Marshmallow Easter Eggs by Hansells Recipes
Cakes and Tarts
Serves: 1
Ingredients:
Marshmallow Easter Eggs
You will need an egg mould to make these Easter eggs. Use a fresh egg if wished or buy an Easter egg the size you want to make your eggs and use that as your egg mould for this recipe. You can also use half a Kinder Surprise egg. The number of eggs you make will depend on the size of the egg mould used. This will also determine how much cornflour you need.
2 – 4, 400g bags cornflour
2 tablespoons Hansells Gelatine
1 1/4 cups cold water
1 cup sugar
1 egg white
1 cup icing sugar
1 teaspoon Hansells Peppermint Essence
About 10 drops Hansells Green Food Colouring
250g dark chocolate
Method:
Spread the cornflour evenly into a dish so the cornflour is deep enough to form half an egg for the size of the egg you are using as your mould. Carefully press the long side of the egg into the cornflour to half the depth of the egg to form a smooth cornflour mould.
In a saucepan, mix the gelatine and water together. Leave for 2 minutes for the gelatine to swell. Mix in the sugar and bring to the boil. Boil over a low heat for 8 minutes. Cool. Place the egg white in a large bowl and beat until stiff peaks form. Mix in icing sugar, peppermint essence and green food colour then pour in cooled gelatine mixture. Beat with an electric mixer or hand beater until thick. This will take about 3 minutes. Working quickly, pour the marshmallow into the prepared moulds to come up to form half an egg shape.
When the egg halves are set, remove from the cornflour (your fingers are the best tool) and dust off as much as possible with a soft pastry brush. Join the sticky, un-cornfloured surface of the marshmallow eggs together.
Melt the chocolate in the microwave or over hot water. Carefully dip the marshmallow egg in the melted chocolate, coating half the egg at a time and allowing as much of the excess chocolate to drip off before placing on a piece of baking paper or tinfoil, marshmallow side down Leave until chocolate is hard. Repeat to coat the second side, placing the hard chocolate side down. Place on baking paper or tin foil to set. Once set your Easter Eggs are ready to wrap and give as gifts or enjoy as part of your Easter celebration.
TIPS
• Other Hansells essences and colours can be used. Coconut, raspberry, strawberry or banana flavours are always popular or for a more sophisticated approach, try almond essence or Hansells Vanilla Paste.
• An alternative to cornflour for the mould is coconut or toasted coconut. Fine desiccated coconut is best as it is easier to mould. Hansells coconut essence is a good choice for flavouring the marshmallow with this option. When coconut is used to mould the eggs, that forms the outside of the egg, so no chocolate is necessary.
• These eggs can be made a week in advance. Store in the fridge and bring to room temperature before coating with melted chocolate.
• For Gluten free use gluten free cornflour (maize cornflour) and icing sugar
• The cornflour can be reused (sift to remove any traces of marshmallow).
• If you have any leftover marshmallow, dust mini muffin tins with cornflour and pour the marshmallow to fill the tins. Leave to set. When set, dip the muffin tin into hot water for 3 seconds. Release the top of the marshmallow with a knife or your finger then remove eggs from the tin and dust with cornflour.
Recipe by Robyn Martin
Photography by Topic
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImCtULT9rvc
