Horchata Marshmallows

I dream about horchata.
It may be my spirit animal drink.
I've raved before about the amazing horchata that Jeanne's husband TCP made for us during our big OKMH meet up in Houston earlier this year, and I could truly wax poetic on how drinking it basically tastes like fairies are dancing on my tongue.
It's seriously that good. Make it. You're welcome.

But instead of waxing poetic, I channeled my enthusiasm into making yet another treat inspired by this most delicious of concoctions. Because horchata ice cream just wasn't enough.
I do not regret my decision.

These marshmallows are so good that I told Husband to get the ones I didn't ship off to Kirsten (and I had to seriously think long and hard about shipping them instead of keeping/eating them) out of the house.
Which he didn't do.
So I ate them.
I do not regret my decision.

Horchata Marshmallows
adapted from Jenni Fields's Pastry Chef Online and inspired by TCP's Horchata

For the horchata starter:

• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• 2 1/2 cups gently boiling water
• 1 3" Mexican cinnamon stick (canela)

For the marshmallows:

• 4 1/2 tablespoons powdered gelatin
• 1 cup cold horchata starter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon Mexican vanilla extract
• 3 cups sugar
• 2 cups corn syrup (or rice syrup; agave nectar might also work)
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon (optional)
• splash water
• powdered sugar/corn starch mixture in which to toss the marshmallows

Combine the rice and boiling water in a blender (you may want to allow the water to cool just slightly before you turn it on, or things could go….awry); blend for 90 seconds. Add the canela; cover the blender jar and allow to sit on the counter overnight or up to 48 hours. Strain liquid through a fine mesh sieve (discard the rice and canela) and refrigerate until completely chilled before beginning the marshmallows.
Combine the horchata starter, salt, and vanilla extract in the bowl of a mixer.  Sprinkle gelatin over the mixture and whisk to combine, being careful to get rid of any lumps.  Set aside.
Spray a 9X13 pan with either pan spray or coat with oil (I use my Misto and olive oil).  Line the pan with plastic wrap, and then coat the top of the plastic wrap with oil.  Coat completely with your powdered sugar and corn starch mixture.  I've played around with how much, and what I've found works well for me is to coat completely and then tap out the excess.  This makes, for me, a less clumpy end product.  Set the pan aside.

Bring sugar, syrup, and cinnamon (and a splash of water) to a boil.  Continue to boil until the mixture reaches 244° (the soft ball stage).  

When the syrup mixture reaches about 235°, turn on the mixer, using the whisk attachment, to low or medium low.

As soon as the syrup reaches the proper temperature, remove and pour into the mixing bowl, continuing to whisk on low/medium low.  

Gradually raise the speed of the mixer.  Continue to whip until the mixture has about tripled inside (read: you're fearful it will overflow) and it starts to come off the sides of the bowl in small threads.

Using a large spatula liberally coated with pan spray or olive oil, pour the marshmallow cream into the prepared pan, carefully spreading it out evenly.  Take a pause to lick the spatula before throwing it in the sink.

Sift the corn starch-powdered sugar combination over the top of the marshmallows, making sure that you can't see any of the shiny mallows under the snowy powder.  Allow to sit, uncovered, for several hours or overnight.

Once the marshmallows are set, invert the pan over a large cutting board.  Use the plastic wrap to easily remove the marshmallows from the pan.  Using a serrated knife, cut into one inch cubes, tossing each in more corn starch and powdered sugar before storing in an airtight container for about a week (or however long the mallows last).

Some serving suggestions (if you want to be more refined than cramming them straight into your mouth):

• These are excellent in coffee.
• They would be just as excellent as a topper to Kirsten's Mayan Hot Chocolate (this would also be a great gift pairing….if you can handle giving them up).
• They would be fantastic over ice cream.
• Ghirardelli now makes a cinnamon crunch chocolate square that would likely be a perfect mate in a s'more.
• I imagine they would also be great in coffee that had a splash of Frangelico. Probably. I haven't tested that theory….

However you take your mallows, I encourage you to enjoy them with friends, since friends make life sweeter than any marshmallow can.

Not Princess Stephanie's Chocolate Cherry Chunk Ice Cream for Ice Cream Tuesday

HRH, like many young girls her age, loves Olivia the Pig.

We have all of the original book series by Ian Falconer as well as a few of the Nickelodeon series DVDs and the books from those series.
In fact, for her first Halloween, HRH wore an Olivia costume. She hated everything about it.
One of her favorite Nickelodeon episodes/books is "Princess for a Day, in which Olivia and Princess Stephanie of Poshtonia switch places; hilarity, naturally, ensues.

The complicating incident in this plot takes place in the local ice cream parlor, where both Olivia and Princess Stephanie enjoy some cherry chocolate chunk ice cream. Every time she reads the book or watches the episode, HRH has asked for us to make cherry chocolate chunk ice cream.
Except for the part where she's not a huge fan of cherries, this is a great idea.
So, I simply switched the main and supporting flavors, and now, she can't get enough.
Neither can I.

Imagined when making my dark chocolate orange concoction earlier this month, this ice cream combines dark chocolate, cherry puree, and chunks of both chocolate and cherries to make a rich and delicious treat that princesses and non-princesses alike will enjoy.

Not Princess Stephanie's Chocolate Cherry Chunk Ice Cream
Inspired by this recipe from Scoop Adventures

For the syrup:

• 1/2 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup cherry juice
• 1/8 tsp salt 
• 1 1/2 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

For the ice cream base:

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 2 tsp cherry extract

For the cherries:

• 2 cups fresh sweet cherries, pitted and chopped
• 2 Tbsp cherry vodka (you could use regular vodka if you want)
• 1 Tbsp granulated sugar

Additional mix-in:

• 1 cup dark chocolate chips or your favorite chocolate chunks (optional)

Combine cocoa powder, sugar, cherry juice, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat to a boil until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and pour over chopped chocolate. Let sit for five minutes, and then whisk to combine fully. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, whisk together ice cream base ingredients, and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until boiling. Boil for ten seconds, and then immediately strain through a fine mesh strainer into the chocolate mixture. Whisk to combine fully.
Cool over an ice bath (I use a larger bowl filled with ice water) until mixture registers about 50°, and then cover and transfer to the refrigerator to cool overnight. If you don't have a ton of horizontal room in your fridge for the bowl, use two quart jars (this makes a little over one quart).
Macerate the cherries in the sugar and vodka in a covered bowl in the refrigerator overnight.
Once the ice cream mixture is completely cooled, add to your ice cream maker and churn according to directions.
When ice cream is just about at soft serve consistency, drain the cherries and add them, along with the chocolate chips/chunks, to the ice cream maker. Churn until well mixed, and then transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container. Press plastic wrap down on top of the mixture, cover with the lid, and freeze for at least 4-6 hours before enjoying as you watch your favorite Olivia episode.

