I hope everyone is digging the new season of the Pynchon in Public podcast. After three seasons pissing around with minor works, they’ve finally bit the bullet (or, I suppose, the rocket) and taken on the big one: Gravity’s Rainbow. (I kid—they’ve been doing great and noble work from the beginning. If you haven’t heard the earlier seasons, treasures await you here).
The current season of the podcast is covering the first part of Gravity’s Rainbow. In celebration, here’s a treat from one of that section’s most beloved scenes: Mrs Quoad’s gin marshmallow from the Disgusting English Candy Drill. I’ve been looking forward to this.
Slothrop one day around page 114 runs into Darlene, “an adorable tomato in a nurse uniform,” whose name he can sort of remember. They head back to her flat, where they find her elderly landlord/housemate Mrs Quoad sitting in the “grainy shadows” among “grease-hazy jars of herbs, candies, spices” listening to Primo Scala’s Accordion Band on the wireless. And Mrs Quoad does swiftly and with gusto commence stuffing those candies down Slothrop’s throat. He ingests a dizzying array of variously repulsive English confections, struggling more and more as the ordeal continues. The English women aren’t impressed (p.118):
“Show a little backbone,” advises Mrs. Quoad.
“Yes,” Darlene through tongue-softened sheets of caramel, “don’t you know there’s a war on? Here now love, open your mouth.”
Through the tears he can’t see it too well, but he can hear Mrs. Quoad across the table going “Yum, yum, yum,” and Darlene giggling. It is enormous and soft, like a marshmallow, but somehow—unless something is now going seriously wrong with his brain—it tastes like: gin. “Wha’s ‘is,” he inquires thickly.
“A gin marshmallow,” sez Mrs. Quoad.
“Awww…”
Is a gin marshmallow really such an abomination? It has to be the most palatable item in Mrs Quoad’s catalogue of sugary horrors. I’m eating one as I type this now, and I can attest to their being a bit weird. But not entirely undelicious. They’re pleasingly squishy and sweet, pervaded by a medicinal gin haze that would definitely bewilder anyone expecting a regular marshmallow. But if you know what you’re getting into, it kind of works.
Here’s the recipe I cobbled together, mostly following Cooked, but simplified a little and with extra gin all through:
Gin Marshmallows
Dissolve 460 g of caster sugar and 1 tbs of glucose syrup in 170 mL water and 15 mL of gin. Bring to the boil and simmer, without stirring, until the syrup reaches 127°C.
Meanwhile, sprinkle 2 tbs of gelatine powder over 170 mL cold water and 15 mL gin. Heat in the microwave for 30–45 seconds on High (100%), or until the gelatine has dissolved and the liquid is clear.
When the sugar syrup reaches 115°C, whisk three egg whites until frothy. Add 55 g sugar and whisk until thick and glossy.
When the sugar syrup reaches 127°C, turn off the heat. When the bubbles subside, add the dissolved gelatine.
Slowly pour the hot syrup mixture into the egg whites while beating. Continue beating for a small eternity, until the mixture is very thick and holds its shape.
Add a shot of gin and teaspoon of lemon zest, and whisk some more.
Scrape the mixture into a tin and give it a few hours to set.
Pynchon In Public Day is not so far away (May 8)–perhaps you can whip up a batch of your own to celebrate. Or go one step further and try your hand at Mrs Quoad’s “Mayonnaise Marmalade Suprises.” Do let me know how they are.
Tom Pynchon's Liquor Cabinet 
2 responses to “Gin Marshmallows”
I’m not a big fan of gin, but those do look good.
Thanks for giving the podcast props. As I find neither marshmallows nor gin terribly appealing, I’ll stick with the Meggazone…”like getting hit in the head with a Swiss Alp.”