Blueberry White Chocolate Marshmallows

Blueberry White Chocolate Marshmallows

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Making marshmallows always terrified me. Even though I was one of those kids who made spun sugar and mousses and gateaux and all sorts of pastries I couldn’t even pronounce, I never attempted marshmallows. Maybe it was the gelatine or just that they looked so intimidating! But one day, my sister casually flipped open one of my mom’s recipe books and at the age of 11, made a batch of the fluffiest, pristine coconut marshmallows I’d ever seen! They were just perfect. And I was jealous.
Now don’t for a second think that my sister is some sort of baking protégé, although she was always my trusty assistant in handing me little bowls of weighed out ingredients during the cooking shows I would put on in our kitchen. She was good at tasting, yes, but not baking. So when she casually whipped up that batch of marshmallows one day, my fear was conquered. If my little sister could do then so could I!
Marshmallows (like most other sweets) are so easy to make – gelatine, good-quality caster sugar, glucose and a little water are whipped into fluffy clouds of melt-in-the-mouth deliciousness! The reason I say ‘good-quality sugar’ is that because there are so few ingredients, most of your flavour is coming from the sugar itself. I used the Natura Golden Caster Sugar which is unrefined and has a subtle caramel flavour. It’s also silky smooth which means it dissolves quickly – nobody likes gritty mallows! For extra flavour, I’ve also dusted them in Demerara Icing Sugar. This stuff is so good – it’s made from demerara sugar and is unbleached and is what real icing sugar should taste and look like!
The best thing about marshmallows is that they can be whatever you want them to be – chocolate, caramel, fruity, spicy, swirly, two-toned, knots, strings, shapes! So, come now, don’t be scared, give marshmallows a chance!

Blueberry White Chocolate Marshmallows

Makes 15

 

½ cup (150g) pureed blueberries

1 tbsp Natura Golden Caster Sugar

150ml water

200g Natura Golden Caster Sugar

2 tbsp gelatine powder

1/2 cup glucose

125g The Kate Tin White Baking Chocolate, chopped and melted

1/2 cup (80g) Natura Demerara Icing Sugar, sifted

¼ cup corn starch, sifted

Line a 20cm square cake tin with baking paper. Stir the sugar into the pureed blueberries and microwave for 2 minutes to make a quick jam then set aside to cool. Place the water, sugar and gelatine in a saucepan over low heat and stir until the gelatine and sugar is dissolved. Do not let the mixture boil. Remove from the heat and place in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the glucose and beat on high for 8-10 minutes or until the mixture is thick and holds it’s shape. Fold in the cooled melted chocolate swirl in the blueberry jam and pour into the lined baking tin. Cover and allow to set in the refrigerator for an hour. Once set, unmould and use a hot or oiled knife to cut into squares. Dust with a mixture of the icing sugar and corn starch and store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Disclaimer: This post has been sponsored by Natura Sugars, however, I only work with brands I think are awesome and that I actually use myself.
WATCH HOW TO MAKE THE RECIPE HERE:
Chocolate Red Wine Marshmallows

Chocolate Red Wine Marshmallows

A girl only needs two things in life; chocolate and red wine…. But a little toffee and marshmallow can’t hurt either so I’ve thrown those in here for good measure. I’ve been wanting to create some ‘gourmet’ (I really despise that word but there really aren’t enough food adjectives in the English language) marshmallows for a while now since they’re so trendy and all but I didn’t want to make just any marshmallows. These needed to be very special marshmallows. For grown-ups!

Then a box full of beautifully-wrapped red wine toffees from Sweet Temptations landed on my desk. It was a sign. Obviously this toffee HAD to go into my marshmallows. The recipe I’ve used is based on Eric Lanlard’s cocoa marshmallows and it is so incredibly simple and easy you’ll wonder why you’ve been eating those horridly squishy store-bought pink ones all along. How amazed would your guests be if you whipped these out for after-dinner sweets?!! I know, you’re welcome.

Chocolate Red Wine Toffee Marshmallows

Recipe adapted from Eric Lanlard’s ‘Chocolat’

Makes 24 squares

 

2 Sweet Temptations red wine toffees, thinly sliced lengthwise (optional)

150ml water

2 tsp sweet red wine

200g sugar

2 tbsp gelatine powder

1/4 cup glucose

1/4 cup honey

125g The Kate Tin Dark Baking Chocolate, chopped and melted

The Kate Tin Cocoa Powder, for dusting

 

Line a 20cm square cake tin with baking paper. Place the thinly sliced toffee pieces on a piece of baking paper and roll out using a rolling pin to the size of the cake tin. Cut to fit the base and place in the bottom. Place the water, red wine, sugar and gelatine in a saucepan over low heat and stir until the gelatine and sugar is dissolved. Do not let the mixture boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the glucose and honey. Place in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on high for 8-10 minutes or until the mixture is thick and holds it’s shape. Fold in the cooled melted chocolate and pour into the lined baking tin. Smooth the surface using a hot knife, cover and allow to set in the refrigerator for an hour. Once set, unmould and using a hot or oiled knife to cut into squares. Dust with cocoa powder and store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

TIP *You could use any very soft toffees here (make sure they’re pliable) otherwise, leave out the toffee and sprinkle the base with a dusting of cocoa.