The uses of Marshmallow!

I feel like its been forever and well maybe it has since I last blogged my first blog to be exact. well I have been having problems with my computer not letting me log on so I have had to wait till now, and am using my home computer! But in this time I have turned 20 and got some new cook books and tried out some new recipes for you to try. I'm afraid that both of them contain marshmallow making them unsuitable for vegetarians but my aim for the summer is to make vegetarian marshmallow so there is hope yet! The first is an old favourite but i can never find the recipe for it when I want it so here it is:

Marshmallow crunch
75g (3oz) rice crispies
100g (4oz) pink/white marshmallows
25g (1oz) butter

18cm (7in) square tin greased and lined with greaseproof paper

• put rice crispies into bowl
• cut marshmallows in half/use small marshmallows put them with the butter into a pan
• heat gently stirring occasional until just melted
• remove from heat and stir the cereal in
• spoon into tin and put into fridge for 2 hours
• loosen with a blunt knife
• turn out and cut
• enjoy!!

(mixture can easily be doubled as marshmallows tend to be sold in 200g packs)

The second recipe is a bit unusual and well a bit strange. If you have a really sweet tooth this is a good recipe. Here it is:

Marshmallow fudge

450g (1lb) icing sugar

100g (4oz) white marshmallows

2 tbsp milk

100g (4oz) unsalted butter

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

18cm (7in) square cake tin greased and lined with greaseproof paper

• put the icing sugar into a bowl and make a well in the middle
• cut marshmallow into pan add the milk, butter and vanilla essence
• gently heat stirring every now and again until it has all melted
• pour mixture into the icing sugar and beat together (electric whisk good for this but begin slowly otherwise the icing sugar goes everywhere!)
• put the fudge into the tin and flatten with the back of a spoon
• put in fridge for 3 hours
• cut and put back in fridge for 1 hour to harden
• store in airtight container in fridge for up to 5 days (if it lasts that long!)

Hope you enjoy these as much as I did :-) have fun and ill be back soon!

Beginnings and chocolate fudge!

Well this is it my first blog post ever. I've been thinking about creating a blog for a while but couldn't think of what to write in it. Then one of my friends Alex, you may have seen her blog at http://blissfullyeccentric.blogspot.com/, suggested that I do a cooking blog. Well I thought this could be it! You see I love cooking, any cooking but especially sweet dishes. Whether it be puddings or confectionery I love them all (it helps having an incredibly sweet tooth). So it was decided I would create a blog and detail any cooking I did on it (with the recipes of course!). So here it is my blog the beginning of what I hope will be a long and beautiful relationship.

Now I know what you are thinking, having read all that where is the food bit! Well here it is. I thought it only fitting that my first post contained the recipe for which in my own way I am famous for! What's that I hear you cry well it's my quick chocolate fudge. All my friends are now thinking she's not is she, she's not actually going to tell us how to make it is she? Well people the time has come to reveal the recipe and the method of cooking!

Ingredients
500g Dark chocolate (milk chocolate can also be used but makes a softer and, in some ways, more sickly fudge)
397g (1tin) condensed milk
2 2/3 oz unsalted butter
1/2 tsp vanilla essence (peppermint or orange can be used in place of the vanilla to give a variety of flavours the quantities of these need to be to taste but approx 1-2 tsp)

Method

• prepare a tray bake tin by greasing and covering the base in greaseproof paper
• put the butter, condensed milk and chocolate into a pan over a low heat
• allow to melt down stirring occasionally to prevent burning
• DO NOT ALLOW TO BOIL
• when melted remove from the heat and add the vanilla essence
• beat for 1-2 mins until thick
• pour into prepared tin and allow to cool
• place in refrigerator to set
• cut into squares and enjoy
• store in an airtight box in the refrigerator (will go soft if left out)

It is as simple as that :-) now you know why I call it quick chocolate fudge. I will let you into a bit of a secret if you are going to make the fudge, experiment a bit with the quantities of different chocolates you use for example 400g cheap choc, 100g 70% cocoa choc you will be amazed at the difference the chocolate makes. Well I hope you enjoy the fudge and have enjoyed reading my first ever post I will be back with more soon.