Sunday 17 June 2012

Hot Chocolate with Cinnamon / Chocolate / Vanilla Marshmallows and Chocolate Spoons



Typically, I'm cooking out of season. Then again, my entire world revolves backwards. The best working time of day for me is about 10pm until 4am. I get a lot of email done at home and it's also the quiet time for doing website work and prototyping for new silicone bakeware mould development.

Despite getting up around 7.45am, I'm practically dead to the world until just after 10am. I have a couple of quality hours with Oliver and then it's off to work again (though in the office this time rather than my desk at home) when I drop him off at nursery at noon. I collect Oliver again at 6pm, tend to the horses and chickens... get dinner ready, family fed.... sometimes doze for an hour.

It's that time of night once everyone else is in bed, that I like to get creative in the kitchen (if time allows). Am I the only one that makes marshmallows at 2am ?


I made my marshmallows in two different silicone moulds. I used a Tray Bake Swiss rectangular silicone bakeware mould and I also used this floral and fancy silicone mold - which is ideal for tiny cakelets and large filled chocolates.

Marshmallow is THE stickiest stuff ever. Lightly (but thoroughly - don't miss any bits !) oil the inside of your silicone mould before use. Alternatively, you can use cake release spray.  You don't need much - just enough to give a film coating. Too much and the oil will pool on the inside. If you over do it, remove any excess with DO NOT dust the inside with cornflour / icing sugar. Trust me - for this, it's easier if you don't

RECIPE
Adapted from River Cottage

2 egg whites
500g white granulated sugar
25g gelatine granules (or 2 sachets Dr Oeteker brand)
1/3 cup of cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
cake release spray - or a tiny amount of flavourless oil
1tsp ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons each of icing sugar, cornflour and cocoa powder, sifted together


Soak the gelatine granules in 125mls of cold water.

Put the 500g of granulated sugar and 250g . Bring to the boil When temperature reaches 110deg C, put the egg whites in a stand mixer and whisk to stiff peak.

When the sugar syrup reaches 125deg C, take off the heat. Stir in gelatine granules.

With mixer set to low speed, slowly pour in the sugar syrup / gelatine mixture. Once incorporated, add the cocoa powder, vanilla and cinnamon. Turn back up to full speed and whisk until cooled and thickened (though still pourable) - approx 7 to 8 mins.

Pour into your moulds and allow to set for a few hours. DO NOT refrigerate.


On removing from the moulds, cut into pieces, roll in the cornflour / icing sugar cocoa mix and store in a tupperware box. These keep nicely for about 3 days (if they last that long !)

Serve a handful on top of piping hot chocolate with a Belgian Chocolate spoon or two !

This is a new registered mould design by Sarah-Jane Nash and will be available from the end of July.


Sunday 17th June 2012 - Father's Day in the UK.

After visiting the Transport Museum near Lowestoft and having loads of rides on Trams, Trolley Buses and a little train, we all went a walk to Somerleyton Windmill .....


Oliver and Steve took photos and watched the sun go down. I took the photos of them on this blog entry with my mobile.


Once they were finished, we went to the pub at Reedham Ferry for a meal before heading home with a very tired but sleepy little boy.

Happy Father's Day to all the UK daddies !



16 comments:

  1. OMG!! I'm totally in love with the chocolate spoons! What a brilliant idea and less utensils to wash even :D

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  2. I have to have these :) night cocoa's will be fun now!!!

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  3. These are so cute!! I made marshmallows for the first time last week and was surprised by how easy it is. I have the floral and fancy silicone mould already so will put it in there next time. I also feel like you've read my mind as I've been wanting to make chocolate spoons and bought some silli so I can make my own mould! Now I can just order it from you :)

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  4. Awww,,.. OLiver has grown! He is adorable and I belieeve looks like his daddy. Your marshmallows look absolutely beautiful Sarah...very unusual and quaint.. i watched river cottage when he made the marshmallows and am glad you published the recipe...i ll give it a go WITHOUT the cornflour. i cld use the easter egg mould!:)) TQ :)

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  5. Thanks Everyone.

    Ping - definate bonus to chocolate spoons. They're so nice for stirring into coffee an hot chocolate or to scoop frosting off the top of a cupcake. lol

    Vikki - not too long to wait. They will be available in approx 4 weeks/

    Baking Addict - marshmallows are very easy to make. Texture is so different to commerically produced ones - it's like eating soft puffy clouds. Such an endless amount of things you can do with them. Try using matcha green tea. You'll need something else to put it in as well as the floral / fancy mould - makes quite a lot of marshmallow.

    Zurin - hasn't he just ! I can't believe how fast he's growing up :-( You could use your easter egg mould. They'd be nice big mallows :-)

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  6. Oh I don't know if I could be bothered making marshmallows (even though you make them look so cute!) but I have to have the chocolate spoon mould!!

    Please Please send me a mould when they are released, I can't wait to blog about them!!
    My email address will be next to the comment I trust. I am adding this to pin interest so that I don't forget!

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  7. Hi There, Wow...this recipe is looking Wonderful and I'm loving it so much. Today I was out of ideas and was wandering what to make. Got the answer now...! congrats on top 9 ! I can't wait to try it on my island. Have a wonderful week ahead. Thanks & Regards, Sonia !!!

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  8. At first I was thinking this is so out of season but I love it. But then again it's perfect for people in the southern hemisphere. It's just getting hot here even in the early morning and late at night.. I may have to wait on this one. This is one my list.

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  9. The spoon mould is so cute! I want one! Congrats on making the top 9 today :)

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  10. Looks good and congratulations on making the foodbuzz Top 9!

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  11. Oh! I would love to taste that hot chocolate! The mold of the spoons is really great!!

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  12. What adorable photos. These chocolate spoons are too cute and a great way to make any dessert more playful. I'll bet kids go crazy for these!

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  13. Thank you for this recipe. This is probably a daft question, but can you get salmonella from the egg whites or does the sugar syrup 'cook's it enough? Also, if I want to add colour when is it best to do this, with the water?

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  14. The sugar is so hot that it cooks the egg whites.

    Also, if you are buying eggs in the UK - if they have the red lion mark, then they are from salmonella vaccinated hens. Salmonella no longer exists in farmed eggs from vaccinated stock.

    I add colour after whipping together the sugar syrup and the egg whites and simply whip it in. However, if you are adding spices, these will add some natural colour.

    Hope that helps !

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