Marshmallows

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Marshmallows are a light, spongy candy made of gelatin, sugar, egg white, corn syrup, vanilla flavouring. They used to just be white and vanilla-flavoured, but now come in many colours and flavours.

Marshmallows have been a traditional American topping for sweet potatoes since the 1920s.


Substitutes
Marshmallow Cream Spread


Equivalents
10 large Marshmallows = 3 oz = 85g
20 large Marshmallows = 6 oz = 170g
30 large Marshmallows = 9 oz = 250g
40 large Marshmallows = 12 oz = 350g
1 large Marshmallow = 10 miniature Marshmallows
10 large Marshmallows = 1 cup miniature Marshmallows
1 10oz bag miniature Marshmallows = 2 cups miniature Marshmallows
1 large Marshmallow = 1 tablespoon Marshmallow Cream
32 large Marshmallows = 7.5 oz (200g) Marshmallow Cream
5 1/2 dozen large Marshmallows=16 oz (450g) Marshmallow Cream

To make approx 2 cups of Marshmallow Cream, melt 8 oz (250g) of Marshmallows with 2 tbsp light corn syrup

Storage
Marshmallows can dry out. For long-term storage, freeze in a sealed plastic bag.

History
Marshmallows were originally made as a "medicine" that incorporated juice from the roots of mallow plants for the medicinal factors it was believed to have in folk medicine.

Even though we now think of Marshmallows as American, it was actually the French and British who made them first. The French still make something closer to the original (though without the root) called Pâte de Guimauve. The English whipped the juice from the root, which is viscous or "mucilaginous", and turned it into more of a candy in the mid 1800s. By the end of the 1800s, commercial gelatin was available, and they switched to using that instead for the candy.

Today, mallow juice is no longer believed to have any medicinal purpose, and gelatin is used instead to thicken Marshmallows.

Also called:
Guimauve (French); Malvavisco (Spanish); Mashimaro (Japanese) Top...