WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-Mature marshmallows

Burlington, Vermont - May 21, 2010

Kate Seaver is cooking up a taste of childhood.

"It's a labor of love," she said.

Seaver's on a mission to make artisan marshmallows.

"I'm just really seeing what's possible," she explained.

The treats are flavored with honey, cinnamon, lemon, and more.

The Charlotte native taught herself candymaking after moving back to Vermont from Los Angeles.

"It sure beats a desk job!" she said.

Seaver had one of those desk jobs in L.A., working with commodities traders on corn shipping.

"I have a bit of a science background, which helps a little bit, because there's a bit of chemistry involved," she said.

Her time-sensitive juggling act of boiling and mixing results in a thick, sticky white blob of sweet marshmallow for the flavor she calls "inside-out s'mores," Seaver layers the candy with graham cracker crumbles and chocolate.

"They're a creative candy," she said.

Seaver hopes to make marshmallows mature; flavoring them with liqueurs, and upscale ingredients including real roses.

I asked Seaver what people say when she offers them a rose in their marshmallow. She answered, "People are generally pretty excited. Some are timid if it's a flavor they've never tried before."

I tried one of Candy Kate's strawberry marshmallows-- a sugary pillow softer than most any other sweet full of real fruit flavor.

Reporter Jack Thurston: Mmm, that's really good.

Seaver: Thank you!

Thurston: You should have a peanut butter-flavored marshmallow; you could call it The Fluffernutter!

Seaver: That's a great idea!

Thurston: Do I get the first batch free?

Seaver: Sure! (laughter)

Kate Seaver sells to sweet tooths now but plans to expand to sell to restaurants.

"They also can be toasted over an open flame like the normal white puffy marshmallows," she said.

Move over jet-puffed, there's a new marshmallow in town and it's Made in Vermont.

"I just love candy!" Seaver said.

Seaver's marshmallows sell for $6.50 for a pack of five on her website and at the Flynn Avenue Sunday Market. That's every other Sunday-- including this weekend-- on Flynn Avenue, just past the railroad tracks.

Jack Thurston - WCAX News