Marshmallow Madness

Go to Motorinos for a clam pizza (tres delish) on 349 E. 12th street.

Then walk to Birdbath Bakery for the best home-made marshmallow ever.

I do not say this lightly, especially after 3 days of intensive research and furtive gobbling. 

Birdbath is a 'green' offshoot (one of 5 in the city) of City Bakery 

You can buy a 10-pack ($10) or by the piece ($1) as I prefer for freshness.

I spotted packets of marshmallows at Balthazar but none sold individually. 

I thought I was addicted to French guimauve but last weekend I was converted to the American way. 

Why is it that when you've eaten something all your life you think you own it. Not so. 

As a candy, marshmallows go back to ancient Egypt when mixed with honey and for medicinal purposes using the marshmallow plant. The 19th century French version of the recipe, called pâte de guimauve (or "guimauve" for short), included egg white meringue and was often flavored with rose water. French candy shop owners used to make it on the premises. La Mere du Famile makes wonderful loops of marshmallow but they are much dryer and less sticky than City Bakery's (they must have a longer shelf life).

In 1948 American Alex Doumak invented a way for marshmallows to be manufactured in a fully automated way - extruded in soft cylinders and then cut.

Thank you Wikipedia

Photo by Jacob Margolis/NPR

Recipes for the homemade marshmallow abound. NPR has a nice one. Smitten Kitchen and David Lebovitz will show you how to do it yourself. 

I don't trust myself around the lava-like marshmallow. I'll stick with picking up a few daily at City bakery and then seeing how long I can keep them in the house (24 hours is tops so far) 

Birdbath (but not City Bakery) has nice stocking stuffer 10-packs of small gingerbread men for $5. 

Shhh...here's a hot chocolate tip: Trader Joe's for the holidays has a peppermint hot chocolate($4.95) exactly like William Sonoma's hot chocolate ($19.95). TJ's tin is green but the inside is exactly the same yummy chocolate flakes.

ENJOY!

Guimauve

This last trip to Paris I learned to love Guimauve.

Chocolate-covered guimauve or marshmallows. They are called "Nounours" at patisserie PAIN DE SUCRE. Nounours after chocolate-covered bears 🐻 made by HARIBO - les nounours à la guimauve is for kiddies.

A great fuss is made over marshmallows in France.

In Pain de Sucre's windows exotic flavors safron and cassis. I nearly got arrested for taking this picture 📸 

 Gerard Mulot has them.

Boissier in multi-colors and multi-flavors.

I bought a packet of guimauve tied up in knots at La Mere de Famille, planning to paint them - I ate them instead.

These are very distant relatives to our American marshmallows. They march to a different tune🎵 They're less sugary and come in subtle flavors. Plus they cost a lot more than US Campfire cousins.

Imagine you are biting into a pastel cookie box...

There were piles of guimauve at Salon du Chocolat.

 They come covered in dark and white chocolate too. I love how the French take a kid's treat and make it sophisticated. They give it a witty twist that engages your mind as well as your taste buds.

HELLO KITTY guimauve.

Anyone know where you can find guimauve in the US? Dean & Deluca has them. Marcolini does have them at $13 a pop. Just to clarify -

French Guimauve is the Audrey Hepburn of marshmallows.

I’m Carol Gillott, an artist living in Paris. Every month I send out beautifully illustrated letters that capture the true Parisian experience. 

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