What to Make: Raspberry, Rose & Pistachio Marshmallows

Raspberry, Rose & Pistachio Marshmallows

Makes 25 full-size (4.5cm square) marshmallows

Equipment needed
25cm square baking tin
heavy-based saucepan
sugar thermometer
stand mixer
palette knife or spatula sieve

Ingredients

For the Whole Fruit Marshmallow
flavourless vegetable oil, for the tin
27g (13 leaves) gelatine
300g granulated sugar
190g Fruit Pur?e (see below)
1 tsp good-quality rose water
250g icing sugar, mixed with 250g cornflour, for dusting
finely ground pistachio nuts to coat

For the Fruit Pur?e (makes 500ml)
500g raspberries
50g icing sugar
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Method
First, make the fruit pur?e: Put the fruit in a blender (or use a handheld one) and whizz until pur?ed. Add the sugar and lemon juice and blend to combine. Push through a sieve if you don’t want the seeds. Leave to cool. The pur?e can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for 1 week, or frozen for up to 3 months.

Next, make the Whole Fruit Marshmallows: Line a 25cm square baking tin with cling film and use the oil to coat the film. In a microwaveable bowl, soak the gelatine in 300ml of cold water for 5 minutes. Wring out the gelatine gently to remove excess water (pour away any remaining water in the bowl). Return the gelatine to the bowl and heat in a microwave for about 1 minute, or until completely melted, but keep an eye on it and do not let it boil or it will lose its setting properties.

Put all the granulated sugar, 120ml of the glucose and 100g of the Fruit Pur?e into a heavy-based saucepan and place over a medium heat. Using a sugar thermometer in the saucepan, bring the mixture up to 115?C, stirring occasionally so it does not catch on the pan. Meanwhile, pour another 90g of Fruit Pur?e and 120ml of glucose into the bowl of a stand mixer and gently whisk together on a very low speed.

When the mixture in the saucepan has reached 115?C, slowly pour the hot liquid in a slow, steady stream into the mixer, still running at a very low speed. Add the melted gelatine, then increase the speed to medium and whisk for 10 minutes. The marshmallow mixture will begin to firm up.

Just before the end of whipping, pour in 1 tsp good-quality rose water and continue to whip on a high speed. Once the marshmallow mix has tripled in volume and drops slowly off the whisk in thick ribbons, pour it into the prepared tin and smooth the top with a dampened palette knife or spatula. Dust the top of the mallows with some of the prepared sugar / cornflour mix, and leave to set at room temperature for 6 hours (or, even better, overnight) before cutting.

Dust a work surface with a nice thick layer of the icing sugar and cornflour dusting mix. Carefully tip the set marshmallow slab out of the tin, using the corners of the cling film to give you some lift. Dip a sharp knife in hot water to heat it, trim the edges of the marshmallow slab neatly, then cut into 4.5cm squares.

Toss the cut mallows into the bowl of dusting mix and fully coat. Put them in a sieve and gently shake off any excess dusting. Then, roll them in finely ground pistachio nuts to coat. They are now ready to be eaten, or will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks.

Extracted from The Marshmallowist by Oonagh Simms (Square Peg, approx €18), out July 7.