Giveaway: Marshmallow Madness by Shauna Sever
You might be thinking about making some of your own edible Christmas gifts this year. I know I am, which is what encouraged me to flick through a copy of Marshmallow Madness by American author Shauna Sever. If making mallows is your thing, or you’d like to try, this is a book worth investigating.
Marshmallow Madness – Dozens of Puffalicious Recipes is written by Shauna, an American baker and US TV host who also writes a blog called Piece of Cake. Shauna also runs a dessert and catering business in San Francisco and in fact, has just written her second book, Pure Vanilla. Americans work fast!
This is the kind of book that instantly puts a smile on your face. It’s totally over the top, and even has a puffy cover, but there’s no doubt that candy-making at home is the ultimate way to spend a fun day.
Mallow-making is definitely trending – there have recently been a whole host of books published, dedicated to the art of making these sugary, sticky sweets at home.
You will need a sugar or candy thermometer and an electric mixer or whisk, but apart from that and lots of sugar, the tools and ingredients are all fairly simple.
Classic Vanilla Marshmallows are made with powdered gelatin, sugar, light corn syrup (you can use golden syrup in the UK), water, salt and vanilla extract. There is also a recipe for a vegan alternative. From that basic recipe, you can go on to experiment with a whole plethora of flavours, such as Deeply Chocolate Marshmallows, Honeyed Apricot Marshmallows or even Maple-Bacon Marshmallows. My favourite recipe is for the Homemade Marshmallow Cream (it gives normal butter-cream a silkier edge) and you can use it to fill Shauna’s Lemon Dream Whoopie Pies. I’m also intrigued by the S’mores Cupcakes, which have made next week’s baking list.
There are lots of directions for the marshmallow novice, with essentially three steps to follow – the bloom, the syrup and the mallowing. The mallowing happens with the aid of an electric mixer that incorporates air.
Note: Being an American book, all measurements are in cups and ounces. I think we can just about cope with that, now.
To win one of two copies, enter via the rafflecopter giveaway tool, below. Good luck and happy mallowing!
With many thanks to Quirk Publishing for my review copy and for the giveaway copy. Photography by Leigh Beisch.
Chocolate
rhubarb and custard flavour is great, that sweet and tart flavour is just yummy!
I love percy pigs from Marks & Spencers – they are so tasty & made with fruit juice.
My favourite sweet is strawberry bonbons
My favourite sweet flavour is Cherry x
Oh yum marshamallows are one of my all time favourites, as well as chewy sweets!
would LUV to this book – any excuse to have marshamellows!
Nut Brittle 🙂
I love rhubarb and custards but any old fashioned hard boiled sweets are tasty!
I love butterscotch flavour, pineapple goes very nicely too.
rose turkish delight
I love rhubarb and custard flavour sweets
I like really sour cherry flavour sweets!
Marzipan!
i love sour lemon sweets
Chocolate. Anything chocolate.
Orange, or mint… or chocolate…
My favourite sweet flavour would have to be caramel! I love it! lol
x
I’ve always loved coffee flavoured sweets.
I love sherbert 🙂
i like sherbert lemons!
Honey
Coffee
lemon
has to be mint Mmmmmm
Chocolate!!! Sweets is sweets, but chocolate is therapy.
Has to be strawberry.
Chocolate with the combination of savoury/ ie salt/nuts/chilli
Love the book! could almost lick the cover 🙂
Raspberry or sherbet would be my favourite!
Strawberry – like strawberry bonbons
mint
strawberry
Strawberry for me 🙂 xoxo
Anything chocolate flavoured
Lemon for me! ^_^
It has to be chocolate
I love pineapple cubes!
Pear Drop
I love raspberrys
Aniseed or lemon
banana flavoured
Anything with chocolate for me x
strawberry
Vanilla
Cola
aniseed
Anything with either marshmallos or sherbet in!
Mint
I love caramel anything! Mmmmm… xx
I`ve always loved Cola Bottles. 🙂
Simon.
My favourite sweet flavour is strawberry
anything strawberry flavour 🙂
mmm I love toffee.. what a great book!
I like foam shrimps, but I have no idea what the flavour is supposed to be
Honeyed Apricot Marshmallow sounds delicious, thanks for running a fab competition 🙂
Blood orange with sugar on top.
Caramel is my favorite. Many thanks!
I like the white midget gems – don’t know what flavour they are supposed to be but always pick them all out and leave the rest!
I love lemon flavour
cola cubes or fizzy cola bottles
Lemon, especially lemon sherberts
My favourite sweets is all of them, too hard to just pick one :).
I like the look of this book and i am thinking of making some homemade sweets as pressies for Christmas.
Lisa xx
anything to do with chocolate.
I always choose strawberry.
Probably cola sweets!
honeycomb
anything with caramel in it
Strawberry yum!!
Against the norm I love all things coffee.
I love milk chocolate.
I love toffee everything!
Strawberries, which is quite strange because I really can’t stand the fruit. Good luck to everyone 🙂 😀 x
Bitter Lemon
I love fudge!
ANything banana flavoured!
I love coconut flavoured things.
I love any type of berry flavours, especially raspberry.
My favourite sweet flavour is rhubarb and custard. Terrible for your teeth but so addictive.
This book has been on my Amazon wishlist for a while, it looks so good.
Sophie x
This book sounds delicious! The photos look amazing too! Fingers crossed! 🙂