Food Editor Lichelle May explores the art of making homemade marshmallows and fun recipes to use them in. Think toasted marshmallow, sweet and sticky cookie dessert or even the fruit-filled variety.

Homemade vanilla marshmallow 

Soft, pillowy and worlds apart from its store-bought counterpart, homemade marshmallows turn simple ingredients into pure joy. 

Makes 1 tray (30x21cm) 

Ingredients

2 sachets (10g each) powdered gelatine
1 cup (250ml) water
2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
½ tsp (2.5ml) white vinegar
100g (75ml) glucose syrup
Pinch of salt
2 tsp (10ml) vanilla paste
¼ cup (30g) corn flour
2 Tbsp (16g) icing sugar

Method

1. Mix gelatine and ½ cup (125ml) water in the bowl of a stand mixer and set aside.
2. Line a 30x21cm tin with baking paper and spray with non-stick spray.
3. Heat the remainder of the water, sugar, vinegar and glucose syrup over medium heat. Swirl the pot now and again to help the sugar dissolve. Once the sugar has dissolved, bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. 
4. Use a pastry brush dipped in hot water to gently remove any sugar crystals from forming on the sides of the pot. Be sure to squeeze extra water out from the brush to not add any extra liquid to the sugar mixture.
5. Gently swirl the sugar mixture regularly to evenly distribute the heat and to avoid hot spots. Cook the syrup until firm ball stage (118°C-120°C).  (See cook’s note.)
6. Using the whisk attachment, turn the mixer on to break up the gelatine. Gently pour the hot sugar mixture into the mixer while whisking on a low-medium speed. Take care not to pour the syrup onto the whisk attachment to prevent it from splattering, which may cause burn injuries. 
7. Continue until you’ve added all the syrup. (The heat of the syrup will melt the gelatine.) 
8. Increase speed up to medium, and add salt and vanilla. Whisk for about 6-8 minutes. Scrape down the sides to ensure even mixing. 
9. The base should become smooth, white and fluffy, and it should expand roughly three times in size. The mixture should resemble a thick, glossy and delicate meringue. 
10. Use a silicone spatula to scrape out the marshmallow mixture onto the prepared tin while still warm. Allow to set for about 4-6 hours at room temperature. 
11. Combine corn flour and icing sugar. Dust a knife in the mixture to prevent sticking. Cut marshmallows into squares and dust lightly in the same icing mixture. Store in an airtight container. 

Cook’s note: To check firm ball stage, drop a small amount of the syrup into a cup of cold water. If a firm, pliable ball forms that holds its shape but flattens when squeezed between the fingertips – then it is ready.

Flavour Variations  

Coffee Swirl  

Method 

Mix 1½ Tbsp (22.5ml) coffee granules, ½ Tbsp sugar (7.5ml) and 1 Tbsp (15ml) boiling water. Once the vanilla marshmallow base is spread out into the tin and ready to set, swirl the coffee mixture through the marshmallow before setting.  

Toasted Coconut  

Method 

Add ½ cup (125ml) toasted desiccated coconut to the vanilla marshmallow mixture when adding the salt and vanilla paste. When sliced, roll marshmallows in 1 cup toasted (250ml) desiccated coconut instead of the corn flour mixture. 

Fruit Filled  

Method  

Spread half of the vanilla marshmallow mixture into a prepared tin. Spread ⅓ cup (80ml) thick fruit puree of your choice on the marshmallow and top with the remainder of the marshmallow mixture.  

Good to know: Glucose syrup, also known as corn syrup, is a sweetener that is commonly used in confectionery and frozen desserts. Glucose syrup’s function is to control the formation of sugar crystals and can be found at your local baking shop .

Salted caramel sweetie pies

The perfect balance of rich and indulgent — this is a great recipe to try for some holiday-inspired kitchen adventures. 

Makes 8-10 

Ingredients

½ batch homemade vanilla marshmallow
8-10 digestive biscuits
⅓ cup (80ml) store-bought caramel sauce
Pinch flaky salt
220g dark chocolate, melted  

Method

1. Place vanilla marshmallow mixture, while still warm, in a piping bag. 
2. Pipe some marshmallow mixture in the middle of each digestive biscuit. Take care not to spill over the sides of the biscuits. 
3. Using a teaspoon, make an indent in each marshmallow deep enough to hold some yummy caramel sauce. 
4. Combine the caramel sauce and salt then mix well. Scoop some of the sauce into the prepared marshmallow cavities. 
5. Continue to pipe the marshmallow mixture to enclose the caramel sauce. Set aside for about 30 minutes to allow the marshmallows to set. 
6. Once set, dip the marshmallow in chocolate and allow to set. 

