Strawberry Rose Marshmallows

This week has been a tough one and I'm SO ready to weekend.  I can't think of a better way to start off the weekend then by making candy. 

Marshmallows are such a Spring-y treat.  Their light, puffy sweetness is downright irresistible.

Around here we have made a good number of marshmallows.  We have done Vanilla Candy Cane Marshmallows for Winter, Chocolate-Dipped Pumpkin Marshmallows for Fall, and Lemon Marshmallows for Summer.  Yes, I like soft, puffy, pillows of sugar, what can I say?

This particular rendition is an ode to spring.  Sweet strawberry jam and floral rose water are added to our fluffy, white mass of sugar.

This is essentially Spring in its edible form.  These marshmallows are light and delicate, sweet and floral.

Rose water is such a unique ingredient and I love how it elevates these marshmallows and gives them a fragrant, floral quality.  However, rose water can be overused very easy, so be sure to use only the 1/8 of a teaspoon.  Believe me, it may not be much, but it will certainly be present.

There is nothing difficult when it comes to making marshmallows.  If you have a candy thermometer and a stand mixer you are all set!  

Marshmallows begin with a thick, sugary syrup which is whipped into a fluffy white cloud of sweetness.  It really is that simple. 

I hope you are soaking up every minute of the beautiful, April weekend.  Make some candy, if you like.  Read something cheery and drink lots of lemonade.  Happy Weekending! 

Sincerely, 

  Pedantic Foodie 

---

Strawberry Rose Marshmallows 

recipe adapted from Alton Brown 

• 3 packages unflavored gelatin 
• 1 cup ice water, divided 
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup dark corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup strawberry jam or preserves 
• 1/8 teaspoon rose water 
• 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
• pink food coloring, optional 
• nonstick spray 

Coat a 9x13 pan with nonstick spray and generally dust with confectioner’s sugar.  

In the bowl of your stand mixer combine 1/2 cup ice water with gelatin.  

In a small saucepan combine remaining water, granulated sugar, corn syrup, and salt.  Cover and place over medium heat - cook for 3-4 minutes.  Uncover and attach a candy thermometer.  Cook for 7-8 minutes, until the syrup reaches 240 degrees F.  Remove from heat.  

Turn the mixer on low speed and pour the syrup into the gelatin mixture.  Once all the syrup is added increase the speed to high.  Beat for 13 minutes, until the mixture is very thick and fluffy.  In the last minute of beating add strawberry jam, food coloring, and rose water.  

Pour the marshmallow into the prepared pan and dust generously with confectioner’s sugar.  

Allow the marshmallow to sit for 3 hours before removing from the pan.  Turn the marshmallow out unto a cutting board dusted with confectioner’s sugar and use a greased pizza cutter to cut into 1-inch squares.  Once the marshmallows are cut dust all edges with remaining sugar.  

Look at you, you just made candy!

Baked Caramelized Onion and Chèvre Dip

These January days can be tiring and just plain icky.  Though I love a good rainy day, the post-holiday funk is only worsened by soggy coats and damp hair.  I think January is a rough month for all of us.  It is the time where we try to get back into life and though I love routine, I crave to regain the long, lazy mornings and relaxing afternoons of December.

Try as I might, I cannot reverse the laws of time and so I must tug on my boots and re-enter the world with as much confidence and enthusiasm as I can muster.  

Cheese helps.  People help.  The worst thing for the post-holiday funk is retreating.  It is good to be around people and to laugh and eat as much cheese as possible.

I love dips, spreads, and anything which can be piled upon toasts and shoved into my mouth.  This dip is especially irresistible because it is super creamy and packed with onions which have become super sweet thanks to the magic of caramelization.  

Cream cheese, butter, caramelized onions, chèvre, and gruyere - nothing can go wrong.

You can serve this dip alongside a toasted baguette or crackers, it's really all about getting the cheese into your mouth.  

Is it too early to start thinking about Super Bowl parties?  This would make an awesome addition to your game day menu.  

Break out some board games and invite some sweet humans into your home.  Let's conquer this January funk.  

Wishing you all a splendid week!  

