Car-free Day and Homemade Marshmallows

This weekend we had family car-free day in Denman Street in the heart of Downtown Vancouver. It should have attracted more people but the weather, although it is almost July, still felt like the end of winter.
Anyway, it was a pleasant event with loads of entertainment, something this city desperately needs.
Me and my girls enjoyed some street foods, games and music, and at the end we all got a chance to play some ethnic sounds and be part of the band, along with the other musicians and enthusiasts.

This event inspired me to post the recipe for one of my favourite sweets: a homemade marshmallows.



               No ordinary car!                         Streets for walking and drawing.

                                                    

Many sounds, ages  and moves

There were still car races of unlimited speeds!

It's not what you think!

Happy hookers have hooked some creative stuff!

Song was "When I'm sixty four"

Fencing within a fence!

Girls had so much fun on djembe drums!

Some were relaxing under tables

Rose and chocolate marshmallow

Ingredients: 
14 grams (1/2 ounce) sheet gelatin
3 egg whites
40 grams (2 rounded tablespoons) agave syrup (substitute corn syrup)
230 grams (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) sugar
4 teaspoons rose syrup (substitute rose water)
4 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder, dissolved in a small bowl with 1 tablespoon of hot water

For finish:

2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp potato or corn starch, sieved
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sieved (substitute sweetened grated coconut)


On day one:
Line a square 20 by 20 cm (8 by 8 inches) baking dish with parchment paper. Place the gelatin sheets in a bowl of cold water to soften. Combine the agave syrup, sugar, and 90 ml (6 tablespoons) of water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stir to dissolve, and keep at a simmer for 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Squeeze the gelatin sheets with your hands to drain. Add them to the syrup, and stir with a wooden spoon until completely dissolved. Cover. Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl until soft peaks just begin to form. With the beater still on, add slowly hot syrup and keep whisking until the mixture cools down to just above room temperature.
Transfer half of the egg white mixture in a second mixing bowl, and whisk in the rose syrup quickly. Add the dissolved cocoa powder to the remaining egg white mixture and whisk it without overbeating.
Pour the rose mixture on one side of the prepared pan, the chocolate mixture on the other (they will meet in the middle, that's okay), and even out the surface with a spatula. Cover lightly with a sheet of parchment paper (without pressing on the surface) and let it cool for 24 hours.

On day two:
Combine the confectioner's sugar and potato starch in a wide, shallow bowl. Put the cocoa powder in a second bowl of similar shape.
Cut the marshmallows into squares, using a sharp knife that you'll dip in the warm water.
Transfer the cubes of marshmallows three at a time, using your fingers to separate them delicately, into one of the prepared bowls (the rose-flavored ones in the confectioner's sugar ; the chocolate-flavored ones in the cocoa powder), and coat them well.