Composition and useful properties of marshmallow. What are the contraindications to eating a treat? How is marshmallow eaten and what recipes using it can be implemented in the home kitchen?
Marshmallow is a type of marshmallow that looks and tastes like candy and marshmallows at the same time. The natural color of the treat is white, but manufacturers often paint products in all colors of the rainbow using natural or artificial dyes. In Russia, marshmallows are usually called chewing marshmallows, although they do not include applesauce. It can be eaten in its original form or added to various culinary dishes (desserts, salads, drinks).
Composition and calorie content of marshmallow
The standard ingredients for marshmallows are gelatin, starch, glucose, flavorings, and sugar (often replaced with corn syrup). The preparation of the dessert is quite simple: the listed ingredients knock together for a long period of time until they turn into foam.
The calorie content of marshmallow per 100 g is 318 kcal, of which:
- Proteins - 1, 8 g;
- Fat - 0.2 g;
- Carbohydrates - 81, 3 g;
- Water - 16.4 g;
- Inorganic substances - 0.3 g.
Vitamins per 100 g of product:
- Thiamine - 0, 001 mg;
- Riboflavin - 0.001 mg;
- Nicotinic acid - 0.078 mg;
- Pantothenic acid - 0.005 mg;
- Vitamin B6 - 0.003 mg;
- Folate - 1 mcg;
- Choline - 0.1 mg.
Minerals in 100 g marshmallow:
- Calcium, Ca - 3 mg;
- Iron, Fe - 0.23 mg;
- Magnesium, Mg - 2 mg;
- Phosphorus, P - 8 mg;
- Potassium, K - 5 mg;
- Sodium, Na - 80 mg;
- Zinc, Zn - 0.04 mg;
- Copper, Cu - 0.097 mg;
- Manganese, Mn - 0, 008 mg;
- Selenium, Se - 1.7 mcg.
Fatty acids per 100 g of product:
- Saturated - 0.056 g;
- Monounsaturated - 0.08 g;
- Polyunsaturated - 0, 047 g.
Amino acids in 100 g of marshmallow:
- Threonine - 0.035 g;
- Isoleucine - 0, 028 g;
- Leucine - 0.066 g;
- Lysine - 0.077 g;
- Methionine - 0.015 g;
- Cystine - 0, 002 g;
- Phenylalanine - 0.042 g;
- Tyrosine - 0.01 g;
- Valine - 0.05 g;
- Arginine - 0.17 g;
- Histidine - 0.017 g;
- Alanine - 0.18 g;
- Aspartic acid - 0, 121 g;
- Glutamic acid - 0, 208 g;
- Glycine - 0.416 g;
- Proline - 0.275 g;
- Serine - 0, 061
Interesting! In the United States, marshmallows are usually fried over a fire. After such preparation, the delicacy becomes baked on the surface and almost liquid inside.
Useful properties of marshmallows
Experts advise everyone who works hard, both physically and mentally, to eat marshmallows. It is often included in the diet of athletes and people who cannot gain weight for a long time.
A limited amount of sweets can be eaten for children under 3 years of age. In this case, it is marshmallow that comes to the aid of parents and little sweet tooth. Pediatricians and nutritionists believe that this product is absolutely safe and beneficial for healthy people and children, it enhances a person's concentration and helps to optimize his mental activity.
The main benefits of marshmallows:
- It quickly saturates the body with energy, as it contains a lot of simple carbohydrates, therefore it is suitable for snacks during working hours, when it is not possible to have a full lunch.
- It takes part in the restoration of cartilage and joints - this process is provided by gelatin, which is quite abundant in marshmallow. That is why sweetness is recommended to please a person with fractures, dislocations or bruises of the bones.
- Strengthens nails and hair thanks to collagen.
- Strengthens the heart, optimizes the work of the central nervous system and internal organs of a person - the delicacy contains a lot of lipids and useful minerals that heal the body, raise mood and help eliminate depression.
- Optimizes the functioning of the thyroid gland, reduces the likelihood of developing malignant tumors in the body. Not all types of marshmallows have this property, but only those that contain agar-agar. The product, made on agar-agar, is rich in chemical elements such as selenium and iodine, which have a beneficial effect on the thyroid gland and other internal organs of a person.
- It removes toxins and toxins from the body, rejuvenates and tones up - provided that the composition contains black currant, rich in natural pectin.
Be carefull! Many unscrupulous manufacturers add artificial thickeners, emulsifiers and other chemicals that are harmful to the human body into gummies. When buying marshmallows in the supermarket, carefully read the ingredients on the label. Nutritionists recommend buying the treat in small specialized stores, where all the goods are made by hand.
Contraindications and harm of marshmallow
The product contains a lot of sugar, fast carbohydrates, which are instantly deposited in the body and practically not consumed by it. Therefore, everyone who is struggling with excess weight or suffering from diabetes should refuse chewing marshmallows.
Scientifically proven harm of marshmallows for people with pancreatic diseases or impaired carbohydrate metabolism.
Another reason to stop eating a chewy treat is allergies. An allergic reaction can be caused not only by the standard ingredients of the product, but also by various flavors that manufacturers use as an option - coconut, chocolate, etc. In some cases, people with an individual intolerance to marshmallow can eat sweetness, but very rarely and in limited quantities.
How to cook marshmallow?
Curious about how to make marshmallows in your kitchen? To make this delicacy quickly and efficiently, follow a simple algorithm of actions:
- Soak 25 g of gelatin in 0.5 tbsp. water for 40 minutes.
