Gifts For Foodies: “Marshmallows” by Eileen Talanian with Homemade Marshmallows
The absolute deliciousness of homemade marshmallows was one of our favorite discoveries this year. Wouldn’t a copy of this book on making marshmallows, along with a few homemade marshmallows as inspiration, make a great present for a fellow food-lover?
This book Marshmallows: Homemade Gourmet Treats by Eileen Talanian has been our guiding star as we started experimenting with making these treats at home. It was here that we first heard of sugar cane syrup, and it’s a riff on her recipe for basic vanilla marshmallows that we come back to again and again. Her instructions are clear enough that even someone who’s never worked with sugar before will have no trouble following along.
Besides setting you up with the basic tools and recipes, Talanian goes deep into recipe adaptations and ways to integrate homemade marshmallows into other desserts. Recipes like Honey-Lavender Marshmallows, Dulce de Leche Marshmallows, and Blackberry Marshmallows made with fruit puree are inspiring and mouth-watering in equal measures. She even has a recipe for making your own marshmallow fluff!
This is a must-have cookbook for anyone excited about making marshmallows at home. We’ve found no other book that does as good a job of making marshmallows into an accessible homemade treat or providing so many great recipes in one place.
• Find the Book! Marshmallows: Homemade Gourmet Treats by Eileen Talanian. Published by Gibbs Smith, 2008. ($13 on Amazon.com)
And why not make a batch of marshmallows to give along with the book?
• Fluffy Vanilla Marshmallows
• Candied Sweet Potato Marshmallows
• Six Recipes for Homemade Marshmallows
(Images: Courtney Winston/Gibbs Smith and Emma Christensen)