Friday 25 May 2012

Marshmallow Magic

An exciting week...... I have just been commissioned to write my 4th book! To say I am excited and thrilled would be an understatement. The new book, to be released in October 2012, will be all about gourmet marshmallows in all manner of gorgeous flavours, colours and shapes and is provisionally entitled 'Marshmallow Magic'. 

This time last week I had no idea how big marshmallows are about to be - some are even rumouring they will be the 'new cupcake' for 2012. Plates piled teeteringly high of these pillowy chewy sweets, flavoured with nuts, fruit and booze are currently prettifying the windows of the chi chi boutique bakeries of New York and there is plenty of evidence they have crossed the pond too.   Selfridges, Fortnum's and Bea's of Bloomsbury are all doing a roaring marshmallow trade.

So, why me? Well, I wrote a recipe for coconut marshmallows for the book, A Good Egg. We, the kids and me, toasted them over a fire for Halloween. The book's photographer, Jason Ingram, took some wonderful pictures. And since that moment Susanna, my publisher, apparently couldn't get marshmallows out of her mind. One treatment of 50 recipes later, ordered into chapters such as 'Nostalgic Marshmallows', 'Marshmallows, with love', and 'Grown Up Marshmallows' and she was hooked. Then came the hard work for her - costings, format, cover price and a cracking pitch the acquisitions team at Transworld and the book was all mine. How terribly, utterly exciting!

MARSHMALLOW MAGIC will be published in October this year. Which means I need to get all my recipes, text and photos to Transworld by early July. Better get my head down then.......

In the meantime, to whet your appetite, here are a just few of my recipes ideas so far: After Eight - intensely minty marshmallow, smoothered in dark chocolate, Lemon Meringue - vanilla 'mallow, swirled with sharp lemon curd and sprinkled with meringue crumbs, Elderflower & Gooseberry swirl - elderflower flavour 'mallow swirled with gooseberry compote, Cappuccino layer - espresso 'mallow layered with vanilla cream 'mallow, dusted with cocoa.

If anybody has any flavours they would like to share, give me a shout - I'd love to hear from you. But be quick! I don't have long.....

And here is the picture that got Susanna thinking that MARSHMALLOW MAGIC would be a success in the first place.









5 comments:

  1. what a great idea..marshmallow is like cupcakes..it's evocative of our childhood so we'll all be wanting to make it..including me.. congratulations and i'm looking forward to buying the book..jane

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  2. by the way i think a 'coconut ice' marshmallow would be fun and delicious..jane

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  3. Hi Jane, Thanks for this! The book will be released on 25th October so do look out for it. Coconut and marshmallow are a perfect combo and in fact there is a recipe for coconut 'mallows for toasting in my upcoming book A Good Egg (based on this blog).

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  4. Hello!
    I bought your book and I've been making (insanely) your marshmallows!
    Do you think I could add some orange marmalade to the vanilla recipe without modifications?
    Please, let me know what you think abiut it!

    Kisses from Portugal!

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    1. YES!! I'm sure you could. So sorry for the really late reply, my blog has been a bit neglected of late. Glad you like the book!

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