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Strawberry Marshmallow (Zefir)

Strawberry Marshmallow -naturally gluten free, light and airy these little confections are perfect for parties, or as a light dessert treat after dinner. by LetTheBakingBeginBlog.com | @Letthebakingbgn

Valentines’ Day is just around the corner and I am here to share a Strawberry Marshmallow or recipe, or Russian Zefir (zeh-feer) as we call it,  that I have borrowed from Lea’s Cooking blog. I made it for my sister’s babyshower last year and it was so delicious and so pretty that I couldn’t not come back and tell you about it!

Strawberry Marshmallow -naturally gluten free, light and airy these little confections are perfect for parties, or as a light dessert treat after dinner. by LetTheBakingBeginBlog.com | @Letthebakingbgn

The Strawberry Marshmallows are very dainty and light little confection, which is absolutely perfect to finish off a nice Valentine’s day dinner. Plus they can be made in advance, so you don’t need to fuss around the kitchen with the dessert last minute. They are not like the bagged marshmallows you would buy at the store. These are much lighter and they practically melt in your mouth as you eat them.

Strawberry Marshmallow -naturally gluten free, light and airy these little confections are perfect for parties, or as a light dessert treat after dinner. by LetTheBakingBeginBlog.com | @Letthebakingbgn

As I mentioned earlier, I made them for my sister’s babyshower and they were pretty awesome to add to the array of other pink desserts on the dessert table. Since the marshmallows Zefir is colored with jell-o, you can customize the color and flavor according to your wishes or the colors of your party as well. My sister was having a girl,so strawberry was the perfect color for us.

Strawberry Marshmallow -naturally gluten free, light and airy these little confections are perfect for parties, or as a light dessert treat after dinner. by LetTheBakingBeginBlog.com | @Letthebakingbgn

Just in case you’re curious, I also made these lollipop macarons filled with with white chocolate ganache and raspberry (you can find the recipe for the shells here, and the recipe for the white chocolate ganache that circled the raspberry inside the macaron right here),

Strawberry Marshmallow -naturally gluten free, light and airy these little confections are perfect for parties, or as a light dessert treat after dinner. by LetTheBakingBeginBlog.com | @Letthebakingbgn

the strawberry cheesecake glasses, .

Strawberry Marshmallow -naturally gluten free, light and airy these little confections are perfect for parties, or as a light dessert treat after dinner. by LetTheBakingBeginBlog.com | @Letthebakingbgn

and the cake (see this post about how I piped the ruffles. The technique I used there and here are identical). The rest (tiramisu in glasses, apple butter cake rolls, napoleon squares and the wafer cake) was made by gals in our family.

Strawberry Marshmallow -naturally gluten free, light and airy these little confections are perfect for parties, or as a light dessert treat after dinner. by LetTheBakingBeginBlog.com | @Letthebakingbgn

UPD on ZEFIR  (March 2017):

you can also pipe this Zefir onto Popsicle sticks in a flower pattern and make zefir pops. They’re always such a hit with the kids! For this, you would need to pipe half onto a Popsicle stick, and the other half just plain. Then join the two (one with the stick and one without) together, for a beautiful Zefir pop!

Strawberry Marshmallow -naturally gluten free, light and airy these little confections are perfect for parties

Then, melt a little bit of chocolate, pipe some onto plastic wrap, and set your Zefir pops on top, with the stick sticking up for a Zefir. This way, you do not need a block to stick the pops in.
Strawberry Marshmallow -naturally gluten free, light and airy these little confections are perfect for parties

Or just stack them in circles. Any way you make them, they’re always a gorgeous and delicious addition to any party!

Strawberry Marshmallow -naturally gluten free, light and airy these little confections are perfect for parties

Their super light, melt in your mouth flavor always leaves you wanting just another tasty bite.

Strawberry Marshmallow -naturally gluten free, light and airy these little confections are perfect for parties

Here are some other recipes to try:

Strawberry Marshmallow (Zefir) & Babyshower Dessert Table

4.75 from 8 votes

Light and airy strawberry marshmallows. The ultimate dessert recipe made from scratch.

Author: Marina | Let the Baking Begin!
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: strawberry marshmallow
Calories: 12 kcal
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 40 pcs

Ingredients

To make jell-o mixture:

  • 3 oz water
  • 3 oz pack of Jell-O Raspberry flavor or any other

To make the Agar Agar Mixture

  • 1 cup water
  • 3 tsp Agar-Agar you can order online, or search for at local Asian stores
  • 3 1/2 – 4 cups sugar
  • 1.5 large lemons

For the meringue

  • 5 egg whites

To sprinkle on top of marshmallows

Also:

Instructions

  1. Prepare the jell-o by mixing 3 oz of boiling water and the contents of the jell-o package together, then stir until the granules are completely dissolved.

