Lemon Sherbert and Green Tea Marshmallows - The Sweet Swap

July 2013 is now known as the month of sugar overload as I join many other Australian bloggers in this years Sweet Swap.  For this event I found myself battling for kitchen real estate with my general partner in crime Mrs Shanks who had decided to join in on the fun via her own new blog What's Mummy Up To.

The Sweet Swap is an online event where you are randomly assigned three bloggers to make and send a treat to.   In return you receive treats from three other bloggers and post about your experience and recipe.  The great thing is that the small admission fee goes towards charity, Child fund Australia.

I decided to make a recipe I've been longing to try.  Those who know me may know that I've been keen on mastering, to no great success, a macaron recipe.  I've experimented with French and Italian methods and found the Italian technique more forgiving.  The difference between the two, is the way you incorporate the sugar into your egg white mixture.  The Italian technique consists of adding boiling sugar syrup to the whisking egg whites resulting in a much silkier meringue.  The same technique was applied for these marshmallows only the addition of gelatine to firm up the meringue.

After receiving an abundance of lemons from Lobo, a lemon treat was a must which brought me back to my childhood love of Lemon Sherbert bomb's.  Yes one would have thought I would have attempted to make these hard lemon flavored candy encasing a centre of fizzy sherbert but due to time restraints (as I mentioned the battle above) and general know how I decided to use the elements and create them in marshmallow form.  Also as I'm a matcha freak I just had to try a green tea version.  So what did I receive you ask......

Anna from The Littlest Anchovy created these decadent Salted Almond Brittle and decadent they were.  The perfect amount of salt that lifted the caramel/butter scotch flavor to another world.  It was hard to stick to a small piece to go with my morning coffee every day.  Thanks Anna!!

Maureen from Orgasmic Chef sent these delightful Russian Caramels + Watermelon Ice.  My kids MiniB and Hburger's eyes lit up at the sight of the colorful watermelon ice, which was backed up with a coconut grin.  Thanks Maureen!!

Finally I was spoilt for choice by Shez of One Bite More who made not one but three treats.
Black Gold Bars (sticky treacle chewy toffees with a hit of mocha and chilli), Szechuan pepper Fudgy Bites, and Sour Gummy (cherry and passion fruit) gummy chews.  My favorite hands down was the Black Gold bars with it's chilli kick.  Thanks Shez!!

Many thanks also goes out to Sara of Belly Rumbles and Amanda of Chewtown for organizing this event.  It was such a thrill receiving random packages of sweet goodness in the post and all for a good cause.


Till next time ... we eat!!

Shanks



Marshmallow (Matcha or Lemon Sherbert)

Ingredients:

   Marshmallow Mixture
   25 gm powdered gelatine
   185 ml  (¾ cup) flavored fluid (i.e. lemon juice or green tea)
   500 gm caster sugar
   200ml water
   1 tbsp liquid glucose
   2 eggwhites
   1/8 tsp creme of tartar

   Lemon Sherbert Marshmallow Coating

   1 packet of Wizz Fizz
   20gm icing sugar
   30gm cornflour
   grated lemon peel of 1/2 lemon

  Matcha Marshmallow Coating
   1/2 tsp Matcha green tea powder
   33gm icing sugar
   30gm cornflour
   An additional pinch of Matcha powder for serving

  
Method:

Line a 30x15cm baking (or something similar) tin.  I found a silicone mat a lot easier to remove the mixture from than baking paper.

Combine gelatine, lemon juice to a small bowl and let stand until the gelatine has absorbed all the liquid.  Fill about half way of a larger bowl with boiling water and set the small bowl with gelatine mixture on top of the larger bowl (similar to a double boiler when melting chocolate).  This is to keep the mixture warm and to stop the gelatine from setting.  Set aside.

Place sugar, water and glucose in a saucepan and bring to the boil.  Continue heating (roughly 5-10 minutes) the sugar syrup until temperature reaches 125 degrees C.


While you are waiting for the sugar to reach temperature, add the creme of tartar to the egg whites and begin whisking.  An electric stand mixer is preferred as you'll be have your hands full when combining the mixture.  I generally start whisking on high while when the sugar syrup starts to boil.  It should reach soft-medium peaks once the sugar has been boiling for about 3 minutes but slow the mixer down if it is forming stiff peaks before the sugar syrup is ready.

Once the sugar syrup has reached temperature, slowly add drizzle the syrup down the side of the mixing bowl while it's still whisking.  Simultaneously slowly drizzle the gelatine mixture to the egg whites.  Continue whisking until the the temperature of the bowl reaches body temp - i.e. slightly warm to the touch.  This will take about 10-15mins.  At first sight it may seem like that the syrup and gelatine has flattened all the air out of your egg mixture but keep whisking and it will slowly combine as the mixture cools.

Spoon the mixture into the baking tin and smooth off the top.  For best results refrigerate overnight.

Combine the cornflour, icing sugar and flavoring (i.e sherbert or matcha) and put through a fine sieve.  Sprinkle some of the mixture on to a flat surface and remove the marshmallow onto this mixture.  Coat the rest of the marshmallow and slice it into your preferred shape /size.

Sieve additional sherbert, lemon peel or Matcha before serving.