Strawberry & Orange Flower Marshmallows

i'm not sure if anyone has seen or heard of the ladurée sucré book. i didn't know about its existence until the lovely felicia very generously loaned it to me (she bought it on her recent trip to paris). the book is unlike all other books i've seen - velvety suede cover with gold trimmings and delicately packed in a ladurée's signature pastel green box with lilac tissue paper (hubby commented that it looked harry potter-ish lol). i fell in love with it at 1st sight but was even more fascinated with the recipes as i flipped the pages. i don't think i've ever classified any cookbook as totally "my type" but for this one...YES! the book features lotsa dainty and feminine desserts like rose petal ice cream, pistachio financiers, vanilla eclairs, raspberry rose verrines etc.

and one of them that caught my eye was the guimauve fraise et fleur d'oranger, or strawberry & orange flower marshmallows. the name itself is very lovely and it was after i made it that i realize what a fantastic pairing it was. the orange blossom water is both floral and fruity and is a great complement with the strawberry puree. really delicate. i also felt it was about time i made marshmallows again since i wasn't exactly satisfied with my previous attempt on the passionfruit version.

and what could be better with marshmallows than hot chocolate? weather is rather chilly these days so this is just perfect.

wasting no time, i got myself a copy of the book from amazon as well. contrary to what i thought, the book is actually pretty cheap (US$26) and after freight charges & conversion to SGD, i paid about S$45 which is pretty reasonable! also, the book is originally in french and i ordered it without realizing there's actually an english version but they actually sent the english one by mistake afterall, to my delight. how lucky was i? :p



recipe source : ladurée sucré

ingredients (makes thirty 3x3cm square pieces) :

6 gelatin sheets (or 1.5 tbsp/10.5g powdered gelatin)

75ml water

250g sugar + 1 tbsp sugar

37.5g glucose syrup

3 egg whites

50g strawberry pulp

2.5 tbsp orange flower water

50g powdered sugar

50g potato starch

directions :

1. line a 5 inch square pan with parchment paper.

2. place the gelatin sheets in cold water, soak until softened and squeeze water out to remove excess liquid. if using powdered gelatin, sprinkle it with some water until bloomed then microwave for 10 secs until dissolved. set aside.

3. put the 75ml water, sugar and glucose syrup in a saucepan. bring mixture to 130C (266F). when mixture reaches 120C (248F), beat the egg whites in another bowl until bubbly. add in 1 tbsp sugar and whisk until white & frothy. incorporate the sugar syrup a little at a time into the egg whites, continue whisking until stiff peaks.

4. add the gelatin into the hot meringue and thoroughly combine until the gelatin is fully incorporated. using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, fold in the strawberry puree & orange flower water.

5. pour the marshmallows into the square mold to a thickness of 3cm. allow to cool completely and harden overnight in a cool place. you can also place it covered with cling film in the fridge.

6. the following day, combine the powdered sugar & potato starch on a plate or tray. sprinkle some over the work surface. remove marshmallows from mold and place on the work surface. using a hot dry knife, slice the marshmallows into 3x3cm squares, wiping the knife clean in between each cut.

7. roll the marshmallow squares in the powdered sugar mixture to coat, shake off any excess and allow to dry uncovered for 6 hrs.