Ingredients:
Marshmallow
410 grams castor sugar
1/4 cup glucose syrup
½ cup cold water
½ cup extra cold water (for the gelatin)
7 tsp gelatin
1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
Lots of white flour
Chocolate Coating:
1x 250g Block Whittaker’s 72% Dark Ghana Chocolate
1x 250g Block Whittaker’s Creamy Milk Chocolate
Equipment:
Candy Thermometer
2x large baking trays
1x real egg (to be used as a ‘mould)
Kitchen mixer/hand beater.
Preparation:
1. Before starting roughly spread flour in two large baking dishes about 2-3cm deep.
2. Using the egg push down into the flour about halfway to make 36 egg-shaped indents, spacing them about 1cm apart.
3. If the next indent messes the sides of another indent – don’t worry, simply press the egg lightly into each indentation to fix it up
4. Each of these indents forms one half of an egg which will later be joined.
Method:
Marshmallow:
1. Prepare the gelatin. Place ½ cup of water in the mixer bowl. Stirring the water with a whisk, add the gelatin to the water and mix to moisten the gelatin. Set aside to allow the gelatin to bloom (at least 10 minutes). Place the bowl in your mixer, with the whisk attachment (if you don’t have a kitchen mixer you can also use a handheld beater)
2. Place the sugar, glucose syrup and water in a medium sized pot. Stir until the sugar has mixed with the water.
3. Heat over medium-high heat until the sugar syrup comes to a boil. Gently swirl the pan to evenly distribute the heat.
4. Cover the saucepan with a lid and lower heat to medium. Let the syrup cook for 2 minutes. Do not lift the lid at this point. (This allows the condensation to wash down any sugar crystals on the side into the syrup)
5. After two minutes, remove the lid and check to make sure there are no sugar crystals on the side of the saucepan. (If there are cover for a further minute)
6. Using a sugar thermometer, let the sugar syrup cook until it reaches 117°C. If you don’t have a sugar thermometer, check the sugar stage every 5 minutes until it reaches the firm-ball stage. Refer to the notes.
7. When the sugar syrup reaches the correct temperature, remove it from the heat (and wait for the bubbles to disappear). Turn the mixer onto medium speed and pour the sugar syrup into the gelatin, along the wall of the bowl in a slow and steady stream (to prevent the gelatin from being burnt by the syrup).
8. Increase the mixer to medium – high for 3 – 5 minutes until the marshmallow is doubling in size. Mix for a further 3 minutes on high speed, allowing the marshmallow to volumize more. Add the vanilla to the marshmallow and mix on high speed until incorporated.
Do not mix if the marshmallow base is already cooled down. This will create hard marshmallows. (The mixture should be slightly softer than if you were making marshmallow to pour into a pan as it still needs to be pourable and able to mould into the egg indents in the flour.)
9. Transfer mixture to two piping bags (there is too much marshmallow for just one) and slowly pour the marshmallow into flour moulds. Allow to set at room temp (allow anywhere between 1-3 hours.)
10. Once set, gently lift an edge of the marshmallow and carefully flip it over so it is now sticky-side down in the flour.
Chocolate Coating:
11. Gently remove all the marshmallow from the flour, brushing off any excess flour with a pastry brush, set aside.
12. Line a flat tray with baking paper.
13. Temper the chocolate (slightly more time consuming, but will be worth it to ensure a glossy chocolate coating – there are good tutorials online if you are unsure how.)
14. One by one, place a marshmallow egg into the chocolate. Using a fork and spoon, cover the egg completely in chocolate. Lift the egg onto the fork, tap the side of the bowl, allowing the excess chocolate to drip through,
15. Transfer the egg to baking paper and repeat with remaining eggs
16. Optional: Once set, use a small amount of extra chocolate to join the two marshmallow halves together.
17. Wrap in foil if desired. Marshmallow eggs should be stored at room temperature.