Mallowmallow

Mallowmallow is my playful answer to the commercial marshmallow. The original marshmallow was made from the root of the marsh mallow (Althaea officinalis) plant and was gummier than what we enjoy today. But that recipe was retired over 150 years ago when the modern marshmallow, made with cornstarch, corn syrup, and gelatin, came into being. Mallowmallows are made from the fruits of common mallow.

As I experimented over the years, my goal was to design a confection that was, at least, reminiscent of the modern Kraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallow—light, airy, and soft. There were many experiments. Keep in mind that accomplishing in your kitchen what food scientists do in a commercial laboratory requires some imagination and patience.

If you are going to embark on this journey, remember that you are doing this for fun, not because you want to save on the cost of commercial marshmallows! This is something you should do to entertain yourself on a casual summer day. Do it with a friend, a date, your family, or with members of an outdoor group.

Making mallowmallows requires more steps, tools, and techniques than your average wild food. If you do your homework here and become successful at making this, you will be able to wow even your local wild food skeptics.

INGREDIENTS:

1 egg white (at room temperature)
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup mallow whites (at room temperature)
3/4 cup regular or baker''s sugar (ultra-granulated)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon maple extract

EQUIPMENT:

• Hand beater with blades
• Large glass bowl
• Rubber spatula
• 2 gallon-size ziplock bags
• Food dryer with deep trays (110 degrees F capable)

One or more of the following:

• Food to dry mallowmallow on
• Silicone nonstick baking mats
• Parchment paper

DIRECTIONS:

Directions here have been divided into six sections to give you an idea of the considerations you should keep in mind when making mallowmallows. Read the whole thing before you begin so you can plan ahead for success:

1. Whipping the mallowmallow
2. Using a mallowmallow dispenser
3. Using a food dryer
4. Drying mallowmallows on selected foods
5. Drying mallowmallows on a surface
6. Powdering the mallowmallows

1. Whipping the mallowmallow

Follow the directions for "Mallow Meringue," only now include the mallowmallow ingredients (includes extra sugar and maple extract). Continue whipping until the foam is stiff and offers a bit of resistance. You''ll see the foam building up on the beater blades. It will be tougher to move the beater blades around through the foam once you whip it thick enough.

2. Using a mallowmallow dispenser

Use a rubber spatula to scoop up the foam. Pack it into a standard gallon-sized ziplock bag. Remind yourself that the mallow whites will separate if the foam is left out too long. Set up ahead of time so you can do things rapid fire-as soon as the foam gets into the dispenser bag.

Once all the foam is in the bag, get as much air out as you can before sealing the zipper. Once sealed, cut a 3/8- inch piece off one of the lower corners of the bag. You now have a dispensing bag for forming the mallowmallows— just squeeze the foam out the hole.

Try squeezing out about half the thickness of a commercial marshmallow on whatever surface you form them on. If you are putting them on some other food for drying, spread them out in a layer covering that food. If you are putting them directly on a drying surface, give each dollop some space so that if you have to bend the surface to pry the mallowmallow free, the adjacent mallows will not be touched. Touching mallowmallows will permanently glue them to each other. With practice, you can make mallowmallows in the shape of large Hershey''s Kisses.

3. Using a food dryer

A food dryer is necessary to transform the mallow foam to mallowmallows. Your goal is to get them to an optimal moisture content-not too moist, not too dry.

DO NOT use an oven to do your drying. Heating the mallow foam somewhere above 118 degrees F will begin to cook it, revealing a mild vegetable flavor. If you can set your oven to 110 degrees F and insert a fan to move the air without risking fire, melting plastic, or electrocution, then go ahead and try an oven.

The most popular food dryer I''ve seen is the round plastic kind with stackable layers. The American Harvester is a common brand that I use. You can buy them new for about $40 or find them cheap at yard sales.

4. Drying mallowmallows—on selected foods

A general reality of drying mallowmallows over a several-hour process is that a small portion of the mallow whites re-liquefy and sink to the base of each drying piece. If the whites sink to a solid surface, the mallow sticks to that surface over most of the drying process. So the most practical drying surface is food. For instance, if you are going to make s''mores, then dry them right on chocolate resting on graham cracker squares. That way, by the end of the drying process, you have a finished product ready to eat. Mmmm . . .

If you are drying them on food, remove them from the dryer after 3 hours. This assures a softer, more delicate product. Eat them fresh for maximum enjoyment. Somewhere between three and five hours of drying, the mallowmallows go from soft and delicate to chewier to dry and crunchy.

5. Drying mallowmallows—on a surface

If you want to make mallowmallows that stand alone and can be eaten and used like regular marshmallows, you have the following considerations within a 3- to 4-hour drying time: 3 hours provide superior quality, but the mallowmallows are difficult to pry from the drying surface; 4 hours make a chewier to crunchier quality, with easier removal from the drying surface.

I have tried every conventional and unconventional surface upon which to dry the mallowmallows—most failed because I could not pry the dried mallowmallows free without destroying them. The best surface I''ve found are the silicon-based baking mats. These begin to work only when the drying time is extended to somewhere between 3 1/2 and 4 hours at 110 degrees F. After that time, the mallowmallow becomes dry enough at its base to begin separating from the mat. These mallowmallows are soft, spongy, and chewy.

Remember that the size of the mallowmallow you are making and the surface area that the base of that mallowmallow takes up will affect the drying time of your finished product. Other considerations are the accuracy of your food dryer''s thermostat (check it with a thermometer), how many trays you have stacked in it, how close to the center of the tray (where the air is circulating) the mallow is, and how close the tray is to the top or the bottom of the food dryer (bottom is hotter). These are all things that may affect your final result.

Sorry if your head is spinning at this point. This is not graduate-level biochemistry. I am just trying to alert you to some things to think about if you are having trouble getting that "perfect" mallowmallow.

6. Powdering the mallowmallows

Most people who have tried these confections cannot wait to get their hands on them right out of the dryer. And this is when mallowmallows are at their best. You can pick them up and eat them without any problem and with great enjoyment.

If, however, you are planning on storing them like regular marshmallow to be eaten later, you have a problem. While they are dry enough not to stick to your fingers, they are still tacky enough to stick to each other. This can become a big gloppy mess unless you do not mind eating one big 30-piece mallowmallow.

To prevent them from sticking to each other, you have to "powder" them. That is, as you pluck them from the dryer, drop them into a bag filled with the following: 1/4 cup powdered sugar mixed thoroughly in 3/4 cup cornstarch.

After you drop some mallowmallows in, close the bag and shake it about. Spoon them out onto a strainer, shake the strainer to remove the excess powder, and your mallowmallows are now ready for bagging. They are best when eaten instantly and are still great within 24 hours. They will be too dried out after 3 days in the bag to be recognized as mallowmallows—still edible and flavorful, but with a texture like Styrofoam.