Rhubarb Marshmallows (Vegan option)

close up of vegan rhubarb marshmallows on baking paper, dusted with icing sugar

Pink, cloud-like and a little bit tangy – these rhubarb marshmallows are just the ticket for brightening up these gloomy months.

cut rhubarb marshmallows on baking paper, dusted with icing sugar

My rhubarb obsession continues this year as the forced Yorkshire rhubarb has started to appear in the shops once again. Just in time for my birthday! and for Valentine’s day! Those bright pink, tender stalks are so tart but that makes them the perfect match for the super sweet nature of marshmallow mixture.

I used my vegan marshmallow recipe as the base recipe and made a few adjustments to allow me to incorporate rhubarb puree into the mixture. This time I used the carageenan and locust bean gum only, I didn’t try it out with the vege-gel stuff so I’m not 100% sure if that would work here (my assumption is that it would, though). The photos in this post are all of the vegan rhubarb marshmallows and you can see how puffy and fluffy they are! They do lose a bit of volume as they sit so I’d recommend making them in a small batch or consuming within a week-ish.

I used the same rhubarb puree in a batch of gelatine-based marshmallows (no egg white) and those worked a treat as well. They were definitely a bit chewier but have held up better than the vegan ones. I’ve given both recipes below in case you need/want either.

vegan rhubarb marshmallows on an oval plate, overhead, on baking paper with a pair of scissors

I’ve found the marshmallows great for snacking on aaand they toast up well either by kitchen blow torch OR under the oven grill 😉

Other rhubarb goodies:

Rhubarb Puree

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Ingredients

  • 200 g (7 ounces) rhubarb
  • 1 tbsp granulated sugar
  • a few drops of red gel food colouring , optional

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F)
  • Cut the rhubarb into 5cm (2-inch) lengths. Toss with the sugar in a rimmed roasting dish.
  • Roast for 15-20 minutes until fork-tender.
  • Blend, either in the jug of a free standing blender or in a jug/bowl with an immersion (hand) blender. Blend in the food colouring now, if using.
  • Allow to cool before using.

Notes

If you want the marshmallows to come out as pink as mine, add a few drops of red gel food colouring to the puree. I found without it that the puree wasn't dark enough to show through in the marshmallows. It is just a visual thing though so totally up to you! You can also use liquid red food colouring (rather than gel) - if you use this you'll need more like 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of food colouring.
Tried this recipe?Let me know how it went! Mention @izyhossack or tag #topwithcinnamon!

Rhubarb Marshmallows (vegan)

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Servings: 12 large (or 48 small) marshmallows

Ingredients

  • 80 g (1/3 cup) aquafaba (chickpea water)
  • 1 g (1/4 + 1/8 level tsp) xanthan gum
  • 65 g (1/4 cup + 1 tsp) water
  • 200 g (1 cup minus 1 tbsp) granulated sugar
  • 65 g (3 tbsp) golden syrup, glucose syrup or light corn syrup
  • 1 g (1/4 + 1/8 level tsp) carob bean gum (locust bean gum)(see notes)
  • 1 g (1/2 level tsp) kappa carageenan (see notes)
  • 75 ml (1/3 cup) rhubarb puree (recipe above)

for dusting:

  • icing sugar (powdered sugar)
  • starch for dusting (I prefer potato starch, superfine white rice flour or glutinous rice flour as they work the best. Cornstarch also works but not as well).

Instructions

Read through all instructions and gather your ingredients + equipment before starting this recipe.

