I have this under control, really I do! But things go from bad to worse when the water heater broke down within the last 24 hours during another extreme cold weather alert. Strange as it sounds, the mundane tasks of maintaining my living comfort slightly divert my attention away from the emotional turmoil at hand. So perhaps my water heater bailing on me is actually a blessing in disguise (not).
Before this unpleasant discovery in the shower, I washed all the dishes in hot soapy oblivion. Good thing too because I can always shower at the gym next door but I sure can’t stand to have a sink full of sweet sticky mess. It was all for a worthy cause though. After a decade of procrastination, I finally made my first batch of homemade marshmallows. Heaven knows I spent way more money than I should on “artisanal” marshmallows over the years. It is certainly not difficult to make at home and I already mastered all the necessary skills. Cooking sugar syrup? Easy. Whipping super hot syrup into egg whites? I can make Italian meringue with my eyes closed. Working with gelatin and candy making? I made far more complicated things before. Go figure what took me so long to make one of my favourite treats. Obviously I cannot go all vanilla about it. I made a batch of ethereal Matcha Kinako Marshmallows.
I am a huge fan of Brooklyn’s Liddabit Sweets and their cookbook Liddabit Sweets Candy Cookbook tempts me like none other every time I open it (check out this slideshow of sample recipes). There are certainly plenty of marshmallow recipes around. Some made with only gelatin, some with egg whites and gelatin, and even vegan versions too. I happened to have an abundance of egg whites at home and trust Liddabit Sweets’ expertise. I adapted from their recipe for a Japanese twist.
I bloomed gelatin powder along with 1 tablespoon of matcha (powder green tea). Green tea gave the marshmallows a lovely pale green colour and a subtle bitter taste to contrast with all that sweetness. For coating, I opted to use 1/2 cup of kinako (toasted soy bean powder) and 1/2 cup of confectioner’s sugar. Kinako contributes plenty of flavour and its dryness functions just as well as the more commonly used cornstarch. The coating was tinted beige but the gorgeous green marshmallows still managed to peek through.
One of the best parts about homemade candies is the inevitable sharing that follows. Once cut up, a 9x13 pan of marshmallow easily filled 8 500mL mason jars. I dolled up the jars with matching green polka dot tissue paper and pink ribbon. Holiday season may be long over but these Matcha Kinako Marshmallows are quite appropriate for St Patrick’s Day, don’t you think?
More kinako treats:
- Kinako Blondie with Nutella Swirl
- Kinako Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Kuzumochi
- Kinako Nori Sesame Cookies with Miso Buttercream