Sincerely, 

   Pedantic Foodie

---

Baked Caramelized Onion and Chevre Dip 

serves 6 or one very hungry lady 

• 2 medium sweet onions, sliced
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 bay leaf 
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 5 ounces chevre goat cheese, softened
• 1 1/2 cups gruyere, grated 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

In a medium skillet melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium high heat.  Add the onions, bay leaf, and kosher salt to the melted butter and cook, stirring often, until the onions are translucent and deep amber in color.  Remove from heat and remove bay leaf and set aside. 

In the work bowl of your stand mixer combine cream cheese, chevre, and grated gruyere.  Beat on medium speed until the cheeses are well combined.  Fold in caramelized onions.  

Spread the cheese mixture out into a 9-inch baking pan.  Bake for 15-10 minutes or until the dip is bubbling and the surface has deepened in color.  

Serve immediately* alongside toasts or crackers.  Enjoy!  

*If you wish to make the dip ahead of time it can be placed in the refrigerator and reheated when ready to serve. 

Soft Pretzels

Last week we took a look at what happened on this site in 2014.  There was a lot of butter, a lot of breakfasting, and a little bit of floral-flavored magic.  As I looked through the many recipes I have shared on this site, I realized that I have neglected to share one of my favorites.  I have made this recipe more than any other, and yet, until now, it has been left unmentioned.

I am not even going to try to surmise the number of soft pretzels that I have made.  It’s a lot.  I think I have been invited to gatherings just because they want me to bring these pretzels.    Whatever, I’m going to eat all your brie when I get there...

Soft pretzels are so often destroyed by frozen food companies who wish to deaden our palates with dry, flavorless shapes covered in salt.  This makes me a bit upset, especially because soft pretzels are so incredibly delicious when executed properly. 

This recipe is so simple and it comes together relatively quickly.  The dough is pretty standard - flour, sugar, salt, yeast, and butter.  It is really important that you measure the flour by weight if you possibly can.  We have talked about this before...  Lots of factors can affect flour and the only way to ensure that you have a precise measurement is by weighing the flour.  Yada, yada, yada, you know, just grab your kitchen scale. 

After the dough has risen, we shape our pretzels.  I like my pretzels to be on the smaller side so I portion the dough into 10 pieces and roll them into 16-inch ropes.  If you prefer for them to be larger and thinner, you could portion the dough into 8 pieces and roll those pieces into 24-inch ropes.  It is entirely up to your personal pretzel preferences.

After the pretzels are shaped, they are dropped into the boiling baking soda hot tub for a quick dip.  This will provide the chewy texture and distinct flavor we associate with soft pretzels.  After their bath they are coated with egg wash and sprinkled with a heavy dose of course sea salt.  

I like to serve my pretzels with honey mustard.  *sigh*  This is good... 

Happy Wednesday friends!

Sincerely, 

  Pedantic Foodie

---

Soft Pretzels 

recipe adapted from Alton Brown / makes about 10 pretzels 

• 1 1/2 cups warm water 
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar 
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt 
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 22 ounces all-purpose flour, roughly 4 1/2 cups
• 2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
• vegetable oil, for greasing
• 10 cups water 
• 2/3 cup baking soda
• egg wash (1 egg yolk beaten with 1 teaspoon of water)
• course-ground kosher salt or sea salt

In the bowl of your stand mixer combine 1 1/2 cups warm water, sugar, and kosher salt.  Sprinkle yeast on top and allow to sit for 5 minutes or until foamy. 

Add the flour and melted butter to the yeast mixture and fit your mixer with the dough hook attachment.  Mix on low speed until the flour and butter are well incorporated.  Change the speed to medium and knead until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.  This will take about 5 minutes.  

Remove the dough gently and place in a large bowl greased with vegetable oil.  Cover with a damp towel and place in a warm place to rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size. 

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and grease lightly with vegetable oil.  

In a large, heavy saucepan, combine baking soda with 10 cups of water.  Bring to a rolling boil.  

Turn the dough out unto a floured surface and portion into 10 equal pieces.  Roll each piece of dough into a 16-inch rope.  Form the pretzels by making a U-shape with the rope, crossing the two ends over each other and pressing the ends onto the bottom of the U.  

Place the pretzels in the boiling water, one at a time, for 30 seconds.  Transfer the boiled pretzels to the prepared sheet pans.  Brush each pretzel with egg wash and sprinkle with salt.  

Bake the pretzels until they are deep golden brown, about 10-12 minutes.  Allow to cool for several minutes before partaking. 

Serve warm with lots of sweet honey mustard.  Enjoy!