Deco Marshmallows

I am super excited to share what Deco Marshmallows is about and will update this blog post periodically once I receive any news from Marshall Cavendish about the book.

ISBN: 9789815084191

Here are the dates of release for various sources that I received from the publisher and what I gathered from the internet and people who notified me.

Singapore: Available at Popular, Kinokuniya and Amazon Singapore.

UK*: Available on Amazon and other bookstores  (no longer available from 1 Sept 2024)

Australia and New Zealand: October 2024 (Already available for pre-orders on Angus & Robertson)

Malaysia: Available at MPH

Thailand: Available at Kinokuniya 

USA*: October 2024 (Already available for pre-orders on Amazon US and Barnes & Noble) (Will not be available from 30 Dec 2024)

Ebook: Amazon, Google, Kobo and Overdrive in due time

I have received many of requests for getting the book earlier overseas when unfortunately the wait for it to be on Amazon or ebook forms is a long one. You may try this service that matches travellers to buyers if you would like it earlier at a more affordable shipping cost.

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I stumbled into the arena of marshmallows by accident because I had no intention of exploring what to me a couple of years ago, was simply one-dimensional tasting candy. Someone wanted to learn character marshmallows and one of the  baking studios I work with asked if I could teach. One thing led to another and after discovering the endless possibilities and depth of flavour you can achieve, I decided to do a book to share my discoveries!

What motivated me to write yet another book despite knowing the tremendous amount of work involved was precisely what I am going to share in Deco Marshmallows:

1. You can use templates to create piped shapes more consistently instead of using freehand piping. Great for the artistically challenged!

2. You can do away with piping on a bed of dusting so you save a lot on dusting.

3. You can use gelatin or agar-agar as gelling agents according to your dietary preference so vegetarians can have a go at marshmallow-making too! (Note that egg whites are still used so it is not vegan but I have a vegan option mentioned in the book)

4. You can make it sugar-free if you like and it will not look any different from marshmallows made with regular sugar! Diabetics can have a taste of cute marshmallows too!

5. Many types marshmallow flavours from natural ingredients, various fillings and coating options are covered in the book to show you how to make marshmallows much more than one-dimensional tasting candies.

6. Marshmallows can be paired with other pastries or confections too to create something extraordinary!

7. I like to make use of common kitchen items like foil, zester/grater, citrus juicer, skewers and scissors as tools so you don't have to own a large collection of specialized tools for making cute marshmallows.

I am sharing what went on during four days of photoshoot. We took it at a more relaxed pace this time, spreading over more days than previous books. Note that these pictures were taken with my phone camera off the screen of the photographer's laptop or tablet so quality isn't the best but you can get the idea!

Back cover

Title page

Page fillers. My favourite shots because they are super whimsical and hilarious!

The gingy on the table looks like he is happily running towards his friend in the mug. "Wait for me! I want to join you in the hot chocolate onsen!"

I think this one is hilariously self-explanatory 😆

Grumpy octopus is not too thrilled about being with a cheeky friend and having an audience of narwhals

Cats in watermelon wonderland. This one has more of a subtle sweet feel and will be used with the acknowledgements/dedication pages.

The design portion of the book is broken up into three sections.

Pretty Awesome covers everything that is not a creature so it is mainly plants and objects.

Cute and Magical covers all kinds of creatures...well... cute and magical.

Update 06/10/23: There has been a delay in the book hitting the shelves due to potential copyright issues with one of the entries in this section "Cute and Magical". We have taken out the princess and replaced it with a cute girl dressed up for the Lunar New Year instead.

Perfectly Matched covers how marshmallows can be paired with other pastries, confections or desserts.

Here's a special behind-the-scenes reel I shared on Instagram! 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CtRTiczgJOQ/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

As with all our Creative Baking books, we cover the basics, techniques and frequently asked questions/troubleshooting in detail so you can apply what you learn for your own designs. My motto has always been "Teach people how to fish and not simply feed them the fish."

Having seen all these, are you as excited as me?

Stay tuned for periodical updates!

UPDATE 25/07/2024:

All the recipes in this book are based on the use of fresh egg whites. If you have concerns about having unbaked egg whites in your food or if the sale of food with unbaked egg whites is not allowed in your country, you may use egg white powder or meringue powder as replacements. I mentioned this briefly in the book but if you need exact ratios and method of using these replacements, please watch the reels and read the caption for :

Egg White Powder

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C84I744ywEl/?igsh=MTIzOGI1OGQ2b2syOA==

Meringue Powder 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9wt2xmS_ca/?igsh=cmpzZ3RnaGJoOXR6

I also included a point-by-point comparison of all 3 forms of egg whites in the caption of the meringue powder replacement reel so that you can see which type is most suitable for your needs.

* UPDATE 09/08/2024:

I just received news from the publisher that their third party warehouse and book distributions partner in the UK has gone into administration. This means that my books will no longer be available in the UK market and on Amazon UK with effect from 1 Sept 2024, and will cease to be available in the US market and on Amazon US with effect from 30 Dec 2024.

So if you have been considering getting my books, you should try to get them before the dates given. In the meantime the publisher is trying to find other sources to reach the international audience. Book distribution within Singapore is not affected. Digital version is also not affected.

with lots of love,

Phay Shing