For the Love of Dog: Ice Cream Tuesday Edition

I had planned a lengthy post that would highlight why I love my dog so dang much, but between work and school, with ballet camp for HRH and a migraine sandwiched in there somewhere, I'm just gonna post some cute but less than stellar quality pics of the world's greatest black and tan coonhound and boil it down to this: your dog wants to celebrate Ice Cream Month, too, and here's one way you can spoil your pup without spoiling her tummy.

"Can I just eat it already, Momma?"

"Om nom nom"

She heard Husband open the door, so she picked it up and ran so she wouldn't have to share.

Made with 99% lactose-free kefir, this is appropriate for those dogs whose tummies don't do well with wheat, which is in the popular commercial brand of doggie ice cream (or those other ingredients that you can't pronounce that you don't want to give your pup, either).

Cool-Yer-Paws Doggie Ice Cream

• 1 large-ish sweet potato, roasted and skin removed (give your dog the skin to snack on)
• 1 overly ripe banana
• 32 ounces full-fat plain kefir, preferably organic
• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted (or, as we call it in Arizona, "room temperature")*

Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Refrigerate until chilled through. Churn according to your ice cream maker's directions. Upon soft serve consistency, spoon into 1/4-cup containers and freeze until firm.

I suppose you don't need to churn it, but I wanted to give Zooey ice cream and not just a kefir-sicle, so the churning added in some air to the mixture. It has nothing to do with me maybe being a crazy dog lady.

As you can tell by the photos above, Zooey had no problem with the ice cream, unless you count having to wait for it while I took a photo.

*Coconut oil turns solid below 76°, but it doesn't fully freeze; when it's mixed with the other ingredients, it helps to keep ice crystals from forming in this ice cream so that your dog doesn't have to lick her tongue raw trying to enjoy her treat. This might sound like a lot of oil, but because even full-fat kefir doesn't have nearly the fat content that cream does, this will further help the consistency of the ice cream. The oil can help keep your dog's coat nice and shiny (it's great for itchy dogs), and the sweet potato will help keep everything moving in the right direction, if you catch my drift, while the banana makes sure it doesn't move too quickly.

Mr. Pineapple Brown Sugar Ice Cream with Beer Caramelized Pineapples for Ice Cream Tuesday

A few weeks ago, when I was about to churn my chocolate orange ice cream for last week's Ice Cream Tuesday post, my ice cream maker died. I had just poured my mixture into the pre-frozen base and turned it on, and it made The Most Horrible Machine Dying Sound.
And then it stopped.
And I was left with a mixture that had already started to freeze to the ice cream base and no real good way to get it OUT before having to start over.
It was panic at the disco over here.
Of course, Zooey tried to help, so that was fun. Dogs and chocolate go together so well, you know.
Thankfully, I only managed to lose about half a pint as I madly poured and scraped the mixture back out of the ice cream maker and into the quart jars from whence they came.
And then, once I cleaned that remaining half pint of mixture off the counter top, the cabinets, the floor, and me, I sat down and thought, "Crap. What do I do NOW?"
Certainly I could have made this without an ice cream maker, but after posting about this little adventure on my personal Facebook page, some close friends texted me and said I could borrow theirs for a while. They even pre-chilled the base so I could get back to where I was before Disaster struck.
So naturally, I've gone mad with power and am making All the Ice Creams.

This ice cream is a nod to a local summer favorite: San Tan Brewing Company's Mr. Pineapple wheat beer. This seasonal brew is immensely popular round these parts, and people celebrate its tapping each year like it's a national holiday (it should probably be a state holiday, at the very least). The subtle sweetness that the pineapple adds to the beer is a perfect partner to the brown sugar, and when you add in pineapples caramelized in that same beer, you have a winning combination that just might make you forget that it's 110° already.
It's worth a shot, at least.

Mr. Pineapple Brown Sugar Ice Cream With Beer Caramelized Pineapples
Ratios inspired by Jenni Fields's Pastry Chef Online Maple Buttermilk Pecan Ice Cream

• 2 cups San Tan Brewing Company's Mr. Pineapple Wheat Beer (or other wheat beer with pineapple or other tropical fruit to it)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup half and half
• 1/2 tsp salt (I use Real Salt)
• 14 ounces brown sugar (you could probably reduce this to about 10-12 ounces)
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• 2 cups whole milk, chilled
• 1 Tbsp vanilla
• Beer caramelized pineapples*

Combine the beer, cream, half and half, salt,  brown sugar, egg yolks, and cornstarch in a large sauce pan. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly.
Boil for ten seconds, and then immediately strain through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl.
Add the whole milk, which you can just bring right out of the fridge when you need it. Whisk to combine completely.
Cool over an ice bath (I use a larger bowl filled with ice water), and then cover and transfer to the refrigerator to cool overnight. To save valuable horizontal space, I recommend using two quart jars.
Once completely cooled, add to your ice cream maker and churn according to directions. In the last few minutes of churning, mix in the caramelized pineapples.
Once the ice cream has reached soft serve consistency, pour mixture into freezer safe container. Press plastic wrap onto top of mixture (don't worry; it won't freeze to it), and fasten lid before moving to the freezer. Freeze for at least four hours before enjoying.
Just a note: this makes two full quarts, so you may need to pour some out for your homies before churning; otherwise, when you add the pineapple, the ice cream will spill out of the dasher. Or, I suppose you could do this in multiple batches. It's up to you.

*To make the beer caramelized pineapples, follow this recipe from The Beeroness; I used more Mr. Pineapple instead of the saison she recommended, and it.was.amazing. Just make sure that you chill the pineapples before mixing in to the ice cream, or else they will warm the mixture up too much, and you'll be churning for a bit longer than you plan.

Common sense warning: Even though the beer is cooked and the alcohol levels thus reduced, this ice cream still contains some levels of alcohol, so it's probably not the best choice to give your kids. Which is perfectly fine; you work hard to raise those kids, and you deserve to have an ice cream all to yourself for once. Get the kids a non-boozy flavor and enjoy responsibly.

Dark Chocolate Orange Ice Cream for Ice Cream Tuesday: Scoop Adventures Edition

Well, we had our last double digit day for the foreseeable future a few weeks ago, so if you need me, I will be stuffing myself into the kiddie pool I bought for HRH and Zooey to share and washing down an iced tea that may or may not be of the "adult" persuasion.
Oh, and pants are pretty much optional until October.

So naturally I jumped at the chance to make MOAR ICE CREAM when Jenni, our fearless leader and ice cream wrangler over at Pastry Chef Online, asked if anyone wanted to join the reindeer games for a special Ice Cream Tuesday to celebrate the publication of Scoop Adventures: The Best Ice Cream of the 50 States: Make the Real Recipes from the Greatest Ice Cream Parlors in the Country, by Lyndsay Clendaniel. Lyndsay also writes the blog Scoop Adventures, and she's a certified ice cream devotee. Her new book highlights fifty amazing - and local - ice cream shops from around the country. 

