home-made marshmallow recipe

 I can take not credit whatsoever for this recipe.  I was reading David Lebovitz's facebook feed and there it was, a link to the most beautifully indulgent winter-warming concept.  The original post is here written by Rebecca & Val at 'Foodie with Family' which is a lovely blog and well worth a look.

The post is for hot chocolate blocks with marshmallows, a beautiful idea and the subject of some debate in our house.  The b contain condensed milk and plenty of chocolate yet you use them by plunging them into hot milk.  Far enough, but since they contain milk, why can't you just put them in hot water?  We debated whether my husband would notice us using up the last of his milk in a mug of hot chocolate.  The teen hates milk (except in hot chocolate) and I don't use it so it is only my husband who would miss the last of the milk in the fridge.  But the snow was falling, the temperatures were sub zero outside and frozen snow & ice was sending cars clumsily ice-skating across roads and pavements.  The shops had already been stripped of milk (both fresh and powered) and the length of our conversation proved how guilty we felt about the thought of using the last of 'his' milk on a treat.  We spent far longer than is healthy talking about hot chocolate before deciding not to go ahead.  Instead we said that would look at the recipe in future to see if we could make the blocks milky enough to dunk straight into hot water with a dash of cream.
So, maybe it wasn't the moment to create the hot choc but I was raring to have a go with the marshmallows.  I have been collecting marshmallow recipes for a while now, daring myself to have a go, but not quite brave enough!  This recipe finally has the weight of the gelatin required, so comforted by the knowledge that weight rather than 'sheets' will give a consistent result, I was ready to go.
The original recipe suggests using an 8"x8" tin - don't, it is too small, and the marshmallow will overflow so use a 9" square or equivalent volume.  I had to throw a little bit away as I didn't have any more room to pile any more on top in my 8" tin and so my marshmallows were nearly 2 inches high!  Sugar syrup is very hot, so pour carefully and remember that the utensils will be hot and sticky too unless you grease them ...do follow the instructions about greasing.  The mix is incredibly sticky so greasing the utensils as well is essential to make the whole process manageable.

Having made them, I don't think that I quite 'get' marshmallows.  I am now faced with 86 pieces of white fluffy sticky air-filled sugariness, possibly the most pointless foodstuff I have ever made.  I would like to confirm though, that they are not difficult to make, just sticky, messy and completely superfluous to normal human existence. 
Have fun!

Ingredients:

• 21 grams gelatine
• 125ml cold water
• 400g granulated sugar
• 225g glucose syrup
• 65ml water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 15ml vanilla extract (or other flavor extract)
  
• icing sugar

Method

1.  Line 9 x 9-inch with cling film and lightly oil it using your fingers or non-stick cooking spray.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, sprinkle the gelatin over 125ml cold water.
3. Leave to soak for about 10 minutes whilst following the next stages.
4. Combine sugar, glucose syrup and 65ml water in a saucepan.
5. Bring the mixture to the boil quickly, as soon as it is boiling, allow to boil hard for 1 minute.
6. Pour the boiling syrup over the soaked gelatin, attach the whisk and turn the mixer on low.
7. Gradually speed up the mixer until it is running at full speed.
8. Add the salt and beat for between 10 and 12 minutes, or until fluffy and mostly cooled to almost room temperature.
9. After it reaches that stage, add in the extract and beat to incorporate.
10. Grease your hands and a rubber or silicone scraper with neutral oil and transfer marshmallow into the prepared pan.
11. Use your greased hands or the spatula to press the marshmallow into the pan evenly.
12. Take another piece of lightly oiled plastic wrap and press lightly on top of the marshmallow, creating a seal. Let mixture sit for a few hours, or overnight, until cooled and firmly set.
13. Sprinkle a cutting surface very generously with icing sugar.
14. Remove marshmallow from pan and lay on top of the sugar.
15. Dust the top generously with sugar as well.
16. Use a large, sharp knife to cut into squares.
17. Separate pieces and toss to coat all surfaces with the sugar.
18. Store in an airtight container.

