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Marshmallow Filling

A sweet gelatin-based filling used for marshmallows.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
From a historical cookbook (Internet Archive) · 6 ingredients
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Marshmallow Filling

Why it works: Gelatin and cream match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,628 recipes. Both carry acetic acid, which smells sour, vinegar. The science ↓

Marshmallow Filling

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

  1. Soak the gelatin in 1 quart of water, then heat to dissolve.

  2. In a mixing bowl, combine the dissolved gelatin with 5 pounds of powdered sugar.

  3. If desired, add ½ to 1 pound of glucose for a softer texture.

Whip and flavor

  1. When the mixture is half beaten, add ½ ounce of cream of tartar.

  2. Beat the mixture as fast as possible until it is stiff or light enough.

  3. Flavor with vanilla extract to taste.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.

Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Gelatin + creamtop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together1,628 recipes

    Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).

  2. Gelatin + sugartop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together2,778 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).

  3. Sugar + vanillatop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikelow
    Cooked together35,032 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).

  4. Sugar + creamtop 9% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together43,450 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).

  5. Cream + vanillatop 15% of all pairs
    Smell alikelow
    Cooked together12,301 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-nonanone (fruity, floral).

Sugar and vanilla barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 35,032 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Gelatin
Forms the elastic gel network that gives the marshmallow filling its structure and stiffness.
Powdered sugar
Provides the bulk and sweetness that stabilizes the whipped foam.
Cream of tartar
Acidifies the mixture, helping the foam stay stable and less likely to collapse.
Glucose
Softens the texture and helps keep the filling from setting too firm.

The step that matters

Beat the mixture as fast as possible. Gelatin begins to set as it cools, so the foam must be whipped quickly while still warm and fluid. Air incorporated at this stage sets the structure; delay leaves the filling dense and less light.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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