Marshmallow Icing

This recipe requires few ingredients and as long as you have a stand mixer it's very simple.

Marshmallow Icing

2 Cups granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon Cream of Tartar
3/4 Cup water
1 1/4 Cup pasteurized egg whites (Whippin' Whites or Eggology), at room temp.
1 Cup miniature marshmallows

In a medium sauce pan bring sugar, cream tartar and water to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and continue boiling until syrup reaches soft-ball stage (235 degrees).

While syrup is boiling, whip egg whites to medium peaks (Stop mixer and lift beater out of whites. Foam peaks should rise up but bend over just at the end.). Run mixer at lowest speed until syrup reaches proper temp.

With the mixer running, slowly pour in a stream of syrup near the side of the bowl (out of the way of the turning beater). Increase mixer speed to medium-high and add marshmallows, a few at a time.

Don't forget to turn off the burner of the stove.

Beat at highest speed (work up to highest speed if it threatens to leap out of the bowl) until the bowl is cool to the touch, about 25 minutes.


After adding syrup

Getting impatient waiting for the bowl to cool down.

Finally!

Ice cooled cakes immediately for best result.
If allowed to stand in the mixing bowl, icing will dry out a bit and become quite bubbly. If this happens simply re-whip until it comes back together.
Icing may be refrigerated up to 1 week. To use after refrigeration, add a bit more cream of tartar (up to 1/2 tablespoon) and whip until icing becomes smooth and fluffy. Some volume will be lost after refrigeration.

*Makes enough to ice and decorate two 10-inch cakes (pictured at top).


This icing does not sag or weep like regular meringue and 'toasts' just fine with a kitchen torch. I have not attempted to toast this icing with an oven broiler.

How To Clean a Fine Mesh Strainer

An interesting question from Randi:
How do you clean a finemesh strainer? I have an OXO one and when I strain custards or soups, they get so gross!!

This is the type of strainer I believe Randi is talking about. I have a similar problem when I strain fruits for jam. Here's what I do to clean mine:
First I begin by turning the strainer upside down and running a good blast of water all over the bottom side of the strainer so the wedged-in bits will come out. Then I use a plastic bristled scrubber

to speed up the process a bit. I find the worst area to clean on a strainer like this is under the metal rim of the basket. If a lot of gunk is stuck under there, I'll soak the strainer in a big pot of hot water for an hour or so and then repeat the above process.

I hope this is helpful Randi!

Italian Pastry La Sfogliatella (lobster tail)

A question from Ann:
I came across an Italian pastrywhose name meant "lobster tail".It looked more like a clam shellwith its grooves winding around andaround from a apex, spreadingoutward. The texture was crisp,fried not baked. The fillingwas ricotta flavored with orangepeel and citron chunks. Slightlysweetened. Do you know anything about it?

I just recently heard about this pastry. It sounds delicious.


Photo and description from Mike's Pastry.

The history of this extraordinary and popular item dates back to a 16th century convent on the Amalfi Coast near Naples. This original ancestor of the lobstertail was called La Santarosa (named after the convent, now a popular motel, where the owner of Fiat Italy is said to frequent), and its filling was a creamy white, which oozed out of the sides, and was typically served up hot. In Naples coffee shops, this is still something to die for.
La Santarosa gave birth in the 19th century (il "Novecento") to what was then and is now known as La Sfogliatella. The English term for this is Lobstertail, though that is not a literal translation. The structure of it obviously resembles the architecture of a lobster's tail, as its shell is made of layered and crusty baked pastry, interlocking in the way that the parts of a lobster's tail does. How wonderful!


A recipe for this pastry can be found at Uncle Phaedrus's Lost Recipe Finder.

Ask A Pastry Chef

It looks like this is going to be the beginning of a beautiful frienship.