Lilac Marshmallows

Making marshmallows is quick, easy and even fun, with the added bonus of having a confection which is so superior to the store bought variety. I only recently began to experiment with different flavours, beginning with maple, honey, and spices. Then it occurred to me to flavour them with flowers from my garden and so I began with lilac. I look forward to other flavours as they come in season –  honeysuckle, peony, elderflower and Queen Anne’s lace to name a few.

The process is simple. The basic one for standard white marshmallows would be made with one cup sugar and one cup water. Heat the syrup allowing to simmer for a few minutes, then pour it gradually onto gelatine softened with a little water. I use the powdered Knox gelatine which comes in one-Tbsp packages. Originally I was using three packets per cup of syrup and this made a pretty stiff and stretchy marshmallow. For this recipe, I used only 2 Tbsp. which I prefer but the marshmallows are less robust and a little softer than the others.

As you pour the hot syrup over the gelatine, mix on high speed with a hand mixer. This will take about 10 minutes. If using three packets it is easy to over mix and the mixture will start to set before pouring it into a pan if you’re not careful.

Pour the mixture into any shape of pan you like – I used a 12 inch square dish. Chill in the fridge for about an hour until they are well set.

Lilac Marshmallows

1 cup lilac syrup

2 Tbsp powdered gelatine

5 Tbsp cold water (substitute a little colouring such as grape or blueberry preserve or juice)

Heat the syrup while the gelatine is dissolved in water. Gradually pour the syrup over the gelatine and beat on high speed. The colour will lighten as the mixture puffs up, so if you want a stronger colour, add more juice to the water. When thick and forming peaks, pour it into a pan and set in fridge to cool. Cut into squares and serve.

Related Posts: Lilac Ice Cream; Lilac Fizz; Lilac Pavlova

Linked to: Fiesta Friday #226; Jhuls at The Not so Creative Cook.

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Honeysuckle Sorbet

I recently came across a recipe for elderflower sorbet made by David Lebovitz, and not having any of that particular flower available at the moment I decided to use honeysuckle instead.  This recipe is worth trying with just about any edible wild flower I expect, especially if they have a strong enough flavoured flower to withstand the strong lemon flavour. The honeysuckle does have a good honey taste, and could be detected, but I would have liked it a little stronger. Maybe next time, double the amount of flowers or reduce the amount of lemon.

I picked mostly young buds, not fully opened and soaked them in the hot syrup overnight as recommended. I followed Lebovitz’s recipe exactly except I used 1 full cup of flowers instead of his 1/3 to 1/2 and I strained the lemon juice to get rid of any pulp.

The sorbet tasted distinctly of lemon with a light honeysuckle after taste. It was not as sweet as I expected, although I could hardly be surprised given the generous amount of lemon.

I’m not sure why I have never made sorbet before. If this summer continues to be as hot as it has been, I’m sure I will be making a lot more, and this recipe will form the base of them all.

Related posts:  Honeysuckle Ice Cream; Honeysuckle Syrup

Linked to: Fiesta Friday #226, Jhuls at The Not So Creative Cook.