When I told my husband I had a cookbook that teaches how to make homemade marshmallows, he asked, “Don't we need some kind of special ingredient, like marshmallow root or something?” The author of Marshmallow Madness, Shauna Sever, said this is an issue she deals with frequently, even at airport security! While it's true that the ancient Egyptians invented this delightful concoction using marshmallow root, unflavored gelatin works perfectly for creating these fluffy treats. Most people just buy their marshmallow stash at the grocery store, but the author assures us that we can make them easily at home, and like pretty much anything homemade, they trump store bought every time. Plus, they are so gorgeous just to look at!
Marshmallow Madness has recipes for marshmallows made in candy molds for perfect shapes, ones with fruit purees (and pumpkin!), mini marshmallows, plus dessert recipes, too. Some of my favorites were the key lime pie (dipped in graham cracker crumbs) and the s'mores cupcakes (with toasted marshmallow topping). Of course, we had to try it out, so we embarked on making the vanilla marshmallows for our first try, with a Mexican cocoa coating, perfect for adding to Mexican hot chocolate which is a staple in our home. Everyone in the family was pretty excited to eat “homemade” marshmallows, and they turned out light, fluffy and really weren't that hard to make after all! We can't wait to try some other flavors!
