Homemade Chamomile Vanilla Marshmallows are the perfect way to step into an old-fashioned sense of nostalgia.
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup chamomile flowers
• 1 tablespoon gelatin
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• Pinch cream of tartar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
1. To brew chamomile tea, bring water to a boil in a small pot. Remove from heat and add chamomile flowers. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes. Strain flowers from the tea and chill in the refrigerator until liquid is cool.
2. Pour 1/4 cup of chilled chamomile tea into the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle gelatin over the tea and let sit for 10 minutes.
3. Combine sugar, 3 tablespoons chamomile tea, honey and cream of tartar in a pot. Over medium heat, gently stir the mixture until sugar dissolves. Continue cooking sugar mixture, without stirring, until it reaches 234 degrees on a candy thermometer.
4. Immediately turn on the stand mixer to its lowest setting while pouring a thin stream of hot sugar mixture into the center of the bowl. When all the sugar is poured, turn the mixer on high and let run for 10 minutes. It should double in volume.
5. Line an 8-inch by 8-inch pan with parchment, spray with cooking oil.
6. One minute before removing the marshmallow from the mixer, add vanilla extract. Scoop the marshmallow into the prepared pan using a buttered spatula and pat down with buttered hands to create a smooth surface. Let cure for at least 4 hours.
7. Turn out the marshmallow sheet onto a surface sprinkled with combined confectioners’ sugar and cornstarch. Using a knife dipped in hot water, cut 1-inch strips vertically through the sheet. Continuously dipping the knife when sticky, cut the strips into 1-inch cubes. Coat each cube in the sugar-cornstarch mixture, shaking off excess. Chamomile Vanilla Marshmallows keep in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Sarah Goldschmidt whips up herbal candies for lucky family and friends. She is looking forward to her first curated exhibit and the launch of an artisanal marketplace called Aeolus Studio.
Click here for the main article, Sweet Botanicals: Homemade Herbal Candy.