- Prepare the syrup: heat 155 ml of water and dissolve 350 g of granulated sugar in it, bring the syrup to a boil and add 2/3 tsp to it. citric acid, cook the resulting mass in a saucepan with a thick bottom under a closed lid for 45 minutes. Do not be surprised when you notice that the finished syrup is rare - this is provided for in the recipe.
- Cool the syrup slightly and add 1/4 tbsp. l. soda dissolved in 1 tbsp. l. water.
- Heat the gelatin, which has already increased in volume during this time, but in no case boil it! Leave it to cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, combine 400 g of sugar, 250 ml of water at room temperature, 1/4 tsp. salt and half of the prepared syrup.
- Bring the resulting mass to a boil and cook for 8 minutes. Stir the mass only until it boils.
- Return to the gelatin. Begin to beat it at an increasing speed, without stopping the mixer, pour boiled syrup into the gelatin. Beat the resulting mass for 15 minutes, until it increases in volume.
- The marshmallow blank can now be poured into a solidifying mold. Do not forget that the dish should be covered with cling film or baking foil.
- After the marshmallow is infused (this will take at least 6 hours), you can cut it into cubes. Be prepared for the marshmallow mass to not completely solidify and will stick a little to the knife. Sprinkle some starch on top to make slicing easier. Dip the sliced treats in a mixture of starch and powdered sugar (make a mixture at the rate of 1: 1). Marshmallow is ready, bon appetit!
There are many other recipes for marshmallow using colors and flavors. However, the recipe described above is considered the simplest and fastest.
Marshmallow food and drink recipes
Three easy recipes for sweet foods using gummy marshmallows:
- Giraffe cake … Use a blender to chop and mix 300 g of cookies and 100 g of melted butter. Put the resulting dough in a baking dish with a high side and tamp. Bake the crust for no longer than 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat 3/4 tbsp.cream and the same amount of milk. Without boiling, remove the milk-cream mixture from the heat and dissolve 300 g of milk chocolate and a pinch of vanillin in it. Whisk 2 chicken eggs and add to milk and chocolate. Spread the resulting mass over the already prepared cake and put in the oven for 20 minutes. Cool the finished cake and place the marshmallow cut in half with scissors on it. Try to lay it out so that the composition resembles the patterns on the body of a giraffe. Put the finished cake in the oven for 1-2 minutes so that it browns and acquires a brownish tint. It is better to serve the dessert chilled.
- American delicacy … A multi-layer dessert is prepared deep enough for baking. Using a pusher, crush 200 g of sugar cookies and place on the bottom of the mold. Spread the chopped chocolate (100 g) on top of the cookies. The finishing layer will be marshmallow (200 g). Bake the dessert in the oven for about 6 minutes, the treat will be ready when the marshmallow has a golden crust.
- Marshmallow mastic for cake … Pour 200 g of chewing marshmallow with 2 tablespoons of water and cover with a lid. Place it in the microwave for 30-40 seconds. Pour 200 g of icing sugar into the resulting mass and mix thoroughly. If it is inconvenient to do this with a spoon, use your hands. The blank for mastic should turn out to be viscous, not stick to your hands and resemble plasticine in consistency. Divide the workpiece into several pieces and roll them into balls. Leave the mastic in the refrigerator for 40 minutes. Sprinkle the mastic balls with powdered sugar and roll them out as thin as possible. Such layers can be laid out on the cake with patterns. If individual plates need to be held together, simply moisten them with water and they will quickly join. It is not advisable to put the mastic on the whipped cream.
Two easy recipes for marshmallow drinks for the whole family:
- Hot chocolate … Mix 2 tsp. corn starch with 0.5 tbsp. milk. In a separate bowl, heat, but do not bring to a boil 3, 5 tbsp. milk. Remove the milk from heat and dissolve 200 g of dark chocolate, 3 tbsp. l. honey, a pinch of vanilla and salt, 2 tsp. corn starch. Mix the resulting mixture thoroughly and bring to a boil. Pour into cups and garnish with whipped cream and marshmallows.
- Milkshake … Place a saucepan over low heat with the following mixture of ingredients: 2 tbsp. milk, a pinch of cinnamon, 1 tbsp. l. cocoa powder and 15 pieces of chewing marshmallow. Heat the milk until the marshmallow is dissolved. Try not to bring the milk to a boil while doing this. Serve the finished cocktail chilled.
Interesting facts about marshmallows
The recipe for an airy treat for industrial production was developed relatively recently: for the first time, the American company "Kraft" began to produce marshmallows in 1950.
However, the story of this unusual marshmallow began much earlier. This is evidenced by the origin of the name "marshmallow" itself: in translation from English it means "marsh mallow", this is how marshmallow was previously called. In ancient Egypt, marshmallows were made from the juice of marshmallow, bee honey and nuts. In consistency and overall appearance, the sweetness from Egypt resembled candy rather than marshmallows.
A dessert that looks more like a modern marshmallow was made in France in the 19th century. Over the years, the original recipe for sweets was changed beyond recognition, instead of marshmallow, gelatin and starch were used, but the name of the dessert remained the same.
How to cook marshmallow - watch the video:
Marshmallow is a nutritious and healthy sweet that can be safely given even to children under the age of 3 years. To experience all the positive properties of a treat, it is important to buy a natural product that does not contain harmful chemical additives.
