Coffee Mallow

Coffee Mallow
MAKES 6 SERVINGS

Older than sweetened condensed milk is another ingredient
often used in refrigerated desserts: marshmallows. If Cleopatra would
have had graham crackers and squares of chocolate, she could have
provided the marshmallows to sandwich her s'mores. Marshmallows
are a food as old as the pyramids. The ancient Egyptians were the first
to prepare marshmallows, using the root of the mallow plant and
sugar, which they believed to have medicinal qualities.
The mallow tree was introduced to America and was planted
along the coasts of New England and New York, in Michigan and
Arkansas. Though the transplantation was specifically for the purpose
of utilizing its sticky root, it was so expensive to process the genuine
mallow root that the formula for marshmallows changed. It was replaced
in 1870 by a gum arabic and egg white combination. Further
changes to produce a more tender, less grainy, lighter, better-looking,
better-tasting, and better-keeping product evolved. The name remains
the same, but today's jet-puffed marshmallows find themselves at the
ends of sticks over a campfire or melted into confections or dessert
mixtures, rather than in a medicine cabinet.

16 marshmallows, quartered, or 2 cups miniature marshmallows
l/2 cup hot coffee
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine the marshmallows and coffee in a metal bowl. Place
over hot water and heat until the marshmallows are melted. Remove
from water and stir until cooled. With electric mixer, beat until fluffy
Whip the cream until stiff, and fold into the mixture. Add the vanilla.
Pour into dessert glasses and chill 2 to 4 hours, until set.