Fellow fans of ice cream can now get this book; you can order directly from Amazon by clicking the picture of it above. If you so choose, you can also locate a local bookstore here and order it that way.
BUT!!!!! You can also enter to win a copy of the book! The details are below, so keep reading! Excitement and exclamation points abound!
In choosing what ice cream to make, I needed to make sure that someone else in the family would eat it; once pants are back in fashion in the Philistine house in the fall, I do need to be able to fit into them, after all. Since HRH wasn't a fan of the horchata ice cream, I looked for a recipe with chocolate so that she, too, could enjoy the fruits of my labor (since she didn't actually want to participate in the "labor" portion of the exercise). Thankfully, I found this fabulous chocolate and orange dream of a recipe, and I knew I had to make it. While oranges are no longer in season, citrus is just A Part of Life in Arizona, so we usually have zest and juice of some sort in the freezer, although I did nab a fresh orange at the store to make the ice cream (right now all we have is lemon and grapefruit juices).

This ice cream is deliciously chocolatey, but the orange juice makes it refreshing at the same time. It's perfect for the kids as well as any adult ice cream love in the house. Even Husband, who eschews ice cream in favor of sorbet, said the flavor was great; he still only had one spoonful, though, so HRH and I had to power through it ourselves. It was rough.

Dark Chocolate Orange Ice Cream
gently adapted from this recipe at Scoop Adventures

For the syrup:

• 1/2 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder (I use Hershey's Special Dark)
• 1/2 cup freshly brewed coffee
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp freshly grated orange zest
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 1/2 ounces bittersweet (70%) chocolate, chopped
• 3 Tbsp cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/8 tsp salt (I use Real Salt)

For the ice cream base:

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 Tbsp honey (orange blossom is a great addition here)

Combine cocoa powder, coffee, sugar, zest, and juice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat to a boil until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat; add chocolate. Let the mixture stand five minutes, then whisk to combine fully. Whisk in the cream cheese and salt until smooth; set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together 2 Tbsp of the milk with the cornstarch until it makes a slurry.
In a medium saucepan, combine the remaining milk, cream, sugar, and honey and cook over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and whisk in the cornstarch slurry. Return to the heat and boil until the mixture coats the back of a spoon; this should only take a minute or so.
Pour the cream mixture into the chocolate mixture, whisking to combine.
Chill completely before churning; I recommend using two quart jars to save room in the refrigerator.
Strain through a fine sieve and pour into your ice cream maker. Churn according to your ice cream maker's directions. If you don't have an ice cream maker, check out Lyndsay's post on making ice cream without an ice cream maker.
Once the ice cream has reached soft serve consistency, pour mixture into freezer safe container. Press plastic wrap onto top of mixture (don't worry; it won't freeze to it), and fasten lid before moving to the freezer. Freeze for at least four hours before enjoying.

Now for the exciting part - the giveaway!!!! I don't normally do giveaways, since my blog is small, I had started to be more of a running blogger than a food-ing blogger, but I felt it was my duty as an ice cream lover to share this opportunity.
Here is what you have to do:

1. Follow Scoop Adventures on Twitter (@scoopmuse); leave a comment, with your Twitter handle, telling me that you have done so.
2. For an extra entry, leave a separate comment telling me what your favorite summer frozen treat is. Are you an ice cream sandwich person, or do you go for frozen fruit bars? Did you chase down the ice cream truck as a kid, or did you always have Otter Pops in the freezer?

The fine print: Entrants must be residents of the US or Canada who are at least 18 years of age. Twitter profiles must be public; I must be able to verify that entrants are following Scoop Adventures. This giveaway is open through 11:59 PM, Pacific Daylight Time, Tuesday, July 8, 2014. The winner will be selected by random drawing and notified by email; once the email is sent, the winner will have 48 hours to respond. If, at that time, no response has been received, a new winner will be drawn and be subject to the same parameters.

Make sure that you check out some more of Lyndsay's recipes, as made (and adapted) by these fellow frozen treat fanatics. You'll also increase your changes to win the book by entering their giveaways, too. Then go make some ice cream yourself. Feel free to wear pants if you'd prefer.

• Berry Goat Cheese Sherbet from The Hungry Goddess
• Red Velvet Ice Cream from Cravings of a Lunatic
• Chocolate Sesame Brittle Ice Cream from Pastry Chef Online
• S'mores Ice Cream Sandwiches with Toasted Marshmallow Malt Ice Cream from Comfortably Domestic
• Chocolate Truffle Ice Cream from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• PB&J Ice Cream from Try Anything Once
• Hops and Nuts Ice Cream from NY Foodgasm
• Chocolate Coconut Macadamia Nut Ice Cream from Desserts Required
• Blueberry Mojito Ice Cream from Creative Culinary
• Peanut Butter Ice Cream from Cookistry
• Thai Coconut Ice Cream from Food Love People Lust

Full disclosure: As compensation for being a part of this special Ice Cream Tuesday, I received a copy of Scoop Adventures: The Best Ice Cream of the 50 States: Make the Real Recipes from the Greatest Ice Cream Parlors in the Country. While I did not use a recipe from the book for this posting, I did modify one from Lyndsay's blog. I will not receive any compensation if you choose to purchase this book through the links given above. All opinions are my own.

Horchata Ice Cream with Mocha Mallow Swirl for Ice Cream Tuesday: Marshmallow Madness

The first time I had horchata, I was teaching at one of the Catholic schools in downtown Phoenix. My students couldn't believe that I'd lived in Arizona for so many years without having had it, although my previous life in Washington gave me a pass for my first 18 years of life. So one morning, a student braved a uniform summons to bring me freshly made horchata.
It was one of those life-changing moments.
Since then, I had rarely found a place that had GOOD horchata.
It's amazing how one, life-changing experience can make an Anglo so picky about a Latin American drink, really.
So you can imagine my delight when, upon arrival to our OKMH weekend in Houston, Jeanne's Husband, The Complete Package (TCP), had made horchata to go along with the Mexican feast that we devoured.
Even though there were seven of us, we tried to drink it sparingly to make it last.
Then, Sunday morning, I couldn't stand it anymore.
"I'm putting horchata in my coffee."
And that was that.
Horchata has been constantly on my mind ever since I got back from Houston. There are certainly places here that make good horchata, but whenever we go out, I usually stay in my "safe" zone (read: iced tea and/or beer) for choice beverages.
And since it's getting hot, a milk-based drink doesn't always sound the most refreshing.
But you know what does?
Ice cream.
The OKMH girls and I have enjoyed doing our theme weeks, and an Ice Cream Week was on deck for….some day.  I'm not sure how the discussion began, but we latched on to the idea of having marshmallows in our ice cream and bringing Jenni from Pastry Chef Online, who is not only a magician when it comes to sweet treats but has also recently begun a weekly ice cream posting on her blog.
Kirsten promptly took the idea to Jenni, who thought it was a whiz bang idea. She brought in many more friends who love ice cream and marshmallows, and voilà - here we are.

