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56 June 2006 • The Manufacturing Confectioner ➤ Nougat and marshmallow confections share similar ingredients and processes.The basic formulas for nougats and marshmallows are shown in Figure 1. Both are made using similar ingredients. Both candies consist of three major com- ponents. The first component is a medium in which to carry the whipping agent. The second component consists of the whipping agent, usually rehydrated in water to assist incorporation into the final candy.These two parts are added together, then mixed with the final part. The final component is a cooked syrup base into which the combined first two parts are added during the whip- ping stage of manufacturing. In the hands of a talented confectioner these same raw materials are transformed into a multitude of tasty treats. Both nougat and marshmal- low can stand alone or be combined with other candy centers to make a wide variety of confections. Since both nougat and marsh- mallow use the same basic materials, what is the difference? The differences lie in the proportions of the ingredients and the prepa- ration of those ingredients.With a common base consisting of a cooked syrup, the first difference comes from the ratio of sugar to corn syrup in the base syrup.The second dif- ference is the choice of whipping agent and the method of aeration. In general, marsh- mallow tends to be more highly aerated than nougat. These two differences result in obvi- ous differences between the two confections. MARSHMALLOW Marshmallow (Figure 2) can be formulated in a variety of methods. Cut marshmallow is a marshmallow that is aerated, extruded and cut in a single operation. The finished product is rolled in powdered sugar to seal any exposed surfaces. Another type of marshmallow can be cast into a starch mould. This allows the confectioner to mould the candy into a multitude of shapes. After curing in starch, the marshmallow can be removed from the starch mould, cleaned of excess starch and coated with a variety of coatings. Some marshmallow formulations are made so the resulting product is nearly dry.The center can then be panned and the moisture from the panning operation soft- Back to Basics — Aerated Confections Nougat and Marshmallow By understanding the functions of the raw materials, the confectioner can manipulate them in nearly endless variations. Greg C. Johnson Russell Stover Candies, Inc. Greg Johnson is cur- rently manager of technical services within the quality group at Russell Stover Candies. He joined Russell Stover in 1978 as a labora- tory supervisor and has held various positions within the company after hav- ing worked as a microbiologist at National Biocentric and Powells Inc. Nougat Marshmallow Part 1 Part 1 1 1 / 2 lb Sugar 12 lb Fine sugar 11 lb Corn syrup 3 1 / 2 pt Water Part 2 Part 2 1 lb Fine sugar 13 oz Bloom quick- 6 oz Dried egg albumen setting gelatin 12 oz Water 5 1 / 4 pt Water Part 3 Part 3 5 1 / 2 lb Sugar 12 lb Corn syrup 2 lb Corn syrup 1 1 / 2 lb Invert sugar 1 / 2 oz Imit. vanilla flavor 2 oz Vanilla flavor Choice Confections Manufacturing Methods and Formulas, Walter Richmond, MC Publishing Company, 1954. Figure 1 Basic Formulas Figure 2 Marshmallow
