The Recipe
1 Tbsp. marsh mallow root powder
2 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. gelatin
1 cup honey
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch Real salt
A Quick Note About Marsh Mallow Root
You can purchase marsh mallow root from Mountain Rose Herbs or the Bulk Herb Store.
This week I have some great hot chocolate recipes to share and before we can even begin to talk about hot chocolate we need to make sure we have some marshmallows on hand. I'm not talking about the corn syrup, sugar, preservatives, artificial flavors and colorings (yes, marshmallows have blue 1 in them) marshmallows you purchase at the store. I'm talking about marsh mallow root, gelatin and honey mallows. The original marshmallow confection was actually made with marsh mallow root as a "candy" for soothing coughs and calming digestive upset in babies. Over time the plant extracts were replaced with corn syrup and gelatin. (see Rosemary Gladstar's Medicinal Herbs)
I have been searching for a great marshmallow recipe for a year now and felt they seemed complicated and time consuming. I finally found this great recipe from Sweet Roots, love this blog! I was surprised how quickly these made up and how easy the recipe was. These have be added to our favorites cookbook because we will be making them again and again.
The Recipe
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. marsh mallow root powder 2 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. gelatin 1 cup honey 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract pinch Real salt
Simmer 1 cup of water and 1 tablespoon of marsh mallow root for 5 minutes. Let cool and strain to remove lumps then divide in half.
Pour half of the marsh mallow root "tea" over 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon of gelatin and mix together.
Pour the other half of the marsh mallow root "tea" in a saucepan with the honey, vanilla and salt. Bring to a boil on medium-high until the mixture is 240 degrees or soft ball stage.
Pour hot mixture over the gelatin mix and start to blend with a hand mixer on low and work up to high. This is where I was a little iffy, thinking how on earth this was going to turn into marshmallows. Continue to blend that baby until it is light and fluffy, about 5-8 minutes. All of the sudden this mixture just transforms into this beautiful light fluffy marshmallow cream!
Pour into a buttered 8x8 pan for the big marshmallows or a 9x13 pan for the small ones. When they are ready, use a knife dipped in hot water to cut into strips and then into squares. We tried to be creative and use small cookie cutters for shapes but the mallows were so bouncy it didn't work out so well, we contented ourselves with the squares after all.
I was quite impressed with the texture, they are seriously just like marshmallows from the store. Just a warning they are pretty sticky, so I just buttered my cutting board and rolled the mallow "sticks" around it before cutting them. This coated the edges and they were no longer sticky, store in an airtight container in your cupboard.
A Quick Note About Marsh Mallow Root
I love marsh mallow root for its soothing, demulcent (softens, relieves and protects irritated or inflamed tissue) and emollient properties. These properties make this herb great for treating the respiratory system, digestive system, including heart burn, skin (using it topically) and for kidney and bladder infections. I will be going into more detail in a future post on thehealing benefits of Marsh Mallow Root.
You can purchase marsh mallow root from Mountain Rose Herbs or the Bulk Herb Store. Now Bring on the Hot Chocolate!
5 Comments
12/21/2013 10:16:20 am
Hi Annie, do you know if you can make homemade marshmallows without gelatin?? I don't eat meat products so that's why I haven't had marshmallows in years!!!
Reply
Tara
8/26/2021 12:25:32 pm
I wonder if agar agar would be a good vegan substitute for gelatin
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Carol L
4/21/2022 11:20:07 am
Just wonder why so many bloggers use honey when the recipe calls for heating over about 98*....heating over this temperature kills off all of the good enzymes that honey is noted for. Why not just use a good organic sweetener like maple syrup or coconut sugar...date sugar, etc.? I am diabetic, so am going to use Bocha Sweet...a 1:1 replacement for sugar that has a zero glycemic index made from the kobucha plant..It doesn't have the aftertaste like stevia or monkfruit do. Tastes just like sugar.
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Hi, I’m Annie, a child of God, Mother of Influence and Herbalist. Welcome to my place where I share what I have learned of natural and frugal living, healthy eating and living, gardening, homeschooling, herbal crafting, preparing temporally and spiritually, and love for God and Country.
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