Chocolate and pistachio marshmallows

Ingredients

1/2 tbsp cornflour

1/2 tbsp icing sugar

Drop of vegetable oil

2 egg whites

500g granulated sugar

250ml water

8 leafs gelatin

80g milk chocolate (or dark if you prefer)

100g pistachios in shell (shelled weight probably about 60-70g but don’t quote me on it!)

Method

1. Grab a 20 x 20cm cake tin, and rub a little bit of oil all over the base and around the sides. Seive the icing sugar and cornflour together in a bowl and add a bit of it to the cake tin, making sure it’s coated evenly.

2. Crack the egg whites into a large mixing bowl and whisk to stiff peaks.

3. Put the egg whites to one side. Pour the sugar and water into a saucepan and put it on a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Then whack the heat on full and boil it until it’s at the ‘hard ball’ stage. I love that name. It’s basically 122 degrees Celcius. It does help to have a sugar thermometer (I used a meat thermometer – same difference, I think!) because I think it would be pretty hard to guesstimate. Whilst you’re waiting for it to boil, soak your gelatine leaves in water for 10 mins.

4. Start whisking the egg whites again, then as you’re whisking, gradually pour in the hot sugar syrup. Whisk it in really well. As soon as that’s all in, grab the gelatine, squeeze the water out of it and put it in the egg white mix. Keep whisking and whisking, until the mixture is firm but still pourable. It will also be incredibly sticky. Messy, but fun! At this point, pour it into the cake tin and leave it to set for two hours. Roughly the amount of time it will take you to wash the marshmallow goo out of the mixing bowl, and the sugar syrup out of the saucepan.

5. Now the fun bit. Sprinkle the rest of your icing sugar and cornflour mixture over a worktop or chopping board. Using a knife, separate the marshmallow from the edge of the tin, then tip it out onto the chopping board and cut it into cubes of a size you deem acceptable. 

6. Boil some water in a saucepan, take it off the heat, and place a bowl over the top of the pan. Put the chocolate in the bowl and melt it down. In the meantime, de-shell and chop the pistachios finely.

7. Now, this bit is fun. Smear half of the marshmallow with chocolate and sprinkle with chopped pistachios. 2 tips. 1 – use a butter knife to spread the chocolate on the marshmallow or it. gets. messy. 2 – Make sure that either your marshmallow slices can stand up on end, or you have some way of propping them up that doesn’t involve them lying on their chocolate-covered side.

8. Leave them to cool for half an hour and you’re done!

These guys make a great Christmas present, or just a great way to feel smug about not paying a bazillion pounds for premium marshmallows in Selfridges.