Marshmallows & Rocky Road

What is fluffy, soft and rolled in coconut?  What is fluffy, soft, coconutty and chocolatey too, with nuts optional?
Marshmallows and rocky road, of course; super easy to make and super tasty to boot.


However; to make marshmallows, you do require an electric mixer that isn't too old.  Before we got our KitchenAid, Mum was making marshmallows with her old (really old) handheld mixer.  While beating the mixture, the mixer motor emitted a puff of smoke and died with a pffling noise.  So be careful if your mixer is super old.


Recipe Adapted From: The Cooks Book of Uncommon Recipes
Ingredients
2 cups white sugar
3 envelopes unflavoured gelatin
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup cold water
1 tsp vanilla extract


Method - Topping (for marshmallow)
Here in the Speeding Turtle's kitchen, we usually cover our marshmallows in toasted coconut.  Before you get started making the marshmallow, toast about 1 cup of coconut in a frypan while stirring.

Line a 22 x 35cm baking tin or equivalent with baking paper and sprinkle some of the coconut on the bottom to roughly coat it.  

Then make the marshmallow...you will need to toast some more, fresh coconut later.

Method - Marshmallow
1. Combine sugar, gelatin and salt in a saucepan.

2. Stir in the cold water and allow to rest for 5 minutes (so the gelatin can soften.)


3. Place the saucepan over a low heat.  Stir constantly until the sugar has dissolved.  The mixture should not boil!  When the sugar has dissolved, remove from heat.

4. Stir in the vanilla extract.  Pour the mixture into a large bowl while still hot and, using an electric mixer, beat at high speed until it is thickened and will stand in soft peaks.  It should take about 10 - 15 minutes.

5. Spread the marshmallow into the prepared pan immediately, making it smooth and even.

6. Let the marshmallow stand for a while to set.


7. Using a sharp knife, cut the marshmallows into even cubes/rectangular prisms and roll in some more toasted coconut.

8. Store in an air-tight container.  Or, alternatively, just eat 'em.


Ingredients - Rocky Road [per batch of marshmallow]
350g dark chocolate
1 cup coconut (toasted)
Nuts if desired


1. Melt the chocolate and stir in the toasted coconut.  Stir in nuts at this point if you are using them.

2. Roughly chop your tray of marshmallow, it is nice if they are different sized and a bit 'rocky'.  Drop the marshmallow chunks into the chocolate mixture 3 or 4 at a time, mixing between additions (more and they get stuck together when you mix).


3. Spread the rocky road mixture into a baking paper lined tin (22 x 35cm or equivalent).

4. Leave the rocky road in a cool place to set.  Don't put it in the fridge, however, because the chocolate may 'bloom' and get a whole pile of whitish dots on it.


5. When the chocolate has hardened, take the rocky road out of the baking tin and cut up into whatever size you want.

6. Search through the chunks of rocky road to find one with lots of chocolate.  Eat.

Tips and Tricks
 - For marshmallows with a bite of coffee, substitute the water (in step 2 of the marshmallow method) for weak coffee.  It's nice.