Gooseberry Marshmallow
Description
This recipe yields marshmallows that are not overly sweet, very aromatic, and beautifully vibrant in color. If desired, you can increase the amount of blackcurrant purée, reducing the apple purée accordingly. Use green, tart apples, as they contain more pectin. Invert syrup helps keep the marshmallows tender for a longer time compared to using plain sugar. If you don't have invert syrup, you can substitute it with glucose syrup or the same amount of regular sugar. Prepare in advance a large pastry bag with a tip and your work surface where you'll pipe the marshmallows.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
Prepare all the necessary ingredients for making currant marshmallows. Wash the apples thoroughly and dry them.
- 2
Step 2
Cut the apples in half, remove the cores and stems. Place the apples cut-side down on a plate suitable for microwave use. Microwave at full power for 5 minutes. Drain the liquid, and if the flesh is still firm, continue cooking in one-minute intervals, draining the liquid each time and checking for tenderness. The flesh should become soft. Puree the baked apples with an immersion blender and pass through a fine sieve. Let cool. Alternatively, you can bake the apples in the oven for 15–20 minutes at 180°C.
- 3
Step 3
Place frozen black currants on a plate and put them in the microwave. Cook at full power for 5 minutes, then drain the juice. Cook the berries for another 1 minute and blend with an immersion blender. Strain the purée through a fine sieve and cool completely. Alternatively, you can boil the berries on the stovetop.
- 4
Step 4
Place 80 grams of blackcurrant purée and 50 grams of apple purée into the mixer bowl. The remaining purée can be stored in airtight containers in the freezer, where it will keep for up to one month. Add the egg whites to the purée.
- 5
Step 5
Add the powdered sugar to the mixer bowl and mix.
- 6
Step 6
Turn on the mixer and beat the ingredients at high speed until you get a thick, fluffy mixture. The mixture should clearly hold a pattern, and the egg white mixture should cling well to the whisk without falling off.
- 7
Step 7
At the same time as you start whipping, begin preparing the syrup. Pour water into a saucepan with a handle and a thick bottom, add agar and mix. Add sugar and invert syrup. Mix everything and place over low heat. Melt the ingredients and bring to a boil. Cook the syrup, stirring, until it reaches 110°C. This is easily checked with a cooking thermometer. If you don't have one, cook the mixture until it drips off the spoon in a continuous thread, like medium-thick fruit jelly. Use agar with a strength of at least 900 Bloom; otherwise, it won't work—the mixture won't stabilize.
- 8
Step 8
While continuing to beat the currant mixture, slowly pour the syrup in a thin stream along the edge. After adding all the syrup, beat the mixture for another 30 seconds.
- 9
Step 9
Next, work very quickly, as the meringue mixture stabilizes rapidly. Transfer the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with M1 tip and pipe small meringues onto a surface lined with parchment paper or foil. Let the meringues stabilize for 12 to 24 hours. The time required will depend on the humidity of the room.
- 10
Step 10
Dust the finished marshmallows with powdered sugar, pair them up or leave them as halves.
- 11
Step 11
The currant marshmallow is ready.