Trying to Unplug From the World - Pistachio Marshmallows

We drove, finding ourselves on a one-lane road with signs saying 'high elevation, drive in the lowest gear'. We turned onto an even smaller road deep in the woods. It was our first vacation in over a year, and we were looking forward to being out in nature and simply relaxing. Our cabin had all the comforts of home; it was perfect, except there was little to no internet coverage. Here we were on a quiet woodsy retreat, and all I could think about was how to get plugged back into the world. I walked around the house holding up my phone, looking for cell phone reception. After a few minutes, I realized how silly I was.

I guess I didn't even realize how dependent I am on my phone. I am not an outdoorsy kind of person and I can't set up a tent to save my life. Glamping is as far as I could go. We headed to a quiet vacation spot in the mountains with friends, the kids not quite ready to enter the real world and not quite ready to fly. The highlight for the kids was the hot tub, a novelty that they rarely encounter. Instead of hiking or biking, they would yell, "hot tub!" They are their parents' children.

Unplugged, with no choice. Perhaps that's the point. After a day of anxiety regarding what I was missing in the world, I realized it did not matter. All the things that were important to me were with me. We were with good friends who might as well be family. Poet and Flower were happy running around, though Poet was concerned that there were bears and may chase him. And G realized there was no need to keep his phone in his pocket since it did not work.

The kids had fun making smores over the firepit. Chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers make for a classic dessert. I've always wanted to make marshmallows, and I found that they are surprisingly easy to make. Homemade marshmallows are less sweet and cloying. They are also endlessly adaptableI decided on pistachio marshmallows to give the sweet fluffy marshmallows a nutty flavor and a little twist. Pistachios are used often in Indian cooking, pistachios or pista, flavor many desserts. Slivered, they are a lovely addition to pilau or rice dishes, and of course, one of the kids' favorites is pistachio ice cream. I love these marshmallows because they are fluffy and not too sweet.

And so, as I sit in a comfy recliner and write about unplugging, I look out the window into the woods and think about all the things we value.

Pistachio Marshmallows

These fluffy marshmallows are remarkably easy to make at home. They are lightly flavored with vanilla and pistachio to give them a sweet, mellow nutty flavor.

Makes about 20-30 marshmallows

• Neutral flavored oil (for greasing the baking dish)
• 3 envelopes unflavored gelatin
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon pistachio flavoring
• Few drops green food coloring (optional)
• 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

1. Lightly oil an 8 x 8 baking dish. You can also use a 9x13 pan, but your marshmallows won't be as tall. Also use a neutral oil. I initially used coconut oil and the marshmallows definitely had a coconuty flavor (which is delicious, but not what I was going for.)
2. Pour the unflavored gelatin into a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Add 1/2 cup of water stir until combined.
3. In a medium saucepan, add the sugar, corn syrup, salt and 1/2 cup cold water. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan. Stir until they are just mixed and then cook over medium hight heat until the mixture reaches 240 degrees on the thermometer. This takes about 10 minutes. Give the mixture a few stirs.
4. Turn the mixer on low speed and gently (and carefully) add the hot syrup to the gelatin mixture. Mix until the gelatin dissolves.
5. Turn the mixer to high and beat about 8 minutes until the batter is stiff, white and shiny. In the last minute, add the vanilla and pistachio flavoring. You can also add in the green food coloring here, if you want swirls, just give a few stirs or really mix it in to make it pale green.
6. Pour the mixture into the pan and gently spread with a knife. I learned the hard way that you need to act quickly here as the gelatin really sets up quickly. I ended up with a good amount stuck to the bottom of the bowl and my hands. It's kind of like super glue.
7. Let sit uncovered for about 4 hours until set or overnight. Don't rush this step.
8. Sift the confectioners sugar onto a cutting board. Use a knife to gently cut around the pan and quickly flip the marshmallow onto the sugar. Keep your hands dusted with confectioners sugar to keep your hands from sticking to it. The mixture is very sticky so use a generous amount of sugar. Coat a knife with neutral oil then cut into squares. Coat the squares with confectioner's sugar.
9. The marshmallows will keep in an airtight container for about two week, and longer in the fridge.