Marshmallow Explosion!

New Years day festivities always merit something new, different, or strange. Continuing with the theme of marshmallows, I decided to make them a focus of the dessert course. To do this, I made a mallow centerpiece. For the bases, I halved cantaloupes and coated the outside in mallow. The mallow was prepared as normal, but underwhipped as to make it flow smoothly. While it was still soft, I decorated it with festive patriotic sprinkles and colored sugar.

Tangerine: Tangerine juice and zest were added to the sugar when boiling and strained out before being added to the gelatin.

Coffee: Espresso crystals (not intended for consumption as a beverage) were added to the sugar when boiling. A thick splash of Kahlua added at the same time as the vanilla rounds out the flavor nicely.

Anise: Be careful, or you'll end up using too much like I did. Anise extract is added with the vanilla. Perhaps an anise liqueur would do better to have a multi-dimensional, smooth flavor.

S'mores: Yes, S'mores. I added cocoa powder to the mallow, then piped it out into rows and rolled them in powdered graham crackers. The rows were about an inch wide and length simply depends on space available. It helps to wait a bit after you fill your piping bag (or gallon sized zip-top bag, for AB fans who don't like unitaskers). Don't wait so long that it sets up, just long enough so that the ropes of mallow can support their own weight. After cutting into rounds, the other two sides were also coated in graham powder. Though I didn't, for an added bit of wonderful, they can be dipped (ideally on one side only) in the chocolate of your choice. Safe, clean, neat, indoor, S'mores.

Additionally, using biscuit cutters, I cut a large circle of one of the flavors of mallow and, using smaller cutters, fashioned 08 into it. Then I torched it. Why? Because I can. I used sandwich cutters (the flower and star look remarkably similar) to cut shapes out of the rest of the mallow. Here's the display.