Now, since horchata goes so well with coffee, it was clear that a coffee marshmallow creme was the perfect pairing for this Ice Cream Tuesday.
I'll be honest with you, though. This recipe nearly didn't happen. The date snuck up on me, as I'm wrapping up my school year with my own students and only recently submitted my own final exams.  Then there were the Mallow Disasters. DisasterS - as in more than one. Disaster One was a marshmallow creme that fell. Disaster Two was a batch of marshmallows that…I don't even know how to describe the utter failure of it, really. But for the record, marshmallows can separate, and it's neither pretty nor tasty.
Thankfully, Kirsten saved the day (again). She reminded me that she has a marshmallow creme recipe and that I need to actually refrigerate homemade mallow creme so it doesn't fall apart, so Attempt Number Three went According to Plan.

Between Disaster Two and Attempt Three, I decided that the color was going to be a bit lacking, as the ice cream and mallows/mallow creme were basically the same tan color, so I found a homemade chocolate syrup recipe to which I added coffee.

The end result was perfect. While the horchata is sweet, it's not overly sweet, so the addition of the mallow creme and mocha syrup adds just enough sweetness to make it toothsome without making it also tooth-decaying.

Horchata Ice Cream with Mocha Mallow Swirl
modified from Jenni Field's Maple Buttermilk Pecan Ice Cream

For the Ice Cream:

• 1 quart plus 2 cold cups of TCP's horchata, divided
• 1/2 tsp salt (I use Real Salt)
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• Coffee marshmallow creme (see below)
• Mocha syrup (see below)

For the Mocha Syrup:
I used this recipe from Kitchen Treaty for chocolate syrup but used dark cocoa powder (Hershey's makes a Special Dark that I like) and two packets of Starbucks Via instant coffee powder (French roast) in my measurement for the cocoa powder. You can make this in advance and stir it into just about everything you can imagine, but make sure you leave some for the ice cream.

For the Ice Cream:
Note - horchata takes some time to prepare, so if you want to have this ice cream ready for Saturday evening, start the horchata process Wednesday or Thursday, and make the ice cream base Friday. It's a long wait but not very time consuming (lots of "chill overnight" steps), but it's so worth it.
In large pot, combine 1 quart horchata, salt, egg yolks, and cornstarch. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly.
*If you would prefer a sweeter end result, you could add 1/4-1/3 cup brown sugar, but really, I don't think it's necessary once everything is put together
Boil for ten seconds, and then immediately strain through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl.
Add the remaining 2 cups horchata, which you can just bring right out of the fridge when you need it. Whisk to combine completely.
Cool over an ice bath (I use a larger bowl filled with ice water), and then cover and transfer to the refrigerator to cool overnight. If you don't have a ton of horizontal room in your fridge for the bowl, use two quart jars.
Once completely cooled, add to your ice cream maker and churn according to directions.
**Horchata is made with different kinds of milk, so this ice cream won't be as thick and creamy as other ice creams that are made with half and half or heavy cream (although that's not to say that it's not at all creamy). If you plan to make it only for ice cream purposes, you may want to use half and half instead of the whole milk in TCP's recipe, but I'm not sure I want to drink it that way; it's thick enough as a beverage. You could also use half-horchata, half cream for the custard mixture, although that would make the horchata flavor a bit more subtle (which I guess would be OK). Since it will have a lower fat content than most ice creams, it will freeze a little harder. That's not a big deal here in Arizona, but you may want to take some measures to ensure a more scoopable texture in your area.

For the Marshmallow Creme:
I used Kirsten's marshmallow creme recipe, adding one packet of the Starbucks Via instant coffee powder to the egg whites.
I highly recommend making this while the ice cream is churning, as you'll have plenty of time, and you can begin to assemble immediately after the creme is finished.

To Assemble:
Once the ice cream is at a soft serve consistency, drizzle a few tablespoons of the mocha syrup onto the bottom of a freezer-safe container. Add a few dollops of the mallow creme (I suppose you could use a piping bag, but I'd already made enough of a mess). Cover with ice cream. Repeat the process until you've used up all the ice cream. Press down plastic wrap onto the ice cream, cover with the lid, and freeze for at least 6 hours.

To Serve:
Now, you could sneak a few spoonfuls of this ice cream straight from the freezer (What? Like that's NEVER occurred to you….), and that would be delicious.

But to combat the heat of summer, which is already upon us here in Arizona, I highly recommend that you scoop it into a bowl, ladle a little more mocha syrup, and then slap a big ol' spoonful (or two) of mallow creme on top before calling it a dessert.

Now, like I said, Jenni enlisted several friends to participate in today's Ice Cream Tuesday, so if you like to choose your ice cream from those places that have more than 30 flavors, take some time to peruse all of the recipes we have to offer before you start churning on your own:

• Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream with Key Lime Mallow Swirl (Pastry Chef Online)
• Frozen Coconut S'mores Bars (Pint Sized Baker)
• Strawberry Ice Cream with Mallow Swirl and Toasted Walnuts (Try Anything Once)
• Fudge Topped Marshmallow Ice Cream (That Skinny Chick Can Bake)
• Kahlua Marshmallow Sauce (Desserts Required)
• No-Churn Amaretto Ice Cream with Almond Marshmallows (Food Lust People Love)
• Traverse City Cherry Cordial Frozen Yogurt (Comfortably Domestic)
• Strawberry Marshmallow Ice Cream (Cookistry)
• Blackberry Cheesecake Swirl Ice Cream (Inside NanaBread's Head)
• Bourbon Cherry Ice Cream with Bourbon Soaked Cherries and Marshmallow Fluff (NY Foodgasm)

Summer and its hot days filled with cold ice cream are nearly upon us - so tell me: what flavor are you craving?

An InLinkz Link-up

The 2013 Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap

Cookies, I have decided, are NOT my forte.  While I love me a good chocolate chip with milk, my cookie baking karma isn't quite up to snuff.  I'm not sure if my oven isn't properly calibrated (it's possible) or it's just too warm/dry here in Arizona (also possible), but my cookie-making prowess isn't even a tenth of what I'd like it to be.
Even in the face of my cookineptitude (I also love me a good portmanteau), I boldly signed up for this year's Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap (this is its third year).  Why did I do it?  Because I'm crazy each year, the cookie swap raises and donates money to Cookies for Kids Cancer, an amazing organization that raises money for research and new treatments for pediatric cancer.  You may know that different cancers require different treatments, but what you may not know is that many oncology treatments are not considered appropriate or safe for children.  Testing is "iffy" (I think that's the technical term), since medical testing on children is, well, horrifying to some and considered unethical by just about everyone.  As such, developing appropriate treatments is difficult and often more expensive.  And while I rage against the colon cancer that took my dad, I'm often brought to my knees at how pediatric cancer has affected my life, even if not as dramatically.  My dear friend Kirsten lost her sister to cancer; Lily, my friend Alicia's daughter, lost her battle last December, and my husband's baby brother fought (and has won, so far) two rounds of non-Hodgkins lymphoma.  Losing a parent to cancer is awful, heinous, and vile.  Losing a child to cancer, well, I haven't found any words that could bring justice to it.
And being armed as such, with no words to comfort those who have lost their children and siblings and friends to pediatric cancers, I happily tied my apron and failed gloriously at my first attempt at the cookies I was to send out for this year's cookie swap.
So I went to the store, bought more butter, and failed again at a completely. different. recipe.
Good cause or not, at that point, I was ready to break things.  And yes, I cried.  I was actually this close:  | |  to running back to the store for some pre-made, preservative-filled slice and bake... things.
But instead, I took a deep breath, double checked the recipe, made some modifications, and managed a cookie that was tasty and (sort of) pretty.
And then I shipped them off, swearing I'd never make cookies ever again.