Froot Loop squares  

Bright and chewy cereal-marshmallow squares – be adventurous and try to make these with your favourite breakfast cereal. 

Makes about 24 squares  

Ingredients 

¼ cup (60g) butter
5 cups (300g) mini marshmallows
5 cups (250g) Froot loops  

Method  

1. Line a 25x18cm tin with cling wrap and spray with non-stick spray. 
2. Melt butter in a large pot. Once melted, add marshmallows and stir on a medium-low heat until melted. 
3. Add Froot loops and mix through. 
4. Transfer mixture to prepared tray and flatten. (See cook’s note below.) 
5. Allow to set for about 1 hour before slicing into bars. 

Cook’s note: When flattening the mixture, the harder you press, the more compressed the bars will be. If you only gently spread the mixture in the tin, the bars will have more air captured and not be as compact. Depending on your desired results, you can control the outcome you prefer.  

Cinnamon crunch cookie slices 

The perfect balance of rich and indulgent – this is a great recipe to try for some holiday-inspired kitchen adventures. 

Serves 6-8 

Ingredients 

1 cup (250g) salted butter, at room temperature 
1 cup (170g) dark brown sugar 
¼ cup (60ml) honey
¼ cup (60ml) apple sauce
1 large egg 
2 tsp (10ml) vanilla 
2 ⅔ cups (400g) flour 
1 tsp (5ml) bicarbonate of soda 
1 Tbsp (15ml) ground cinnamon
1 tsp (5ml) salt 
1 cup (175g) milk or dark chocolate chips 
3 cups (180g) marshmallows, cut in half  

Method 

1. Melt the butter in a pan and allow to brown slightly.  Set aside to cool. 
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a 22cm square tin with baking paper and spray with non-stick spray.  
3. Whisk the cooled butter, ¾ of the sugar, honey, apple sauce, egg and vanilla for about 2 minutes. 
4. Sift flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and salt in a separate bowl.
5. Fold the dry ingredients and chocolate chips through the butter mixture until a cookie dough forms. 
6. Press half of the cookie dough into the prepared tin, placing the remainder of the dough covered in the fridge. Bake for 15 minutes. 
7. Remove from oven and set the oven on grill.
8. Top the pre-baked cookie mixture with marshmallows and grill for 1 minute until the marshmallows start toasting. 
9. Remove from oven and place the oven on 180°C again.  
10. Crumble the remainder of the cookie dough over the marshmallows and sprinkle with remaining sugar.  
11. Bake the mixture for another 15-20 minutes.
12. Allow to cool for 20 minutes in the tin before removing and slicing. Serve warm.

Recipes & styling: Lichelle May
Photography by: Zhann Solomons

The post 4 Fun marshmallow treat recipes appeared first on MyKitchen.

Skip the jelly and load up on South African flavours of Amarula and rooibos.

Amarula & rooibos trifle 

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

For the Amarula & rooibos custard 

6 rooibos teabags
2 cups (500ml) milk
4 large egg yolks
½ cup (110g) caster sugar 
3 Tbsp (22.5g) corn flour
⅓ cup (80ml) Amarula liqueur
1 tsp (5ml) vanilla

For the berry layer 

½ punnet (150g) cherries
2 punnets (160g each) raspberries
¼ cup (60ml) sugar
1 lemon, zested and juiced

For the chocolate cream 

180g dark chocolate, chopped
1 cup (250ml) cold whipping cream 
⅔ cup (147g) caster sugar
1 store-bought layered chocolate sponge cake
10 sprigs rosemary
Icing sugar, for dusting 

Method     

14. 1. For the custard, place the teabags and milk in a pot over low heat and infuse for about 8-10 minutes. Remove teabags once infused.
    2. Cream together egg yolks and sugar until fluffy.
    3. Pour 1 cup of infused milk into the egg mixture while whisking. Pour mixture back into the pot with remaining milk.
    4. Cook on a medium heat until steaming hot.
    5. Mix about ¼ cup of the infused milk with the corn flour in a small bowl until smooth. Pour corn flour mixture back into the pot and cook for about 5-10 minutes or until bubbling. Allow to bubble for about 2-3 minutes while stirring until thickened. Remove from heat.
    6. Add Amarula and vanilla then mix through. Pour custard in a bowl, cover with cling wrap directly on the surface and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until needed.
    7. For the berry layer, halve the cherries, remove pits and place in a small pot with the raspberries, sugar, lemon zest and half of the lemon juice.
    8. Cook on a medium heat for about 10 minutes or until syrupy. Set aside to cool completely.
    9. Reserve a bit of chopped chocolate for garnish and melt the remaining chocolate.
    10. Whip the cream to stiff peaks, adding sugar gradually, whisking to medium-stiff, glossy peaks.
    11. Fold the cooled melted chocolate through the whipped cream.
    12. To assemble the trifle, break the cake into pieces and arrange some in the bottom of a trifle dish. Add some custard, top with berry mixture and then add some chocolate cream. Repeat to create multiple layers until all ingredients are used.
    13. Finish the trifle by sticking the rosemary sprigs into the trifle to make them stand with the leaves facing down, resembling Christmas trees. Sprinkle with chocolate.
    14. Dust with icing sugar and serve.

