Homemade zephyr
I've always wanted to try making marshmallows, so let the first recipe in this blog be something new for me too.
Marshmallows are most often made from apples because of their high content of pectin, therefor good puree comes from them, which is essential for the preparation of zephyrs. However, I think that apple puree does not have a very expressive taste, but in zephyrs without added flavourings it disappears completely, and as a result, zephyr tastes like pure sugar. So I tried making zephyrs out of only berry puree to naturally get an aromatic flavour. This was the 6th or 7th attempt making them until I was finally satisfied with the taste and texture, but each time the process was magical and beautiful, regardless of the result. Let's do it!
Ingredients:
For puree:
- 200g frozen or fresh berries (I use strawberries)
- 100g jam sugar
- 1 egg white at room temperature
Syrup:
- 5g agar
- 200g sugar
- 75g water
- large bowl for zephyr mixing
- saucepan for making puree and syrup
- blender
- mixer
- surface lined with baking paper for marshmallow drying
- confectionery bag with star shaped nozzle
Instructions:
1. Put unfrozen or fresh berries in a saucepan and add jam sugar. Heat on medium for 3 minutes. Then blend, if you want you can pass the puree through the sieve, then put it back on the saucepan and reduce for about 15-20 minutes on medium heat. The finished puree should not be runny. Put it in a larger bowl and let it cool down.
2. Add the egg white to the cooled purée and start mixing. Mix the puree for about 10 minutes until the mass has tripled in volume and becomes noticeably brighter and fluffier.
3. Put the sugar, agar and water in a saucepan. Heat on medium for 5-6 minutes until the sugar has melted completely. Syrup ripeness can be checked by lifting a spoon from the syrup. If the syrup from the spoon runs slowly and forms a kind of icicle, then it is ready.
4.Immediately pour the syrup into the whipped puree. Do it slowly by pouring the syrup with a small and even jet, so that it touches the edge of the container. Meanwhile continue mixing zephyr. When all the syrup is added, mix the mass for another 2-3 minutes until it becomes firm but fluffy.
5. As soon as the zephyr mass is ready, fill the confectionery bag with it and then start making zephyrs Leave to dry for at least 5 hours. Then sprinkle with icing sugar and find the other half of each and stick them together. :)
Tips&tricks:
- practically any fruit or berries and their mix can be used instead of strawberries
- if you use fruit or berries with a high pectin content, such as apples, then ordinary sugar may be used instead of jam sugar
- you can experiment by adding fresh mint or vanilla to the puree before cooking for richer flavour
- it is important to make sure that the fruit or berry puree is thick enough before adding egg white, otherwise the zephyrs may not harden
- try to dip the zephyrs into the chocolate! put them in the freezer for just a moment before glazing so that the chocolate hardens immediately, after glazing put them in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes
Everyone, regardless of artistic abilities, will get fabulously beautiful zephyrs!
