Snowed in? Heat up your holidays with winter warmers and barley wine marshmallows. Listen to
Lucy Saunders, author of The Best of American Beer and Food ($22.95 Brewers Publications), on Milwaukee Public Radio’s Lake Effect program, Wednesday, December 24, 10 a.m., online at wuwm.com. Adrienne Pierluissi from The Sugar Maple (http://www.myspace.com/sugarmaplebayview) also joins the show. The two women discuss holiday craft beers with Lake Effect arts producer Bonnie North, sharing the finer points
of winter seasonals and beer appreciation, including the following recipe for barley wine marshmallows.
Barley Wine Marshmallows
Pg. 189, The Best of American Beer & Food
These ale-fluffed confections were originally made by
Executive Sous Chef Piet Vanden Hogen at Pelican Pub in
Pacific City, Oregon. Using Pelican Pub’s Wee Heavy or a
local Barley Wine will add a bit of beer flavor to
marshmallow-topped mugs of hot cocoa, or as the filling for
adult S’mores, made with graham crackers and bittersweet
chocolate.
Use organic powdered sugar for best taste and texture.
Adjust water to soften gelatin according to humidity and
elevation. The texture of bloomed gelatin should be thick,
smooth, not grainy.
3 envelopes plain powdered gelatin (3 tablespoons)
4 to 5 ounces cold water
Unsalted butter for pan
1/4 cup sifted organic powdered sugar for pan
4 ounces decanted (no foam) Scottish ale or Barley Wine
2 cups pure cane sugar
1/4 teaspoon finely ground sea salt
6 ounces corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon Madagascar Bourbon vanilla extract
2 cups organic powdered sugar sifted with 2 tablespoons
cornstarch
1. Bloom or soften gelatin in 4 to 5 ounces water in the
bowl of a stand mixer. While gelatin softens, prepare
9×13-inch glass pan by buttering inside and sprinkling
with powdered sugar to cover base and sides; shake pan
so sugar is evenly applied.
2. Combine ale or barley wine, sugar, salt, and corn syrup
in a large, deep pot over medium-high heat, and bring
to soft-ball stage, 238° F on a candy thermometer.
Mixture will foam and turn caramel colored.
3. Place bowl with bloomed gelatin into a stand electric
mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Turn mixer to
MEDIUM-LOW and slowly pour in hot syrup, whisking into
bloomed gelatin until it starts to fluff. Do not whip
too fast or the hot syrup will splatter. Whip until
white and fluffy, about 10 minutes, adding vanilla
extract during last minute.
4. Scrape mixture into prepared pan and spread evenly.
Sprinkle top with 2-3 tablespoons powdered sugar-starch
mixture. When cooled and set (from 30 minutes to 3
hours depending on humidity), turn slab out onto a
cookie sheet dusted with half the powdered sugar
mixture. Slice into cubes with sharp knife or
scissors dipped in warm water between each slice.
Roll cubes in remaining powdered sugar mixture to
coat evenly. Air-dry until not sticky (varies by
humidity). Keeps up to 10 days in sealed container.
Makes about 50 marshmallows.