     

Recipe & styling: Lichelle May
Photography by: Zhann Solomons

Also read: A summer trifle with a twist

The post Amarula & rooibos trifle appeared first on MyKitchen.

Dessert doesn’t have to be super sweet for it to be enjoyable! Avoid the sugar overload and have this decadent lemon olive oil cake instead!

MAKES 1

INGREDIENTS
For the olive-oil cake
1¼ cups white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup full-cream yoghurt
¾ cup olive oil
Zest and juice of 3 lemons
2 cups self-raising flour
For the lemon syrup
½ cup lemon juice (2–3 lemons)
¼ cup white sugar
For the buttercream
125 g butter, softened
½ cup cream cheese
5 cups icing sugar
Zest and juice of 1 lemon

METHOD
For the olive-oil cake
1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line two 15 cm cake tins.
2. Cream sugar and eggs until fluffy. Fold in yoghurt, olive oil and lemon zest.
3. Sift the flour and gradually fold it into the mixture.
4. Pour into the tins and bake for 1 hour 15–25 minutes, until the cakes are golden, spring back when touched and a skewer comes out clean. Leave in tins.
For the lemon syrup
1. While the cake is in the oven, boil the lemon juice and sugar in a pot for 5 minutes, until slightly thickened.
2. Pour the hot syrup over the hot cakes. Allow to cool.
For the buttercream
1. Whip butter, cream cheese and 1⁄2 icing sugar until fluffy.2. Add remaining icing sugar, lemon zest and 2 tbsp lemon juice. Whip for 5 minutes, until the buttercream is pale and cloud-like. Refrigerate.
To assemble
1. Trim the tops of the cakes to make sure they’re flat.
2. Spread buttercream on one of the cakes, then place the other cake on top. Ice the outside of the cakes.

Optional: Decorate with lemon leaves and blossoms.

Recipes & styling: Chiara Turilli
Photography: Samantha Pinto

Imagine a delicious, perfectly-textured cake that serves as a healthy alternative and won’t aggravate any bloating. This wheat-free chocolate cake does just that!

The post Lemon olive oil cake appeared first on MyKitchen.

Chocolate cake plus flan equals a delicious creamy caramel chocoflan creation that will be a hit at all your festive gatherings this holiday season.

SERVES 12 // COOKING TIME 1 hour 40 min

INGREDIENTS
1 cup sugar
2 cups water
7 eggs
385 g tin condensed milk
1 cup milk
1 box chocolate cake mix
½ cup vegetable oil

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 180°C and grease a Bundt tin. Ensure it fits into a large, deep baking tray.
2. Cook sugar and 1 cup water over low heat until the sugar is dissolved, then bring to a light simmer. Stir until the caramel turns golden, 3–5 minutes. Pour into the tin and set aside to cool.
3. Whisk together 4 eggs, condensed milk and milk. Set aside.
4. Beat together the cake mix, oil, 1 cup water and 3 eggs.
5. Pour the condensed-milk mixture into the tin. Slowly pour the cake-mix mixture over that. (The layers will mix now, but separate into 2 layers during baking).
6. Place the Bundt tin in a deep baking tray. Fill the tray with boiling water and cover tightly with foil. Bake the chocoflan for 65–70 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove the tin from the water bath and place on a rack to cool.
7. Once the chocoflan is cooled completely, turn it out on to a serving plate.

Recipe & styling: Amerae Vercueil
Photography: Andreas Eiselen // HMimages.co.za

The festive season wouldn’t be complete without a Christmas cake, but we gave the traditional recipe an upgrade with decadent caramel chocolate.

The post We combined two favourites to make this decadent chocoflan appeared first on MyKitchen.

Desserts will never be quite the same once you’ve tried these decadent chocolate wine truffles! Take your pick of dark-chocolate red-wine or white-chocolate Champagne truffles.

