Herb Marshmallows

It's been too long since I've done any real, hard-core baking or cooking.  I mean, I've been studying so much recently, and before that we were in D.C..  So I think the last thing I made was the pie for pi day.  So, it's been a while.  I decided this weekend that I needed to make something.  And make something fun.  And spring-y.

So I decided that I would make peeps.  It's been, since, well, last Easter since I've made peeps, and seeing as Easter is next week, I figured I should make some more!

Except I've done the whole plain marshmallow thing, so I decided to try something new.  And I decided that in honor of spring, I'd try a new twist on marshmallows: herbs.

Originally, I was actually thinking of making some cayenne pepper marshmallows, but I didn't have any cayenne.  So, maybe some other time.  Then dipping them in chocolate? Mmmm.

What I did have were dried chives.  So, I decided I'd use them instead.

Quick Cutout Marshmallow Peeps

from Cookie Swap, by Julia Usher

About 1 1/3 cups of yellow (or pink!) decorating sugar

1 cup cold water, divided

2 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup light corn syrup

1/2 tsp. salt

3 envelopes unflavored gelatin

2 tbsp. dried chives

Generously spray the bottom and sides of a 10x15x1 inch jelly roll pan with cooking spray. Line the bottom with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray again.

Sprinkle about 2/3 cup colored sugar into the pan and shake it around so that the bottom and sides are completely coated. Keep the excess sugar in the pan.

Combine 1/2 cup water, the granulated sugar, the corn syrup and the salt together in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Bring this mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally until the sugar is dissolved. Boil without stirring until the mixture reaches 238 to 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer.

At the same time, pour 1/2 cup of water into the bowl of a mixer with the whisk attachment, Sprinkle the gelatin over, one packet at a time, waiting for one to dissolve before pouring the next over. Allow to set until it is mostly moistened, but don't stir it.

Add a few tablespoons of the hot syrup to the gelatin mixture and start the mixer on medium speed, pouring the rest of the hot syrup into the mixer.

Turn the mixer to high and let it beat about 10 minutes, or until the mixture is thick, glossy and very white. Add the chives during the last minute or so of beating.

Immediately put the mixture into the sugar-lined pan and spread it into a flat, level layer with a spatula. Sprinkle the rest of the colored sugar over the top and completely cover the marshmallow goo.

Let sit, uncovered, at room temperature for 4 or more hours. Try and avoid waiting for more than 12 hours to cut them.

Loosen any stuck marshmallow, and turn out the sheet onto a working surface. Collect any loose sugar that falls off.

Coat your cookie cutter (that is at least an inch thick) with cooking spray and cut out as many as you can fit in the sheet. Roll the edges of the cutouts in the leftover sugar. Then, cut up the edges into oddly shaped marshmallows.

So, what I did was I added the chives instead of the vanilla.  And it was a good call.  It's kind of that sweet and savory combination that it so popular in gourmet food now a days.  They were really cool.

And I was thinking of making them green with green sugar, but I had pink leftover from last year's peeps and decided to just use that instead.  They look so springy!

I, of course, had to use the flower cookie cutter mom found for me last year on like the day before Easter, when I out of the blue decided to make peeps.

Yay, spring!

. . . Except, not really.  April Fool!

Yeah, I didn't really make marshmallows.  I really wouldn't have had time.  I've been hanging out with NES this weekend, and you can ask him -- I've been studying like crazy all weekend.  My (last!) midterm is on Monday.  I'm so close . . . .  And then come finals.  Ugh.

By the way, the original recipe above (and the pictures . . . ) come from last year.

I don't think chive marshmallows would be very good.  Just my opinion, seeing as I don't even like chives much.  But do you know how hard it is to think of a marshmallow flavor no one has tried?  Well, almost no one.  There were a couple of mentions of them on Google.

It is true that my original flavor choice was cayenne, but those have been done.  And are apparently very good.  I would like to try making them and dipping them in chocolate sometime.

But NES and I did find a really fun sandwich shop with cupcakes this weekend!  I got a roasted veggie and cheese sandwich on a broiche roll.  Mmmmm.  It was really good.

And then came cupcakes by the ocean.  Yum.  The cupcakes were insanely buttery -- they almost tasted like cakey biscuits.  And the frosting was really sweet to contrast that.  They were very, very different, but they were soo good.

And now, it's back to studying.  Tomorrow, well, no, Wednesday after I turn all my homework in, maybe I can finally relax a little.  It's been a long two weeks since midterms started.