  2. Squeeze 1.5 large lemons into a separate cup, set aside.

  3. Place 5 egg whites into a the bowl of a mixer and start whipping going from low to high speed.

  4. At the same time add 1 cup cold water and 3 tsp agar-agar to a medium-sized nonstick saucepan and set over high heat, stirring constantly. Once it comes to a boil, lower the heat to medium and boil for 2 minutes. Gradually add 3½-4 cups sugar to the mixture while continuing to mix. Boil for 2 minutes.

  5. By this time egg whites should be very fluffy. Turn mixer to lower speed and slowly pour in the hot agar agar mixture, then the lemon juice and the jell-o mixture. Turn mixer back to high and whip for additional 5 minutes.
  6. Meanwhile prepare for piping the marshmallows - line an area of about 5-6 feet by 1.5 foot with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Fit a 24 inch piping bag with a star tip (or use a ziplock bag with a snipped end). Fill the bag with marshmallow mixture, twist the open end and pipe out rosettes onto the plastic wrap lined table surface. Pipe them slightly bigger than you would want them in the end, as they shrink while drying. Dust the tops with powdered sugar generously. Leave the marshmallows on the table overnight to dry out the top surface. Next day, peel 2 halves off the plastic wrap and stick the two sticky sides together.

Recipe Notes

Recipe Source: Lea's Cooking

Nutrition Facts
Strawberry Marshmallow (Zefir) & Babyshower Dessert Table
Amount Per Serving
Calories 12 Calories from Fat 9
% Daily Value*
Fat 1g2%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 17mg1%
Potassium 12mg0%
Carbohydrates 2g1%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin C 2mg2%
Calcium 1mg0%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Bon Appetit & Happy Pinning

Thank you for following me on Instagram, Facebook & Pinterest!

Hashtag your photos #LetTheBakingBeginBlog so I can see your creations and for a chance to be featured!

 

And there you have it. You can store the little treats at room temperature in an air tight container for up to a week. They do dry out with time, so they’re best eaten within a couple days of making them.

Strawberry Marshmallow -naturally gluten free, light and airy these little confections are perfect for parties, or as a light dessert treat after dinner. by LetTheBakingBeginBlog.com | @Letthebakingbgn

Bon Appetite & Happy Pinning!

 

Thank you for following me on Instagram, Facebook & Pinterest!

If you make anything with my recipes make sure to hashtag your photos on Instagram with #letthebakingbeginblog so that I can see your creations and for a chance to be featured!

Marina | Let the Baking Begin

Welcome to Let the Baking Begin! I'm Marina and my love and passion for eating only the most delicious foods drive me to share that love here on Let the Baking Begin (since 2009). With over 20 years of experience in the kitchen, you know the recipes are tested and retested until perfect. I'm so happy to have you here. Enjoy! Read more...

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  • Concepcion

    I make zephyr but just with agar agar, in your recipe you use gelatin as well normally Russian zephyr just use agar agar is there a reason to use gelatin as well? Thank you

    · Reply
  • Natalie

    Hello,
    Can you please tell me where the little flowers are from that are on the zhyphyr that has the sticks? Thank you!

    · Reply
  • Natalia Kh

    Hey, just made these. And what’s the best way to store them?

    · Reply
  • Natalya

    I’ve made this before and it turned out pretty good but now it didn’t set and still sticky after leaving overnight .. any idea why it wouldn’t set?

    · Reply
    • Hi Natalya, it could be that your agar-agar is older and is not as active as it should be?

      · Reply
    • By the way, did you remember to sprinkle the powdered sugar on top? Usually, the powdered sugar is there to take away any residual stickiness and should take care of the problem.

      · Reply
  • Luba

    Thank-you for sharing this wonderful recipe. It is absolutely fabulous and delicious. It turned out pretty well!

    · Reply
  • Marina

    Hi Marina
    I am making this right now. I have a question. When you say add the sugar and boil for two minutes does that mean let it come to a boil and then boil for two minutes or just cook it for two minutes after adding the sugar? Thank you

    · Reply
    • Hi Marina!
      Just add the sugar, let it come to a boil and cook it for 2 minutes.
      Good luck!

