Homemade zefir and pastila (Russian marshmallow)

Ингредиенты для приготовления
Яблочное и сливовое пюре
Размягченные яблоки после приготовления в микроволновой печи
Урожай сливы
  • Level: tricky
  • Time: 1h 15 min plus extra time 5.5 hours for setting or overnight
  • Yield: 30-34 pieces
  • Pastila ( пастила́) is a traditional Russian fruit confectionery (pâte de fruits). It has been described as «small squares of pressed fruit paste» and «light, airy puffs with a delicate apple flavor». In Imperial Russia, the «small jellied sweetmeats» were served for tea «with a white foamy top, a bit like marshmallow, but tasting of pure fruit».
  • I joined two recipes, one of them in English and for pastila I use just 1 white egg (not beaten) Video step-by-step you can find on my Instagram.

Ingredients:

  • 2 egg whites at room temperature (+25 °C)
  • 4 Granny Smith apples, 4 small plums 410 gr total weight
  • 180 gr + 450 gr sugar
  • 10 gr vanilin or vanilla sugar
  • 8 gr agar-agar
  • 160 ml cold water
  • the most important thing is a stand mixer (or something like that)

Method:

  1. At first line a baking tray with baking paper.
  2. Wash apples and plums, dry, slice and core them. Cook apples and plums in microwave oven until too soft (blend it into puree) and their weight will reduce till 155 gr. You should weight it using kitchen scales. It takes about 20 mins (depend on your microwave oven.
  3. Add 180 gr sugar and vanilin into hot puree and mix together, let completely cool down for 30 mins.
  4. In a separate bowl mix agar-agar and cold water and set aside.
  5. Tip 1 egg white  into a large clean mixing bowl. Beat it on medium speed  until the mixture resembles a fluffy cloud and stands up in stiff peaks when the blades are lifted.
  6. Start whisking apple and plum puree on medium for 2-3 mins until it become pale. Do not stop whisking.
  7. Meanwhile heat agar-agar in water on a low heat until agar-agar dissolves entirely. Add 450 gr of sugar and cook a syrup for about 4-5 mins.
  8. Into the stand mixer bowl with fruit puree add unbeaten egg white and  continue whisking on high for 5-8 mins. After volume increasing (at least twice) add step-by-step a fluffy cloud of another egg white continue whisking.
  9. Start pouring hot syrup by small portions into the stand mixer bowl continuously. Continue whisking on high for extra 2 mins. Not too long cos of agar-agar starts  acting.
  10. Using a piping bag or a spoon set some swirls on a baking tray and let cool down for 5 hours or overnight.