  • Grease an 8 or 9-inch (20 or 23cm) square cake tin with a bit of vegetable oil. Line with baking paper and then brush the baking paper with a thin layer of vegetable oil too. Set aside.
  • Place the aquafaba into the heatproof bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment fitted. Sprinkle the xanthan gum over the surface of the aquafaba and then immediately start whisking the mixture on a high speed (if you let it sit around before whisking the xanthan may make clumps). Leave to beat until very thick and pale (similar to egg whites beaten to a stiff peak consistency). Once it reaches this thickness you can turn the mixer off.
  • Meanwhile combine the water, granulated sugar and golden syrup (or glucose/corn syrup) in a large pot. Set aside.
  • In a small bowl, place the carob bean gum and locust bean gum. Gradually pour in the rhubarb puree whilst stirring with a whisk to get a slightly goopy mixture. Press through a metal sieve (strainer) to remove any lumps. Set aside.
  • Place the large pot of sugar mixture on the stove on a medium-high heat. Stir constantly until the sugar has dissolved and then stop stirring but keep heating the mixture until it reaches 127°C (260°F). Take off the heat, pour in the goopy rhubarb mixture and quickly stir together (I like to use a small whisk for this step). Return to the heat and bring back up to 100°C (212°F).
  • Immediately remove from the heat and, with the mixer running on a medium speed, pour the hot sugar mixture into the aquafaba foam in a steady stream. It should remain fluffy! Once you've poured it all in, increase the speed to maximum for a few seconds to make sure it's all mixed together. Stop the mixer and pour the marshmallow mixture straight into the prepared cake tin as fast as possible! This is very important as the mixture will start to set really quickly so if you don't get it into the pan it wont set flat. Try to spread it out into as even a layer as possible. You can also press a piece of oiled baking paper over the top of the marshmallows in the pan to help smooth it out if you need to.
  • Leave to set for about 30-60 minutes.
  • In a small bowl, mix equal volumes of icing sugar and your preferred starch (I like potato starch here the best). You'll probably need around 5 to 8 tablespoons of each.
  • Dust a work surface with the icing sugar/starch mixture using a small seive/sifter. Gently flip the set marshmallows out onto this and peel away the baking paper. Dust the top of the marshmallows with more icing sugar/starch mixture. Use a sharp knife to cut the marshmallows into squares (you may need to wipe the blade occasionally to keep things neat). Roll each marshmallow in more starch to coat them all over.
  • Line a baking tray with baking paper and then dust with a bit of the icing sugar/starch mixture. Place the marshmallows on the tray and allow to sit out, uncovered, at room temperature for around 12-24 hours. You'll notice a lot of the starch will have disappeared at this point and they'll be a bit tacky. Re-roll the marshmallows in icing sugar/starch and then return to the tray to let them 'cure' for a further 12-24 hours. Now you should be able to pop them into an airtight container or, as I prefer, leave them out uncovered at room temp as they'll develop more of a sugary crust to them.
  • They should keep for about 1 week like this, they may lose some fluffiness as they sit so are definitely better when fresh. You may find that if they're in a sealed container that they will need to be re-coated with starch but will become less sticky over time (even though they may appear 'shiny' and so you may think they're sticky, they won't be when you poke them).

Notes

If using volumes instead of weights, make sure you have accurate measuring spoons (I like these ones by OXO which I've tested the accuracy of with my micro scales).
I used THIS carageenan and THIS locust bean gum brand. I haven't tested with other brands which may have varying strengths so I can't say whether it will work first time with different brands. You may have to adjust the levels yourself after testing the recipe with your own ingredients if you have different ones to me.
Tried this recipe?Let me know how it went! Mention @izyhossack or tag #topwithcinnamon!

Rhubarb Marshmallows (non-vegan)

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Ingredients

  • 60 ml (1/4 cup) rhubarb puree (recipe above)
  • 2 1/2 tsp powdered gelatine
  • 125 g (1/2 cup + 1 tbsp) granulated sugar
  • 100 g (1/4 cup + 1 tbsp) golden syrup, glucose syrup or light corn syrup
  • 55 g (1/4 cup) water
  • pinch salt

for dusting:

  • icing sugar (powdered sugar)
  • cornflour (corn starch)

Instructions

  • Grease an 8 or 9-inch (20 or 23cm) square cake tin with a bit of vegetable oil. Line with baking paper and then brush the baking paper with a thin layer of vegetable oil too. Set aside.
  • Place the rhubarb puree into the heatproof bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment fitted. Sprinkle the powdered gelatine over the rhubarb puree. Leave to sit for 5 minutes to allow the gelatine to soften.
  • Combine the sugar, syrup, water and salt in a large pot. Place over a medium heat on the stove and stir occasionally until the sugar has dissolved. Keep heating until the mixture reaches 114°C then remove from the heat.
  • Turn the mixer onto a medium-low speed and gradually stream the hot syrup into the bowl (aim for the edge of the bowl, not the whisk, to prevent splattering!). Once all the syrup has been added, increase the speed to high and leave to whisk until cooled, very thick, pale and fluffy – about 8-10 minutes.
  • Use an oiled spatula to scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and to spread it out into an even layer. Leave to cool and set for at least 3 hours at room temperature.
  • Mix equal volumes of icing sugar and cornflour in a medium bowl. Use a small sieve to dust a work surface with this mixture. Turn the marshmallows out onto this and peel away the baking paper. Dust the top of the marshmallows with more of the mixture. Use a sharp knife (brushed with oil to prevent sticking, as needed) to cut the marshmallows into squares. Dip the cut edges into more of the icing sugar mixture to prevent them sticking together.
  • Store in an airtight container.
Tried this recipe?Let me know how it went! Mention @izyhossack or tag #topwithcinnamon!

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