshmallows diagonally. Press the cut sides into the pink sanding sugar and arrange them on the vines like buds. Put the pearl candies around the marshmallows.

EASY PEPPERMINT MARSHMALLOWS

Steps:

• Generously grease bottom and sides of 11x7-inch (2-quart) glass baking dish with butter; dust with 1 tablespoon of the powdered sugar. In bowl of stand mixer, sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water to soften; set aside.
• In 2-quart saucepan, heat granulated sugar, corn syrup, salt and 1/2 cup water over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved. Heat to boiling; cook without stirring about 30 minutes to 240°F on candy thermometer or until small amount of mixture dropped into cup of very cold water forms a ball that holds its shape but is pliable; remove from heat.
• Slowly pour syrup into softened gelatin while beating on low speed. Increase speed to high; beat 8 to 10 minutes or until mixture is white and has almost tripled in volume. Add peppermint extract; beat on high speed 1 minute. Pour into baking dish, patting lightly with wet hands. Drop food color randomly onto top of marshmallow mixture. Pull table knife through food color to create swirl pattern over top. Let stand uncovered at least 8 hours or overnight.
• Dust cutting board with about 1 tablespoon powdered sugar. Place remaining powdered sugar in small bowl. To remove marshmallow mixture, loosen sides from dish and gently lift in one piece onto cutting board. Using sharp knife greased with butter, cut into 1-inch squares (11 rows by 7 rows). Dust bottom and sides of each marshmallow by dipping into bowl of powdered sugar. Store in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 weeks.