PERFECTING THE ART OF
MARSHMALLOW-MAKING
Michael Harlan Turkell
This coconut cream pie, coconut macaroon, pina colada espuma and saffron/coconut
marshmallow is the creation of Dennis Marron, executive chef at Jackson 20 and The
Grille at Morrison House in Alexandria, Va.
“The ideal use for marshmallows
is as garnish on a plate, browned
with a torch and softened. Heating
marshmallows is their best destiny,
because it softens them, especially if
you caramelize them, in which case
they get a really soft texture.”
- Peter Greweling, professor of
baking and pastry arts, The Culinary
Institute of America, Hyde Park, N. Y.
the sugar, 10 minutes to whip the mixture,
five minutes to spread the marshmallows,
and then they set overnight. They’re easier
to make than a meringue.”
Ocean House has featured marshmallows
at clambakes on the beach with s’mores,
at teatime in flavors such as rosewater,
chocolate and hibiscus, and as
mignardises in the summer, including
lemon- and basil-flavored.
“A fresh-made marshmallow is always
great. The key is to always brûlé them to
give them good flavor and appearance.
Once they are made, they can last a
week as long as you have a nice dry
atmosphere. In humidity, they absorb
moisture and start to get sticky.”
- Anthony Meidenbauer, chef,
Holsteins, Las Vegas
FAMILIAR AND FLAVORFUL
Most chefs serving marshmallows offer
them on the dessert menu, although a
couple of adventurous souls are putting
them in other dishes. At Ocean House,
a resort in Watch Hill, R.I., pastry chef
Adam Young makes marshmallows every
morning, adding a selection of flavorings
that includes rosewater, peppermint
extract, vanilla extract, lavender petals
and basil. “In the past, we made a
butternut squash soup garnished with a
small savory sage marshmallow that we
toasted and caramelized,” he says.
“A lot of people are looking for the salty/
sweet combination, so sometimes we’ll dip
one end of the marshmallow in chocolate
or a praline/hazelnut base, or crushed
pistachios or a fine-grain sea salt,” Young
says. “They’re so versatile you can flavor
them with anything and everything.”
Young is in the process of creating a
blueberry dessert that will be served with
lavender marshmallows. “People prefer
something they’re familiar with, and
marshmallows are exactly that,” he
says. “They’re quite profitable, because
your only expense is sugar, which
costs basically nothing. We’ll use
1 pound of sugar for a batch of 45 large
marshmallows, and we can sell them for
$3.50 apiece.”
S’MORES AND MORE
At H5O bistro & bar in Portland, Ore.,
executive chef Nicholas Yanes admits he
was pushing the limits when he offered
diners wasabi-flavored marshmallows.
“I wouldn’t put something like that on a
regular menu, it’s more for a select crowd,”
he says. “People know what marshmallows
are supposed to taste like, and if you get
too crazy with flavors, you’re messing with
their feelings, and it becomes too much for
them to handle.”
“Texture is key when it comes to
marshmallows. You need the syrup
cooked to exactly the right temperature,
so that when you blend it with the egg
white, you don’t have the marshmallow
degrade by weeping liquid. To flavor
marshmallows, infuse the syrup with your
chosen flavor, or roll the marshmallow in
flavored sugar.”
- Jake Michelson, pastry chef,
Red Star Tavern, Portland, Ore.
“Watch your flavors. Have fun with
the flavors, but don’t get too extreme.
Beware of serving marshmallows to the
vegetarian diner. The gelatin is full of
animal products. So the right thing to
do is steer vegetarian diners away from
desserts containing marshmallows.”
- Nick Yanes, executive chef,
H5O bistro & bar, Portland, Ore.
These days, Yanes serves marshmallows
in his churros dessert “to make it a little
like a s’more,” he says. “We took a classic
nostalgic item, the churros, and slapped
it together with the American s’more to
create a neat, fun dessert. You can get