So here's the deal.  The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap is kind of a round robin, pay it forward, secret Santa situation.  Each participant is given the names and addresses of three other participants, but everyone is sworn to secrecy as to who sends to whom (while this wasn't a big deal for me, since I have never known the people to whom I send my cookies, it's possible in food blogging circles that the participants know each other).  But the three people to whom I sent my cookies were not the same people from whom I received cookies.
Am I making sense?
I didn't think so.
Really, the only thing you need to know is that you reap what you sow - send three packages of cookies out (a dozen each), and you shall receive three packages in return.

We won't discuss the first recipe I attempted.  But that's OK.  The cookie I finally ended up with was, I think, a much better idea at the end of the day anyway.
Now that I've made mustard, ice cream, and pie with beer, it was time to move on to the cookie.  Beer is great with cookies.  In fact, the brewery whose beer I used for this recipe serves its seasonal Winter Warmer with gingersnaps.  So what better ingredient to add to a cookie recipe?  Using a winter seasonal offers a taste of the holiday season without being smacked in the face with it (I'm looking at you, craft stores selling cinnamon-scented pine cones).  For the flavor to really come through, don't worry about adding any additional spices.  You'll still be able to taste them all.  Trust me.
But just in case, you'd better pour yourself a beer.

Winter Spiced Ale and Brown Sugar Cookies
Adapted from The Beeroness

• 12 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened (but not too soft)
• 1 1/2 c dark brown sugar (you can use light, but I prefer the darker, mostly for color)
• 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/3 c winter seasonal spiced ale (I used San Tan Brewing Company's Rail Slide Imperial Spiced Ale; if you can't get Rail Slide near you, I'm really sorry, but I'm sure your local craft beer place has a great winter seasonal as well)
• 1 1/4 c all purpose flour
• 1 c bread flour
• 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp corn starch

**The original recipe calls for baking powder as well.  I tried with and without the baking powder, and it made a huge difference in my cookies not spreading and turning into one super-cookie during the baking process, so if you have an unpredictable oven or, like me, bad baking karma, I recommend that you also omit it.

In a large, non-reactive bowl, combine flours, baking soda, salt, and cornstarch.  Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar on low speed until just combined. Add the egg yolk and vanilla.  Add the beer and beat until just combined.
Add the flour mixture to the beer mixture and combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.  Do not over-mix.
Using a cookie scoop, a melon baller, or a spoon, scoop out balls of dough (smaller than a golf ball but larger than a marble) and place onto parchment paper-covered cookies sheets (or, if you're all fancy, use Sil-Pat; I am not fancy).
Chill at least a half hour.
Preheat the oven to 325°.  Take cookies from the refrigerator directly to the oven and back for 7-8 minutes, or until the edges just start to brown.
Place the cookies on a cooling rack immediately to cool.

And off they, went, to their new homes!

Just kidding - I did actually pack them in pretty tins.

These ale cookies went to:

• Jenny at Honey and Birch
• Kristin at Kristin Pot Pie
• Melissa at Persnickety Plates

Guten Appetit, ladies - I hope you enjoyed them, with or without a pint!  Check out their blogs, too, to see where their goodies ended up going!

Of course, while I do subscribe to the "it's better to give than to receive" policy, it was exciting to check the mailbox this month, knowing that I'd be having a snack shortly thereafter (HRH was pretty excited about that, too, and she was crushed when I told her that it would happen a mere three times).

Thanks to Melissa at Treats with a Twist for her white chocolate-dipped cranberry walnut macaroons, Zainab at Blahnik Baker for her soft and chewy butterscotch gingersnaps (or as Husband says, buttah-scotch), and Monique at Ambitious Kitchen for her white chocolate, cherry, and macadamia nut oatmeal cookies.  All three Philistines devoured them, and HRH even found a new love for coconut (in cookie form, at least), while Husband was thrilled to have a chewy gingersnap ("I just don't like crunchy cookies").  And even though HRH is sad that the cookies in the mail have come to an end, it's probably a good thing for my waistline that they did, for who can resist freshly baked cookies, delivered to your door (not me, that's certain)???

A big shout out goes to all of the participants (and even some who couldn't participate but who donated anyway) in this year's Great Food Blogger Cookies Swap; together, we have raised $13,778.40 for Cookies for Kids Cancer.  My heart is full that so many people wanted to not only share their delicious cookies but also make a difference for those who are engaged in a battle that they, unlike me, do not have the luxury of failing.  If you have ever doubted that people are truly kind in nature, just take this into consideration.
Thank you, too, to this year's sponsors, OXO, Dixie Crystals, Gold Medal Flour, and Grandma's Molasses, and to Lyndsay of Love and Olive Oil and Julie of The Little Kitchen for once again planning this incredible event.
If you'd like the chance to sign up for the next cookie swap, you can add you name to the list here.
A link that gives a list of all the participants and their recipes will be added soon.

Full disclosure: I did receive some awesome OXO spatulas as a gift for my participation in the cookie swap, but as this little blog is a mere hobby of mine, I wasn't asked to give my opinion on any of the aforementioned brands or of the spatulas.  I didn't specifically use the brands (I've actually NEVER used molasses), and aside from OXO, I can't personally vouch for their quality (I have several OXO products, and so I was pretty stoked to receive the spatulas; also, I love the word spatula and wanted to see how many times I could use it in a blog post).  However, I thank them all of my own accord for not shirking their corporate and civic responsibilities and for using their brands to make a positive difference in the lives of children.

One more thing - if you also love the word spatula, this is for you:

Pumpkin All the Mallows!

I have a confession.

I do not like pumpkin.

I don't like pumpkin pie.  I don't like pumpkin lattes.  I don't like pumpkin ice cream.

Pumpkin: blech.

But aside from Husband and myself, most people I know look forward to the first day of Starbucks pumpkin latte season fall like it's Christmas in order to get their mitts on some pumpkin goodies, which are then hoarded like Gollum's Precious.
Who am I to rain on the pumpkin parade?
As such, when my favorite group of food bloggers decided to get together for Pumpkin Week, I needed to get on the bandwagon.

So naturally I decided to make pumpkin marshmallows.