For the dark-chocolate red-wine truffles

MAKES 20 // COOKING TIME 1 hour

INGREDIENTS
225 g dark chocolate, finely chopped
½ cup dry red wine
2 tbsp butter, at room temperature
40 g cocoa

METHOD
1. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl.
2. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the wine to the boil. Remove it from the heat and pour over the chocolate.
3. Let the bowl stand for 5 minutes to melt the chocolate. Whisk until it is completely melted and smooth. Then stir in the butter.
4. Allow the chocolate to sit until it begins to firm up, about 30–45 minutes. Stir every 5–10 minutes. If the chocolate gets too hard, melt it over a double boiler and then repeat the cooling process. (Don’t refrigerate the chocolate to shorten the cooling time. The texture will be uneven.)
5. Scoop up tablespoons of chocolate and roll between your palms into balls.
6. Roll the truffles in the cocoa until they are completely covered.
7. Line a baking tray. Places the truffles in a fine sieve and shake to remove the excess cocoa. Place them on the baking tray.
8. Place the chocolate wine truffles in the fridge to set. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Let them come to room temperature before serving. If they have absorbed the cocoa powder, you can re-roll them before serving.

For the white-chocolate Champagne truffles

MAKES 40 // COOKING TIME 1 hour

INGREDIENTS
490 g white chocolate, finely chopped
½ cup thick cream
¼ cup sparkling wine
55 g butter, chopped, at room temperature
Icing sugar, for rolling
Pink sprinkles, for decorating

METHOD
1. Place 340 g chocolate in a heatproof bowl.
2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream to the boil. Immediately remove it from the heat and pour it over the chocolate.
3. Let the bowl stand for 5 minutes to melt the chocolate. Whisk until it is completely melted and smooth. Add the sparkling wine and whisk until it is incorporated. Then add the butter and whisk until smooth.
4. Allow the chocolate to sit until it begins to firm up, about 30–45 minutes. Stir every 5–10 minutes. If the chocolate gets too hard, melt it over a double boiler and then repeat the cooling process. (Don’t refrigerate the chocolate to shorten the cooling time. The texture will be uneven.)
5. Dust your hands with icing sugar. Then scoop up tablespoons of chocolate and roll between your palms into balls.
6. Melt the remaining chocolate. Line a baking tray. Once chocolate is completely melted and smooth, use a fork or tongs to dip each truffle into it. Place them on the baking tray.
7. Scatter pink sprinkles over the chocolate wine truffles and place them in the fridge to set. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Let them warm to room temperature before serving.

Recipes & styling: Diane Heierli
Photography: Christoph Heierli

These chocolate wine truffles will go down beautifully with a glass of spice and citrus mulled white wine!

The post The most decadent mixed chocolate & wine truffles appeared first on MyKitchen.

There’s just something so sophisticated about black and white, and it shows in this black coffee and buttermilk panna cotta with vanilla crumble – the perfect sweet treat to refine your fancy dessert-making skills.

SERVES 4–6 // COOKING TIME 1 hour

INGREDIENTS
For the vanilla crumble
100 g cake flour
100 g buttermilk
¼ cup caster sugar
½ vanilla pod, deseeded
For the buttermilk panna cotta
3 sheets gelatin leaves
125 ml espresso
50 g muscovado sugar
2 tbsp cocoa
375 ml double cream
Pinch of salt
Icing sugar, for dusting

METHOD
For the vanilla crumble
1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Place the flour, buttermilk, sugar and vanilla seeds in a bowl. Use your fingertips to combine until the mixture reaches a breadcrumb consistency.
3. Place on a greased baking tray and bake for 10–15 minutes until golden brown.
4. Allow the crumble to cool.
For the buttermilk panna cotta
1. Place the gelatin in a bowl with ice water. Set aside and allow to bloom.
2. Combine the espresso, sugar and cocoa in a saucepan over low heat. Stir until sugar has dissolved.
3. Stir in the cream and salt, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the gelatin. Whisk until the gelatin has dissolved.
4. Pour into panna cotta moulds, then place in the fridge until completely set.
5. Once set, turn the panna cottas out on to plates. Sprinkle the vanilla crumble over each panna cotta, then finish with a light dusting of icing sugar.

Recipe & styling: Amerae Vercueil
Photography: Andreas Eiselen // HMimages.co.za

To accompany your black coffee and buttermilk panna cotta, why not serve coffee chocolate biscotti as well?

The post Black coffee and buttermilk panna cotta with vanilla crumble appeared first on MyKitchen.