Arce - Marshmallow heaven - delicious, unique, and fun recipes for sweet homemade

Copyright 2017 by Tricia Arce

Photographs copyright 2017 by Joanie Simon

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

Skyhorse Publishing books may be purchased in bulk at special discounts for sales promotion, corporate gifts, fund-raising, or educational purposes. Special editions can also be created to specifications. For details, contact the Special Sales Department, Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018 or .

Skyhorse and Skyhorse Publishing are registered trademarks of Skyhorse Publishing, Inc., a Delaware corporation.

Visit our website at www.skyhorsepublishing.com.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

Cover design by Jane Sheppard

Cover photo credit Joanie Simon

Print ISBN: 978-1-5107-2359-7

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-5107-2362-7

Printed in China

Dedication

To Grandmother Inez B. Ceballos

Never without you

Contents

Introduction

The one question everyone asks when they meet me and they see all the different marshmallows I can make is, How did you come up with this? Did I just wake up one day and think Im going to make marshmallow? Or do I have some type of culinary background?

I went to school for my bachelors degree in business management so I could climb that corporate ladderbaking or candy-making was not on the horizon. Sure, Id baked a cookie or made the occasional cupcake, but policies and procedures were my strong suits along with customer service and people management. Then one day at work, a group of managers decided to have a fun baking competition to see which of us were better. We were a competitive group who liked to have fun, so we implemented a baking contest just like Top Chef . Every month, we were given a secret ingredient. The directions emailed to us for the month of February included the secret ingredient marshmallow.

I remember this months competion because I had just lost my best friend five months prior, my grandmother, whom I had been taking care of for the past five years. Every Tuesday afternoon, wed have a lunch date; Friday afternoons were for doctor appointments and grocery stores. Once a month was the occasional bingo date and in between were multiple daily phone calls. Unfortunately, dementia/Alzheimers had taken her and my world stopped. My Tuesdays were now empty, my phone no longer rang, and my best friend was gone.

When that Februarys secret ingredient presented itself, I didnt want to just go and buy marshmallows to add to a dessertI wanted to make an actual marshmallow. I wanted to know how a marshmallow was made. I did not own a mixer, measuring spoons, or any type of baking ingredients, so online I went to learn how to make a marshmallow. I grabbed all the tools of the trade, set up my mixer, and started adding a little of this, mixing a little bit of that, and soon I was creating my first marshmallowstrawberry flavored, very ambitious.

To my surprise, it was stickier than I thought itd be, and doubled in volume. Ever see that scene from Ghostbusters when Stay Puft is blown up? That was my kitchenpink slime everywhere including my elbows and possibly behind my ear. I was hooked, not only because it was sweet, challenging, and tasted good but because, for that moment, I felt a purpose again. I didnt know what it was going to be, but you can call it my a-ha moment. I had been mourning the loss of my grandmother, and for the first time, in my kitchen, I wasnt. Instead, I was trying to figure out how to make this pink, sticky mess into a sweet dessert treat for everyone to enjoy. I truly feel this was a gift from my grandmother; I adored her, missed her terribly, felt lost, and I believe she gave this to me. I tell people that I believe its her way of saying thank you; she gave this to me to fill that empty void, to feel as if I had a purpose. Her passing was the worst day of my life but this this is the best gift Ive ever been given.

Now I get to make marshmallows full time, and its the best job ever. I get to create different flavors and desserts made of marshmallows. I left the corporate world and became an entrepreneursomething I never dreamed of happening or thought I could do. I get to say I make marshmallows for a living, how fun is that? And Ive been lucky enough to build a business with my wife who is equally as creative and who understood my vision. With her knowledge of design and branding, and my marshmallow madness we opened a marshmallow shop in August 2014. Together we have created something unique and different and have been lucky to receive recognition and the ability to share our creation.

So, I wrote this book not to just have another cookbook on the bookshelves or to see my name on the cover. I really wanted to write this how-to book to hopefully inspire someoneyouto try something new. I hope you create these tasty marshmallows and memories with your loved ones or even by yourself. I hope you are just as excited as I was when they turned out delicious and terrific. I hope that excitement fuels something inside of you and pushes you to keep trying new things. Im hoping you read through here and see that I was just an everyday nine-to-five girl in a very gray world and then, through the loss of a loved one, I stumbled upon colors. Making my first marshmallow catapulted me to want to be more, to create more, to have more of a marking in this short life we live. So with this book, I hope you find your inspiration and do the impossible just once because you never know where it might take you.

Id rather go broke building my dreams then just get by living somebody elses.

Anonymous

CHAPTER 1

The 1, 2, 3 of Marshmallow Making

INGREDIENTS

SUGAR

Through trial and error, I have learned what sugar works best. We tried a few different sugars because 1) we wanted to be cost effective and 2) somewhat healthy. I gave up on the healthy when I realized dang it, I wanted an indulgent sweet treat, something delicious. The only sugar that is perfect for your marshmallow is pure cane sugar, and youll need quite a bit of it. All marshmallows created through this journey have been made with pure cane sugar. We did try to use a raw sugar, and we were excited because the cost was not as high, but we quickly found out that the marshmallow I was creating with my little knowledge of the science would not produce a great outcome. Using the raw sugar, my marshmallows were extremely sticky and would not release from the pans. My own research found that sugar in the raw holds molasses, and the recipe that I use to create marshmallows does not account for the molasses. So, to keep it simple and delicious, I would recommend pure cane sugar. Any brand will do.