Ohhhh, I have been wicked sick. Since December 28th or so, I’ve been a mess. I was on TWO different antibiotics, my head and chest were full of gunk and I could barely taste anything. I went to the doctor twice, got a chest X-Ray, and was given Hycodan syrup to sleep (only after practically begging for it because after 5 days with a total of just 4 hours sleep I was losing my mind). It was bad. To be fair, this was my own fault. Jay was sick in early December, and so was my mom, and then I got sick and just wrote it off as being “just a cold” so I didn’t do much about it. I was told to go to the doctor about 4 or 5 times. I was told it would get worse. I didn’t listen.

I always do that. Remember when I was in the hospital that time? Yeah.

So it festered and hung around and got worse… and voila! Ended up going to the doctor twice in 5 days. Thankfully, I made it through the holidays. But on New Years Eve I was in a fitful, sweaty sleep on a double dose of NyQuil by 10:30 p.m. I don’t recommend a double dose of NyQuil, by the way. I was just desperate. I’m better now, but a bit of a cough is still lingering, and my head is still filled with gunk. Anyway. That’s the only excuse I have for my semi-absence. Usually, I have some posts lined up, but I was so sick I couldn’t face baking or even standing up for any period of time. Did you know most bloggers (myself included) set up their blogs to post automatically? Yep. Most of my posts are set up a week or so in advance. However, because I was sick, I fell behind. So here we are.

Coincidentally, though, this post is about marshmallows. And marshmallows tie in to being sick in an interesting way (thanks Wikipedia):

Marshmallow probably came first into being as a medicinal substance, since the mucilaginous extracts come from the root of the marshmallow plant, Althaea officinalis, which were used as a remedy for sore throats. Concoctions of other parts of the marshmallow plant had medical purposes as well.^[2] The root has been used since Egyptian antiquity in a honey-sweetened confection useful in the treatment of sore throat.^[1] The later French version of the recipe, called pâte de guimauve (or “guimauve” for short), included an egg white meringue and was often flavored with rose water.

The use of marshmallow to make sweets dates back to ancient Egypt, where the recipe called for extracting sap from the plant and mixing it with nuts and honey. Another pre-modern recipe uses the pith of the marshmallow plant, rather than the sap. The stem was peeled back to reveal the soft and spongy pith, which was boiled in sugar syrup and dried to produce a soft, chewy confection.^[2] The marshmallow plant’s sap was also used by gladiatorsin ancient Rome. The sap was rubbed on the body in preparation for the fight.

So really, it’s appropriate that I am sitting here, after recovering from being sick, writing about marshmallows. Especially ones that include another cold/flu remedy… bourbon.

My grandmother would say a shot of booze would kill anything nasty you had “brewing” in your body. She preferred brandy (or a hot toddy), but some folks prefer whiskey or bourbon. And Russians will tell you vodka will do the trick. Others will tell you there’s no truth to it, that it’s just the alcohol that makes you feel “better” and temporarily calms the coughing reflex. Regardless of what you believe… fluffy little bourbon marshmallows can’t be a bad thing. Can they?

No. They can’t.

BOURBON VANILLA MARSHMALLOWS

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of water, divided
• 3 vanilla beans, split lengthwise OR 1/4 teaspoon ground vanilla beans*
• About 1 cup confectioners’ sugar for making vanilla sugar
• 1 teaspoon bourbon
• Vegetable oil for brushing pan
• 3 (1/4-ounce) envelopes powdered unflavored gelatin
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

Directions:

1. Brush the bottom and sides of a glass (roughly 9″) baking pan with vegetable oil. Using a small, fine-mesh sieve, dust the pan generously with the vanilla sugar, knocking out any excess. In a small bowl, add the bourbon and the vanilla beans and set aside.
2. Put 1/2 cup water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Sprinkle the gelatin into the bowl and stir briefly to make sure all the gelatin is in contact with water. Let soften while you make the sugar syrup.
3. In a heavy 3- to 4-quart saucepan, combine the granulated sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 1/2 cup water. Place over moderate heat and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Put a candy thermometer into the boiling sugar syrup and continue boiling (the mixture may foam up, so turn the heat down slightly if necessary), without stirring, until the thermometer registers 240°F (soft-ball stage). Remove the saucepan from the heat and let stand briefly until the bubbles dissipate slightly. Using tongs, carefully remove the vanilla bean pods and discard.
4. With the mixer on low speed, pour the hot sugar syrup into the softened gelatin in a thin stream down the side of the bowl. Gradually increase the mixer speed to high and beat until the marshmallow is very thick and forms a thick ribbon when the whisk is lifted, about 10-15 minutes. Whisk the bourbon–vanilla seed mixture to disperse the seeds, then add to the marshmallow and beat until incorporated.
5. Scrape the marshmallow into the prepared pan (it will be very sticky) and use wet fingertips to spread it evenly and smooth the top. Let stand, uncovered at room temperature, until the surface is no longer sticky and you can gently pull the marshmallow away from the sides of the pan with your fingertips, at least 4 hours or overnight.
6. Dust a cutting board with confectioner’s sugar. Use a rubber spatula to pull the sides of the marshmallow from the edge of the pan (use the spatula to loosen the marshmallow from the bottom of the pan if necessary) and invert onto the cutting board. Dust the top with vanilla sugar. Brush a long thin knife or a chef’s knife with vegetable oil and dust with confectioner’s sugar to prevent sticking; continue dusting the knife as necessary. Cut lengthwise into 8 strips, then crosswise into eighths, to form a total of 64 squares. (For larger marshmallows, cut lengthwise into 6 strips, then crosswise into sixths, to form a total of 36 squares.) Alternately, you can also use a cookie cutter to cut cute shapes (most difficult- marshmallows are sticky), or a scissor (the easiest option).
7. Coat marshmallows, one at a time, in confectioners’ sugar, using a pastry brush to brush or gently tap off any excess. Marshmallows can be stored, layered between sheets of wax paper or parchment in an airtight container in a dry place at cool room temperature, for 1 month.

Note: you do need a stand mixer and a candy thermometer for making homemade marshmallows. You really do not want to stand there mixing this by hand- and it’s virtually impossible to guess when it reaches the soft ball stage… unless you’re a professional candy maker.

The cute little shapes are a great idea, but only do it if you have the patience. It can be hard. Your best bet is a nice, clean sharp scissor. Also… do not make marshmallows if you’re throwing a dinner party in an hour or have to be somewhere. It’s messy business. Fun? Yes. But messy.

As far as the alcohol goes, you do not need to use it. Substitute vanilla extract or peppermint extract if you wish.

Soundtrack: “The Man Who Sold the World”- David Bowie

Sources & Credits: Clear Pyrex baking dish; vintage.