last minute christmas presents for the food-lovers in your life

As it is getting close to Christmas, I thought I would offer a helping hand to anyone who has forgotten to buy a present for their favourite foodie friend or relative.  Matt who blogs with Carla at Food for Friends Yeah published a "christmas list for foodie fellas" in November which got me thinking on several counts.  The first thought was about sexism and I did complain (!) then Matt published a list for foodie girls so I've shut up!  However I loved the idea of his Christmas present tips.  To be honest I think that presents for foodies are the most fun to buy, but that is probably because I love everything I buy as gifts but have the dilemma of wanting to keep the presents for myself. 

So bearing in mind it is now so close to Christmas, I thought that it might be useful to add some easy-to-order presents for those of you who are not keen to venture onto the high street in these final few days before Christmas. Some of my favourite items which are still available for this year are:

Magazines subscriptions are actually a very good gift as the anticipation of each delivery is like a new present every quarter. Fire & Knives is a fantastic literate exploration of food as it relates to life.  Bearing in mind that food, and our need for it, is one of the things that bind all humans together, we usually manage to marginalise the wider subject focusing instead on chemicals, packets, recipes and trends.  If you want to explore food and eating without a recipe in sight then Fire & Knives is a great place to start, and this first issue has the most quirky short story which is worth the cover price alone. Fire & Knives quarterly costs £20 p.a. to subscribe.

The next on my list has already made an appearance on

my blog earlier this year here and that is the Kenwood Cooking Chef.  This is the sophisticated great grand-daughter of the original Kenwood Chef that my Mum passed down to me. Available from John Lewis (though hurry, there are only 3 left on their website) this machine cooks as well as mixes so taking the hardwork out of tricky staples like hollandaise or bechamel sauces. You can make soup or stew, steam vegetables or even make a chocolate mousse - a whole meal in one machine but you will really have to love the person you give this to as they cost £995 each.

Alternatively, if you are making food the old fashioned way, these enamelled individual casserole dishes are really cute and practical.

Unlike the Le Creuset versions with their stoneware lids, these are all-cast iron and are priced at just £13.99 each.  Of course, if you want to be invited round to dinner by your recipient, you definitely need to give 2,  if not 4!  Available from Denny'sin grey and several other colours, they are still in stock as I write with delivery within 7 days.  (By the way, family - I would definitely be happy to find 2+ of these in my stocking!)


No regular cook should be without a good mandolin, and after I managed to break the slicer blade earlier this year, I have been looking around for a replacement.  I have settled upon this as being the best balance of size and cost efficiency.  Made by Microplane who have an unparalleled reputation for their graters and zesters, you can be sure that this will be yet another good buy. This also comes with a finger-friendly food holder which will save your finger ends.
Available from Lakeland, the last order date for standard delivery is Monday 21st December. 

Another Lakeland item which are especially good for bigger hands and maybe for the barbecue too, are these silicon mitts.  They are flexible, lined and have good insulation capabilities as well as being machine washable.  These are sold singly so you would be more popular if you bought two!.  They cost £12.79 each and again, are available from Lakeland.  The last order date for standard delivery is Monday 21st December.

Of course, they say that the best gift to give is something home made. When we used to sell on farmers markets I would to hold back a few handmade chocolates, flavoured nuts and gingerbreads to use as little stocking fillers and gifts for friends and family. I still like to gift people things that I have made myself but I'm aware that sometimes I might be emptying my cupboards to make some space for christmas food - and that isn't such a altruistic notion! This year I have made some sweet dill pickles and ginger carrot pickles to give as gifts.  Both recipes mature quickly so even if you make them now they will be ready to eat by Boxing Day with leftover turkey or ham.   For chilli lovers, I will be making candied chillis.   Once they are made, they are stored in the syrup they are cooked in which is hot, spicy and sweet.  The chillis are perfect added to brownies or cookies, and the syrup is delicious drizzled over fresh mango with lime juice.