Elderflower Marshmallows

You would not BELIEVE the week I've had. I developed a bloody awful cold (seriously, I was freakishly out of it), a cold sore that felt like it covered half my face & a blister on my lip that could be seen from outer-space.... Yeah, so when I finally started to feel a little less like a medieval serf, I decided to try to make marshmallow...it was loads of fun & I actually managed really well & this stuff is actually very easy & fun to make. I can see myself making a butt load more of this stuff...

I love elderflower as a flavour & so I used this recipe from the independent. I saw so many recipes that seemed impossible to replicate, with quantities like a packet & a teaspoon of powdered gelatine... This recipe is very simple, very straight forward & very clear on what to do. I will totally be using it again, & I think I will be swapping up all kinds of flavour combinations. I have a blood orange cordial that I will be busting out for my next batch.

Anyway recipe...

100g icing sugar
100g cornflour
500g caster sugar (I used sugar cubes for some of this as they dissolve quickly)
1 tbsp liquid sugar (literally any kind of sugar, honey or golden syrup, I used agave nectar)
105ml elderflower cordial
30g powdered gelatine
2 egg whites

Put the caster sugar, liquid sugar & 200ml water in a large saucepan. Stir over a low heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil until the syrup reaches 142C/275F on a sugar thermometer (on lots of sugar thermometers there is an arrow here saying soft crack).
Meanwhile, put the cordial & 2 tbsp water in (ideally) a small heatproof bowl, sprinkle with the gelatine then place the bowl over a small pan of boiling water until the gelatine has dissolved. Remove the sugar syrup from the heat & carefully add the dissolved gelatine (the mixture will bubble a lot so keep stirring with a wooden spoon until you aren't terrified for the safety of whatever surface you are working on).
Sieve the icing sugar and the cornflour into a bowl. Mix and set aside. (In the original recipe it says to do this first but I don't think that's necessary & doing it now gives your sugar a chance to cool off a little).
Beat the egg whites with electric beaters until stiff peaks form. With the beaters running, gradually add the hot sugar syrup to the egg whites in a thin stream. Unless you have a stand mixer &/or are very strong, you may need a friend to pour in the sugar, I know I couldn't have managed. Continue beating for 7 to 8 minutes or until the mixture becomes thick and holds its shape, for me I knew it had got to this point when my electric hand whisk started to feel very hot & couldn't beat it any further...
Place a sheet of baking parchment/greaseproof paper on a tray. Dust with the icing sugar/cornflour mixture. Pour on the marshmallow, dust with a further layer of icing sugar & leave to set. I left mine overnight but the edges were set within a few hours & I think in a fridge or freezer they might set very quickly.
Cut the marshmallow into pieces with a wet knife, trust me. Roll the edges of the marshmallows in the remaining icing sugar and cornflour mixture & you're done.

I know this is the second food thing I have done in as many posts but I really like food & cooking & I've felt truly awful; beauty & fashion have been the furthest thing from my mind.

Wheelingalong24