Now, if you'll allow me to get on my soapbox for a moment...
*clears throat*
The pumpkin marshmallows you can buy at any local grocery store do not have any actual pumpkin in them.  What they DO have is "natural and artificial flavors" as well as Yellow 5, Red 40, and more.
Mmm-mmm-mmm.  Yellow five.... My favorite.

Not that I am touting my marshmallows as a healthy food by any stretch of the imagination.  But I'd like to think that a candy made with real pumpkin and no artificial colors is at least a teensy bit better on the scale of Things That May or May Not Kill You Someday if You Eat Too Many of Them.

I'm pretty sure they also taste better.

Most of the pumpkin marshmallow recipes I've found whip in a bit of pumpkin puree at the end of the mallow-making process, and while that will certainly bring the pumpkin flavor out, I felt like I needed to ensure that the flavor had some serious depth in order to appease the pumpkin lover's palate.  To get that, I used both a "pumpkin water" as well as a pumpkin spice syrup, which can also be swirled into your morning coffee.  This method might take a bit longer to make, especially when compared to those store bought Pillows of Horror, but in the end, my happy taste testers can verify that this is a mallow worth its spice.

Pumpkin Marshmallows
adapted from Jenni Fields's Pastry Chef Online

• 4 1/2 tablespoons powdered gelatin
• 1 cup cold water mixed with 2 Tbsp of chilled pumpkin puree (the "pumpkin water")
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cup corn syrup (or honey or rice syrup)
• 1 cup pumpkin spice syrup (recipe below)
• splash water
• powdered sugar/corn starch mixture in which to toss the marshmallows

Combine the "pumpkin water," salt, and vanilla extract in the bowl of a mixer.  Sprinkle gelatin over the mixture and stir to combine, being careful to get rid of any lumps.  Set aside.

Spray a 9X13 pan with either pan spray or coat with oil (I use my Misto and olive oil).  Line the pan with plastic wrap, and then coat the top of the plastic wrap with oil.  Coat completely with your powdered sugar and corn starch mixture.  I've played around with how much, and what I've found works well for me is to coat completely and then tap out the excess.  This makes, for me, a less clumpy end product.  Set the pan aside.

Bring sugar and syrups (and a splash of water) to a boil.  Continue to boil until the mixture reaches 244° (the soft ball stage).  

When the syrup mixture reaches about 235°, turn on the mixer, using the whisk attachment, to low or medium low.

As soon as the syrup reaches the proper temperature, remove and pour into the mixing bowl, continuing to whisk on low/medium low.  

Gradually raise the speed of the mixer.  Continue to whip until the mixture has about tripled inside (read: you're fearful it will overflow) and it starts to come off the sides of the bowl in small threads.

Using a large spatula liberally coated with pan spray or olive oil, pour the marshmallow cream into the prepared pan, carefully spreading it out evenly.  Take a pause to lick the spatula before throwing it in the sink.

Sift the corn starch-powdered sugar combination over the top of the marshmallows, making sure that you can't see any of the shiny mallows under the snowy powder.  Allow to sit, uncovered, for several hours or overnight.

Once the marshmallows are set, invert the pan over a large cutting board.  Use the plastic wrap to easily remove the marshmallows from the pan.  Cut into one inch cubes, tossing each in more corn starch and powdered sugar before storing in an airtight container for about a week (or however long the mallows last). 

I did try out the marshmallows with a bit of cinnamon with the powdered sugar and corn starch mixture, but I felt that this made the flavor lean too heavily in favor of cinnamon, but if that's your jam, you get down with your bad self.

Pumpkin Spice Syrup

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 15 whole cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (or more, if you like - I like)

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and heat over medium to medium-high heat while the sugar dissolves.  Continue to heat until the mixture reaches a boil.  Turn heat to low and simmer until the liquid has reduced slightly (to a syrupy consistency).  Cool to room temperature, and immediately strain through a very fine mesh sieve or even cheesecloth.  Set aside until ready to use.

Now, a major shout-out to my girl, Megan, an affirmed pumpkin aficionado. Last month, as I started to work on the recipe, I sent her my first batch of both the syrup and the marshmallows.  In addition to helping me determine the proper balance of flavors in the syrup (I had my suspicions, but it helps to talk to someone who actually partakes in pumpkin lattes....), she also told me that her husband Ben had been putting the marshmallows in his coffee, so there's THAT.  You're welcome.  Thanks, Megan, for helping me get a syrup that is neither too sweet nor too spiced, but one that puts all the flavor of fall into whatever medium you like best!

Can't get enough pumpkin?  Then you're in luck - the Theme Weavers are at it again, so just peruse through these recipes to get your fill, and then come back for more!

• Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls (Kirsten - Comfortably Domestic)
• Streusel-Topped Pumpkin Loaf (Beka - Kvetchin' Kitchen)
• Pumpkin-Hazelnut Waffles with Cinnamon Honey Butter (Jeanne - Inside NanaBread's Head)
• Pumpkin Pie Macarons (Carrie - Bakeaholic Mama)
• No-Bake Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake Caramel Cones (Megan - Wanna Be a Country Cleaver)
• Creamy Maple Bacon Pumpkin Risotto (Shanna - Pineapple and Coconut)

And later this week, we also have:

• Pumpkin Doughnuts with Cream Cheese Icing and Candied Pepitas (Anne - From My Sweet Heart)
• Marbled Pumpkin Gingersnap Tart (Kat - Tenaciously Yours,)
• Pumpkin Spice Cake with Maple Frosting (Mads - La Petite Pancake)
• Pumpkin Mousse with Candied Squash (Lauren - Climbing Grier Mountain)
• Pumpkin Kiss Cookies (Kirsten - Comfortably Domestic)
• Savory Pumpkin Tart (Madeline - Munching in the Mitten)
• Pumpkin Scones (Beka - Kvetchin' Kitchen)
• Pumpkin Ice Cream (Monica - The Grommom

She Put the Lime in the Marshmallow, She Ate it All Up

If we're being honest, I tend to prefer lime over lemon.  With the exception of lemon curd, which is one of The Best Things Ever, I just feel like lime is a little more exciting in things.

Thus, with the success of my attempts with lemon and orange, it was only a matter of time before I put the lime in the marshmallow and ate it all up.

Lime Marshmallows

adapted (once again) from the irreplaceable Jenni at Pastry Chef Online

• 4 1/2 Tbsp gelatin (about 5 envelopes)
• 1 cup plus 2 tsp cold water (I also added a splash of lime juice, for giggles)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp lime extract
• 1 Tbsp lime zest plus more for tossing
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cup corn syrup (you can also use rice syrup or honey)
• 1 cup lime syrup (formula below)
• water
• combination of corn starch and powdered (icing) sugar, about 1:1 ratio

Combine the water, lime zest, and lime extract in the bowl of a mixer.  Sprinkle gelatin over the mixture and stir to combine, being careful to get rid of any lumps.  Set aside.

