Porter Marshmallows with Dark Chocolate and Smoked Serrano Salt

We recently catered a wedding Since the groom was a home brewer, I thought it would be nice to reference that in the food. So, for one of the sweets, I came up with a recipe for porter marshmallows. I thought they would be be enhanced with dark chocolate. I added a little smoked serrano chili salt. That tiny wisp of smoke and heat accented everything well.

I love homemade marshmallows. They have a much better texture than commercial ones; firmer mouth feel, not so sticky. The porter cut the sweetness as well, and giving a great depth of flavor.

It helps to open the porter and let it get a little flat before working with it.

To cut the marshmallows, it is helpful to have a pitcher of hot water, deep enough to submerge your entire knife blade. Dip the knife between each cut, and wipe clean and dry with a clean towel. Rub a little of the dusting powder over the blade before each cut.

I got my smoked serrano salt from Souper Dip.

Porter Marshmallows

Dusting Powder:

1/2 cup corn starch

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Whisk together corn starch and powdered sugar, set aside

Marshmallows:

.6 oz. powdered gelatin

8 oz. porter

12 oz. by wt. sugar

1 cup corn syrup

2 oz. by vol. water

1/4 tsp. salt

Stir together gelatin and 4 oz. porter. Let stand at least ten minutes.

Line a 8" x 12" pan with plastic wrap, and lightly spray with oil.

Combine sugar, corn syrup, and 4 oz. porter, water, and salt in a small pot over medium low heat. Cook, swirling occasionally, to 238 F. Move to the bowl of a stand mixer. Add gelatin. Whip on high speed until fluffy and cooled to just warmer than room temperature. Transfer to pan. Dust with cornstarch mixture. Press into pan to level.

When cool, dust a cutting board with cornstarch mixture. Turn marshmallow onto board. Cut into 1" squares. Toss with more cornstarch mixture.

Makes about 60 marshmallows.

Let dry for 2 days.

Temper 1 pound of 60% dark chocolate. Brush tops of marshmallows with tempered chocolate. Before chocolate sets, sprinkle with a few grains of smoked serrano salt.

Happy Eating!

Sugar Class: Sweet Treats

Most of what we are doing in sugar class is decorative pieces. Yesterday, we had the one day where we made things you actually want to eat. We made lollipops, pillow candies, and making marshmallows. We then practiced making hard caramel decorations.

Lollipops are fairly easy. You cook sugar to hard crack stage. then add color and flavor. We used metal spring molds. You grease them lightly, then clip in the stick, and place it on a silicon baking sheet. Fill the molds with the hot sugar.









Pillow candy  is made by heating sugar to hard crack stage. Add flavor. Pour half on to a silicon pad, then  add color to the other half. At it cools, roll it up, and stretch it to add air and it becomes shiny. Roll out each color, and stick together. Stretch and fold to produce stripes. Stretch and twist, and cut into inch long pieces. Let harden on non-stick surface.

Marshmallows are fairly simple. Sugar is cooked to soft ball stage. Then place in a stand mixer with gelatin. Whip until fluffy and cooled to just warmer than room temperature. Add color and flavor, whip to incorporate. Transfer to an eight by eight pan that is lined with greased plastic wrap. Dust with a mixture of equal parts powdered sugar and corn starch. Press into pan. Let set, turn onto a cutting board and cut into squares. Toss with more powdered sugar and corn starch.

Recipes

Lollipops

7 oz. by wt. sugar

3 3/4 oz. by wt. corn syrup

4 oz. by vol. water

1 tsp. flavor extract

1 tsp. water

1/4 tsp. citric acid

artificial color

Combine 1 tsp. water, flavor extract, citric acid, and artificial color. Set aside.

Combine sugar, corn syrup, and water in a small pot over medium low heat. Cook, swirling occasionally, to 300 F. Remove from heat, add flavor mixture. Swirl to combine. Pour into prepared molds, allow to solidify before unmolding.

Ribbon Candy

14 oz. by wt. sugar

6 oz. by vol. water

3 oz. by wt. corn syrup

1 tsp. water

1/2 tsp. citric acid

1 tsp. flavor extract

Dissolve citric acid in 1 tsp. water. Add flavor extract. Set aside.

Combine sugar, corn syrup, and water in a small pot over medium low heat. Cook, swirling occasionally, to 300 F. Remove from heat, add citric acid mixture. Swirl to combine. 

Pour half of sugar mix onto a silicone mat. Add color to remaining half, swirl to combine. Pour onto a separate location on the mat.

As they cool, roll up. When cool enough, stretch until shiny and opaque. Roll into 12" rolls, stick together, fold and stretch to form stripes. Stretch and twist. Snip into one inch lengths. Let cool on a non-stick surface.

Marshmallows

Mix together equal parts cornstarch and powdered sugar. Set aside.

3/10 oz. by wt. powdered gelatin

2 oz. by vol. water

Combine water and gelatin. Let stand at least ten minutes.

6 oz. by wt. sugar

1/2 cup corn syrup

3 oz. by vol. water

1 tsp. flavor extract

1/8 tsp. salt

Line an 8" by 8" with plastic wrap. Lightly grease, set aside.

Combine sugar, corn syrup, and water in a small pot over medium low heat. Cook, swirling occasionally, to 238 F. Move to the bowl of a stand mixer. Add gelatin. Whip on high speed until fluffy and cooled to just warmer than room temperature. Add flavoring, salt, and color. Whip until well combined. Transfer to pan. Dust with cornstarch mixture. Press into pan to level.

When cool, dust a cutting board with cornstarch mixture. Turn marshmallow onto board. Cut into squares. Toss with more cornstarch mixture.

Happy eating!