      · Reply
      • Marina

        I must’ve done something wrong. It took forever to come back to a boil and when I fianally finished, the mixture never thickened. I’m afraid I overcooked it. My agar agar was fresh.. so I’m not sure. I won’t give up yet though:)

        · Reply
        • To be honest, I’m not sure at all what could’ve gone wrong. Could it be that the mixture never got to the temperature needed (boiling) to activate the agar-agar? Let me know if you figure out what went wrong 🙁

          · Reply
  • irina

    I have a question, can I substitute agar-agar with something else or it has to be it?

    · Reply
  • Ludmilla

    Hi Marina. Just wanted to ask if I can use gelatine instead of agar agar for zefir. Thanks

    · Reply
    • I am not sure how gelatine will substitute for agar agar, but know that jello doesn’t really harden that well at room temperature, as opposed to agar agar. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help 🙁
      Not sure if you know, but Amazon does have agar agar for only 5.98$ – http://amzn.to/2n2yZwb

      · Reply
      • Ludmilla

        Hi Marina. Thanks a lot. I know that I can get Agar-Agar through internet but unfortunately I live in a country where internet orders are not shipped to. Thanks again.

        · Reply
        • I’m sorry about that 🙁 I do have a recipe for Zefir using packaged jell-o, but it is handwritten in a notebook and the instructions are not very precise, so may be one day when I have time I will write it out and post it on here.

          · Reply
  • Ludmilla

    Hi Marina. You are truly amazing baker and cook. Have made Prag cake – everyone who tried loved it. Thank you for the recipe. Now I would like to make zefir but cannot find it. Can I use gelatin instead? Thanks.

    · Reply
  • Masha

    Hi! Is there a way to cut this recipe in half? i’ve tried making the full amount and its just too much for my kitchen aid mixer.. it starts to go over the sides once i start mixing it all together. Have you ever tried making a smaller batch?

    · Reply
  • Katya @ Little Broken

    This is such a fun dessert table! Everything looks so yummy 🙂 And I can’t recall last time I had zefir…but it looks so pretty. Your pics are seriously ….the bomb. LOL. if you lived closer I would so hire you to give me lessons 🙂

    · Reply
  • Alena

    the display is just beyond beautiful!! and i am just speechless looking at your many wonderful creations! you are a awesome woman marina! cant wait to try out these macaroons and zefiri! thank you !!!!! <3

    · Reply
  • vikalinkafood

    That dessert table is beyond gorgeous. Just one of the things would make any dessert table outstanding and you made a whole pile of them!! lol Love everything about this post. I just recently introduced my kids to zefir from a local Russian store and they loved it of course. It was dipped in chocolate…how could they not?!! I really want to try a homemade version now. I love how beautiful yours turned out!

    · Reply
    • Thank you Julie! I’ve got only one sister. Gotta do it for the sister lol.This zefir is a little different than the one they sell at the russian store. It’s much lighter and melts in your mouth more. Although I do have a recipe I want to try that is supposed to be closer to the zefir at the russian store…

      · Reply
      • Zoriana

        We love zephyr, but homemade doesn’t taste as what we got used to it’s too fluffy/light. I would like to try this other recipe that closer to the store bought. Would you mind point me to it? Thanks

        · Reply
        • Hi Zoriana,
          This recipe will produce zephyr that is more fluffy/light than what you’re used to from the store. I personally do not have a recipe for the denser kind. I do know that the authentic recipes will have apple puree to help with densening up the consistency. If my aim was to replicate the store-bought ones, I’d start with a recipe that has some apple puree in it.

          · Reply
  • Beautiful photography Marina! Love your dessert table! This recipe is the best!
    Thanks for sharing 🙂

    · Reply
    • Thanks for the recipe Lea! It’s amazing!

      · Reply
    • Hi I have a question, I made blackberry lemon zephyr for the first time and bought fresh agar agar. The thing is, my puree/egg white mix wasn’t becoming fluffy enough I thought, so I added a half more ago white and was able to achieve fluffyness. So I let it set on my stove uncovered for about 12 hrs and it STILL sticks to my first get tips like its a little wet. What am I doing wrong?? Please help, thank you.

      · Reply
      • Eggs come in different sizes so it might be that your eggs were smaller than usual. But I’m betting that it iou continues to whip it would fluff up.

        As to the wetness, the zyphirs are supposed to have a bit of wetness which is why we coat them in powdered sugar.

        · Reply
  • Natasha (@NatashasKitchen)

    Your photos are so striking and beautiful. I just want to eat a whole bunch of those cute little zefirchiki 🙂 And that baby shower looks incredible!!!

    · Reply
    • Thanks Natasha! That was my first time having the homemade zefir and it was truly declicious! Now I want to try to make zefir like they sell at the russian store. May be one of these days…

      · Reply

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