Spray a 9X13 pan with either pan spray or coat with oil (I use my Misto and olive oil).  Line the pan with plastic wrap, and then coat the top of the plastic wrap with oil.  Coat completely with your powdered sugar and corn starch mixture.  I've played around with how much, and what I've found works well for me is to coat completely and then tap out the excess.  This makes, for me, a less clumpy end product.  Set the pan aside.

Bring sugar and syrups (and a splash of water) to a boil.  Continue to boil until the mixture reaches 244° (the soft ball stage).  

When the syrup mixture reaches about 235°, turn on the mixer, using the whisk attachment, to low or medium low.

As soon as the syrup reaches the proper temperature, remove and pour into the mixing bowl, continuing to whisk on low/medium low.  

Gradually raise the speed of the mixer from light speed all the way to ludicrous speed.  Continue to whip until the mixture has about tripled inside (read: you're fearful it will overflow) and it starts to come off the sides of the bowl in small threads.

Using a large spatula liberally coated with pan spray or olive oil, pour the marshmallow cream into the prepared pan, carefully spreading it out evenly.  Take a pause to lick the spatula before throwing it in the sink.

Sift the corn starch-powdered sugar combination over the top of the marshmallows, making sure that you can't see any of the shiny mallows under the snowy powder.  Allow to sit, uncovered, in a coonhound-proof area for several hours or overnight.

Once the marshmallows are set, invert the pan over a large cutting board.  Use the plastic wrap to easily remove the marshmallows from the pan.  Cut into one inch cubes, tossing each in more corn starch and powdered sugar before storing in an airtight container for about a week (or however long the mallows last).  Sprinkle with a little extra lime zest for a bit more of a zing, if you like (I like).

Lime Syrup

• equal parts sugar and water
• as much lime zest as you want

Heat all ingredients so that the sugar dissolves completely.  Allow to simmer until the syrup is slightly reduced.  Cool completely and store in the refrigerator.  When ready to use, strain out the zest.

I've seen some ingredients strain the zest when the syrup has cooled, but I think it packs a bigger punch if it's allowed to steep for a day or so.  It's up to you.

Like the lemon marshmallows, these beauties offer a tart accent that offsets the sweetness of what is essentially sugar, sugar, and more sugar.  It's a rather unique taste combination that offers a hint of the relief from the Arizona heat that's found in lemonade and lime slushies.  I can almost feel the double digit temps again when I have seven three one of these marshmallows.  Ahhhhh....

Raspberry Marshmallows - Served Two Ways

Ever since I made that batch of lemon marshmallows back in February, I've been obsessed with them.  I mean, OBSESSED.  I can't stop thinking of fun, delicious flavors to try out.  So far, I've also managed to make:

• chocolate stout mallows (for St. Patrick's Day)
• orange mallows (not enough orange flavor, but I'll be playing around with this one)
• strawberry mallows (same as above)
• apple cinnamon mallows (tasty now, these will be amazing in the fall)
• piña colada mallows (for a review of them, check out Kat's post here)

The rest of my list will keep me playing with corn syrup and gelatin for the next two years at least.  So you should probably go out and buy stock in said corn syrup and gelatin now before the share price quadruples.
It shouldn't really come as a surprise, then, that this round of Theme Weavers shenanigans sees me adding raspberry marshmallows to the list.  Happy Berry Week, everyone!

Truthfully, marshmallows are not difficult to make.  They require sugar, heat, a candy thermometer, and a little patience.  And a spouse who doesn't mind that your kitchen is a cloud of powdered sugar for about 24 hours.  Once you get the procedure down, then it's a matter of experimenting with those different flavors.  As you may guess, I'm not a fan of adding artificial flavors to my foods, so if I'm going to make a flavored marshmallow, that flavor needs to come from The Real Deal.
The two traditional ways to have mallows are, of course, the s'more and atop hot cocoa.  While the former is a fantastic summer - and year-round - treat, just the thought of hot cocoa at this time of year makes me want to melt.  The good news is that The Internet has a summery option that was the inspiration for the milkshake below.
I hope that you decide to try your own hand at marshmallows; you'll see not only how easy they are but also how much more tasty than their factory-made counterparts.

Raspberry Marshmallows
adapted from the wonderful Jenni at Pastry Chef Online

• 4 1/2 Tbsp powdered gelatin
• 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp cold raspberry puree (see note)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (preferably homemade)
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cup corn syrup
• 1 cup raspberry syrup (see note)
• powdered sugar
• corn starch
• freeze dried raspberries (you can find these at Whole Foods)

Pulverize the freeze dried raspberries using a spice grinder (our coffee grinder has been appropriated for this purpose).  Add the powder to a 1-1 mixture of the powdered sugar and corn starch; this will be your coating for the mallows.  I usually use about a cup of each, but I also tend to be coating-happy, hence the aforementioned 24-hour powdered sugar cloud.
Add the puree to the bowl of your mixer.  Bloom the gelatin by combining with with the puree, salt, and vanilla.  Make sure there aren't any chunks or clumps.
Spray a 9x13 pan with pan spray or olive oil (I like to use my Misto for this).  Make sure every inch is lubed up.
Line pan with plastic wrap.  Make sure that it's firmly pressed down and that there are no bubbles.  Spray/oil the now plastic-wrapped pan again.  This might seem like a weird step.  Trust me; there's a reason.  You're not just spraying an aerosol can for a contact high giggles.  Dust the bottom and sides of the pan with the raspberry powder-cornstarch-powdered sugar coating mixture using a fine mesh strainer or sieve.  Make sure you can't see the plastic wrap through the coating.
Set the pan aside, and turn your attention to the stove top.  In a large-ish, heavy sauce pan, combine the sugar and the syrups as well as a splash of water.  Bring the mixture to a boil.  Cover the pan and allow to boil, undisturbed, for about 3 minutes.  Then, uncover it and monitor the temperature.  You need the sugar to heat to the soft/firm ball stage - above 235° F but not over 244°F.  Jenni suggests the higher temp, but don't let it get any hotter, or else you'll have to start over.  That would suck.
When the temperature reaches 240°, turn your mixer on to low or medium low; you'll need to use the whip attachment.  Because you're gonna whip it good.  Actually, you're going to whip it well, but I guess proper adverbs don't sell records.
Once the sugar-syrup mixture has reached 244°,  remove it from the heat and pour directly into the mixing bowl.  Be careful; this is hot (duh), so the speed should be low enough that nothing splashes out and burns you like that acid burned Harvey Dent in the second Christian Bale Batman movie.
Once you've added it all, turn up the speed to medium and allow to whip (good/well) for a few minutes before really cranking it up to top speed.  Now whip it into shape; shape it up - get straight.

