Bettina’s Fluffy Marshmallow Icing

DSC_0140While I was watching the Oscars last Sunday night, I started to crave something sweet to eat.  I remembered I had cupcakes from my son’s birthday leftover in the freezer.  Score!  And what a perfect chance to try out my newest addition to my collection.  (Again, thank you e-bay!)  “Bettina’s Cakes and Cookies” was published in 1924.  Louise Bennett Weaver wrote a handful of cookbooks, including: “1000 Ways to Please Your Husband”.  All of her cookbooks have become highly collectible.   I’m lucky to own three of her books, but I still on the lookout for “Bettina’s Best Desserts”, “When Sue Began to Cook”, and “1000 Ways to Please Your Family”. (Pst…My birthday is tomorrow if anyone reading this wants to send me a copy)

I needed some frosting for my cupcakes and I chose this recipe for Fluffy Marshmallow Icing.  Let me tell you up front that this did NOT turn out for me, but I can tell you that my bite was guilt-free.  I got my arm and cardio workout for the day from all the whisking.DSC_0141DSC_0142First let me give a shout out to my sister’s homemade vanilla extract.  This stuff is yummy and still has the vanilla bean floating in the jar.  Thanks Holly for the Christmas gift! And another shout out to my chicken, Ms. Chicky Chick Chick, who provided me with the egg.

I made a homemade double boiler (one pot on top of another pot filled with boiling water) and added my marshmallows sugar and water.  While that was sitting, I whipped my egg white until stiff. I added my egg to the mixture and stirred and whipped and stirred and whipped some more.  While it was cooling I added the vanilla, put the mixture into my kitchenaid mixer and beat the heck out of it.  It never fluffed up, at all.  The icing ended up like grainy marshmallow goop. I’m not sure what happened.   Maybe I should have let the marshmallow, sugar, water mixture cook longer before adding the egg.  Oh well, there will always be another cupcake to frost.DSC_0144

BTW…no cupcakes went to waste, my boys still ate them up..sugar is sugar after all.  🙂