Homemade Applesauce Marshmallows (Zefir)

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make apple zefir? Gather your ingredients. We'll cook the applesauce from scratch. If you start with store-bought applesauce that's already sweetened, use only 200 g (1 cup) of sugar for the syrup. I used 10 g of agar-agar because I wasn't sure of its strength. Choose firm, tart green apples — they have more pectin.

2. Step 2:

   

   Wash the apples well and cut them into quarters. Cut out the cores and arrange the pieces skin-side up in a baking dish. Bake in a 400°F (200°C) oven for 30 minutes.

3. Step 3:

   

   Pull the apples from the oven and let them cool a little. Mine were a soft variety and slumped completely as they baked. Peel the skins away from the flesh. If your pulp isn't smooth enough, blitz it with an immersion blender. Mine came out tender and fluffy.

4. Step 4:

   

   Push the puree through a sieve to remove any tough bits or stray skin. Measure out 125 g (about 1/2 cup).

5. Step 5:

   

   Put the puree in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add 100 g (1/2 cup) of the sugar. If your applesauce is already sweetened, skip these steps.

6. Step 6:

   

   Set the saucepan over low heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring the puree to a boil and let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Then pour it straight into another bowl and let it cool. Once it's cooled a bit, move it to the freezer to chill completely — only 5 to 10 minutes.

7. Step 7:

   

   While the puree cools, soak the agar-agar: cover it with the water, stir well, and let it swell.

8. Step 8:

   

   Transfer the cooled puree to a mixing bowl and add the egg white.

9. Step 9:

   

   Beat the puree and egg white with a mixer until you get very stiff peaks. This takes about 15 minutes.

10. Step 10:

    

    In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, measure out the remaining 200 g (1 cup) of sugar and pour in the swollen agar-agar.

11. Step 11:

    

    Set the saucepan over low heat and bring the syrup to a boil. The sugar will dissolve completely.

12. Step 12:

    

    Cook the syrup to 230°F (110°C).

13. Step 13:

    

    Start the mixer again and carefully pour the hot syrup into the beaten whites in a thin stream. Aim down the side of the bowl so the syrup doesn't catch on the beaters. By the book, you'd whip the whites and cook the syrup at the same time, but working solo without a stand mixer, I did it in stages — and it still came out fine.

14. Step 14:

    

    Once all the syrup is in, keep beating for about 5 more minutes. The mixture should turn thick and firm again. Transfer it to a piping bag right away — agar-agar starts to set at around 105°F (40°C), so you have to move fast.

15. Step 15:

    

    Line a baking sheet with parchment — best done ahead of time, for the reason above. Pipe out the marshmallow halves in whatever shape you like.

16. Step 16:

    

    Leave the marshmallows to dry and set at room temperature for 24 hours.

17. Step 17:

    

    Dust the finished marshmallows generously with powdered sugar through a fine strainer.

18. Step 18:

    

    Sandwich the halves together in pairs. This batch gave me 24 halves, or 12 whole marshmallows — they didn't all fit on one sheet.