I cannot discourage you from playing this while whipping the mallows into shape - in fact, I whole-heartedly encourage it, as I do singing along to it at the top of your lungs.  I'm pretty sure it helps the process.
But I digress.
You'll know you're done whipping when the mixture is about tripled in volume and it begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl in slender, delicious threads.
Turn off the mixer, and pour the mixture into your prepared pan.  A very large rubber spatula, liberally coated with olive oil is helpful to get the remnants from the bowl to the pan.  The marshmallow cream should completely fill the pan.  Spray the top of the cream to smooth it out.
Sift the coating over the entire top of the pan, making sure that none of the shiny marshmallow surface shows through.
Now here's the really hard part.  Set the uncovered pan aside for several hours so that the marshmallows can set.  I like to make them in the evening so that they can set up overnight, and then I can have marshmallows for breakfast finish the process in the morning.  I also like to keep them in the microwave, but that's really because it doubles as a coonhound-proof food storage device.  Zooey doesn't understand that the marshmallows aren't for her.
Once the marshmallows are set, you can cut them into squares.  Giant, fluffy squares of deliciousness.  I've tried a pizza cutter, kitchen shears, and a serrated bread knife.  What works best for me is the knife. Now here's why the plastic wrap layer in the pan is so key.  To remove them from the pan, turn the pan upside down on a large cutting board, and then flip it over.  Then remove the plastic wrap, and voilà!  Your marshmallows are naked and ready for cutting.
Toss the marshmallow squares (or, if you so wish, liberally oil a shaped cookie cutter and make fun-shaped mallows) into the coating mix before storing in an air-tight container for up to two weeks.  However, if you make one of the two goodies below, they might not last 2 days.

Notes:
1) While fresh raspberries would be awesome, I prefer to use frozen organic ones.  Thaw them out and puree them, with the juice.  You may need to add a bit of water as well; you don't want it to be too thick.  If you have leftover puree, it's really fantastic on top of ice cream or in a salad dressing.  Or just chugged from the blender cup.  I've heard.
2) For raspberry syrup, you could make a simple syrup infused with raspberries or make a reduction of some raspberry juice (or all natural cran-raspberry juice, if you can't find just raspberry juice).  It's up to you.  For these mallows, I went with the latter, simply for convenience purposes (we had cran-raspberry juice in the refrigerator).

Of course, homemade marshmallows are fine on their own as a complete meal snack.  But they are made even more heavenly when combined with other wonderful goodies, like these s'mores and milkshake.  The s'mores aren't really a "recipe" - most people know how to make s'mores (except for that one crazy woman on that Jeff Foxworthy baking show who didn't even KNOW what a s'more was - WHAT?), so I've basically explained the assembly steps (although that is probably obvious from the photos, huh?).  The milkshake is, in a word, brilliant.  If you use enough of the mallows, you'll really be amazed at how the toasted flavor comes out.  And since I can't wait until winter comes to enjoy a beverage with mallows floating on top of them, this is the perfect way to stay cool and get my cocoa fix.

Raspberry S'mores

Place 2-3 fresh, organic raspberries on top of a graham cracker.  And by the way, since you made your own marshmallows here, you might as well make some homemade graham crackers.  Too hard, you say? Well, if you can make a pie crust or a chocolate chip cookie, you can make graham crackers.  Try Jenni's graham cracker recipe.  I did, and I regret nothing.
On top of the raspberries, place a Ghirardelli dark chocolate and raspberry square (if you really don't like dark chocolate, you can use the milk chocolate version, but since dark chocolate has nutritional benefits, and we're using fresh fruit and a whole wheat flour-based graham cracker, basically I'm telling you that this is a health food).  Have another graham cracker at the ready.
Toast your marshmallow.  You could do this in the broiler if you wanted to, but homemade mallows have a lower melting point, so we usually bust out the crème brûlée torch.  Plus, Husband likes to set things on fire with the torch, so this is a fun activity for the whole family.  If you DO use the broiler, do NOT walk away; watch the mallows carefully.  Place your toasted mallow on top of the chocolate immediately, and add your top graham cracker.  Smoosh down, being careful of gooey deliciousness that will attempt to escape the confines of the cracker.  Devour.  Repeat as needed.
You may notice that in these photos, the top graham cracker is falling off the s'more.  It's true.  These guys are so big that you're going to need to unhinge your jaw and inhale them like a python, but in truth, you're going to make a mess of yourself regardless of how daintily you may try to enjoy a s'more.  Embrace the mess, people.  Just make sure you have some wet wipes at the ready before you do any of this.  Also a glass of water.  Maybe just sit outside and have the hose ready for when you're done.  Whatever.  It's summer, right?

Chocolate and Toasted Raspberry Marshmallow Milkshake
adapted from this version of Spike Mendehlson's Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake

• 2 cups chocolate ice cream (if you have the room, make your own - since my freezer is full up of frozen edamame and seafood stock, I went to Udder Delights and got their version)*
• 1/2 - 1 cup fresh milk (depending on how thick or thin you like your shakes)
• 8-10 ounces raspberry marshmallows plus a few more for garnish ( I maybe used 12, just for good measure)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• handful fresh raspberries (for garnish)

Toast the marshmallows (see the comment above about the lower melting point of homemade mallows).
Toss the toasted marshmallows, vanilla, ice cream, and milk into the blender and mix until the marshmallows are fully incorporated.  Pour into glasses and garnish with the raspberries and remaining marshmallows.  Drink immediately.
These would also not suck with a shot of Chambord or Godiva liqueur.  I'm guessing.  I don't know.  It's just a hunch, which you may or may not want to test for the purposes of science.  Just remember to drink responsibly if you choose to take this route.

*Another delightful ice cream flavor that you can use is a white chocolate raspberry, for (hopefully) obvious reasons.  Vanilla would also work well in a pinch; after all that's what the original recipe calls for.

Thanks for sharing Berry Week with us.  If you haven't had the chance yet, please check out the other incredible berry recipes from the other Theme Weavers:

• Fresh Strawberry Pie from Kirsten (Comfortably Domestic)
• Berry Sangria from Mads (La Petite Pancake)
• Annie's Blackberry Cake from Jeanne (Inside NanaBread's Head)
• Summer Berry Terrine with Mascarpone Whipped Cream from Anne (From My Sweet Heart)
• Vanilla Gelato with Peach-Blueberry Compote and Honey Whipped Cream from Lauren (Climbing Grier Mountain)
• Strawberry Smash from Kat (Tenaciously Yours,)
• Strawberry Basil Sorbellinis from Megan (Wanna be a Country Cleaver)
• Strawberry Rhubarb French Toast from our newlywed, Haley (The Girly Girl Cooks)
• Gluten Free Papaya-Berry Crisp from Monica (The Grom Mom)
• Black Raspberry and Cherry Pie with a Gluten-Free Crust from Christina (Buffy and George)
• Blackberry Cobbler Ice Cream from Theme Weavers newbie Shanna (Pineapple and Coconut)
• A Pacific Northwest (PNW) 75 from Beka (Kvetchin' Kitchen)
• Cherry Clafoutis from Madeline (Munching in the Mitten)

Now, before you go, tell me - what flavor of marshmallow would YOU like to snack on?