Chocolate Marshmallow Cupcakes

Gooey Madness

It took me 3 attempts to get these cupcakes right! The original recipe was a marshmallow cake, but I found the recipe problematic because the marshmallows were only included in the icing.  I felt this was very misleading so I reinvented the recipe to ensure that marshmallows were actually in the cake.  Marshmallows are very difficult to work with as I quickly discovered.  Not only did my cupcakes keep collapsing but the textures were very uneven.  My recipe ensures that the cupcakes will not only be a nice texture but will taste like marshmallow in every bite.  However, I also found out that my chocolate icing intensified the chocolate flavour so the whole cupcake tasted like a delicious cloud.

This recipe was re invented from the Mini Marshmallow packet by Van Damme.

Ingredients:

125g butter, 125g sugar, 2 eggs, 140g self-raising flour, 3 tbsps cocoa powder, 10ml condensed milk, 80g marshmallows, 2 tbsps icing sugar.

Method:

1. Beat the butter and the icing sugar together.
2. Beat in the eggs one after the other.
3. Sift in the flour and 2 tbsps cocoa powder.
4. Mix everything well.
5. Add the milk mix until the mixture is loosened.
6. Gently fold in 60g marshmallows.
7.  Pre heat the oven to 140 degrees C.
8. Divide the mixture into 12 cupcake cases in a cupcake baking tray.
9. Bake the cupcakes for 25 minutes.
10. The cupcakes are done when firm to the touch and skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre.
11. While the cupcakes cool mix the icing sugar with 10ml of water.
12 Add 1 tbsp of cocoa powder and 20g marshmallows.
13 Keep adjusting the mixture until it has the desired consistency.
14.  When the cupcakes are cool top the cupcakes with the chocolate marshmallow icing.

British Smores

Summer Camp

I once worked as a camp counsellor at a summer camp in Pennsylvania, USA.  I had never cooked on camp fire before this experience and this easy dessert reminds me of sleeping under the stars in the forests.  Though it will be a while before I next camp outside in the cold in danger of being attacked by bears, lions and insects (which luckily never happened) it does not mean I can’t recreate the traditional American camp food.

 Within Reason

Though the smores do not actually need to have so much chocolate or marshmellows I really can only eat one.  In America the kids and adults ate 6 – 10 in one meal, to me this was ridiculous but it all depends on how much chocolate and marshmallows you actually put on.

Ingredients:

Digestive Biscuits, Marshmallows, Chocolate Drops or bars (I used milk chocolate), Raspberry Jam (if you want to add a little sweetness).

Method:

1. Put a few chocolate drops in a heatproof bowl, then put on top of a saucepan with a little water in. Let the water simmer to heat the chocolate.

2. Put on the grill
2. Spread jam on digestives if using.
3. Place marshmellows on digestives.
4. Grill biscuits for 5mins.
5. When marshmellows are toasted and chocolate has melted spoon as much chocolate as you like onto the toasted marshmellow digestives.

Saffy’s Top Tip’s1. Try Rich Tea Biscuits, these work well too if you don’t feel like eating digestives.

2. If you don’t want to use jam chop up some berries and put them on top of your roasted marshmellows.