Pomegranate and Rose Water Marshmallows

Pomegranate and rose is a winning combination, aromatic with a hint of tartness. These marshmallows are the palest pink and are, dare I say it, a 'sophisticated marshmallow' (is this an oxymoron?), not dissimilar to Lokum (Turkish delight) but much lighter and not actually as sweet. Pomegranates have been an important part of culture and cooking for centuries, and have captured endless imaginations resulting in Greek myths involving them, cities names after them, countless golden age still-lifes painted of them and their inclusion on heraldic badges. Would Persephone be tricked by Hades into eating these pomegranate marshmallows? Well, if the underworld has pomegranates and marshmallows I think most people would be tempted...

Brown Sugar Marshmallows

There is something hugely satisfying about turning out a big slab of soft, springy, fluffy marshmallow covered in a drift of icing sugar and thinking, ‘I made that!’ After eating 15 marshmallows you think, 'OOohhhhhhhhhhhhh why did I make a giant slab of marshmallow when I am home by myself and am severely lacking in willpower’. Sometime later when they are all gone and you’re licking icing sugar off your fingers and out of the corners of the Tupperware you start thinking, they were so light, like eating air, maybe I’ll make more, I could easily double a batch! Do it…

 

I should clarify, do make marshmallows, they are easier than you imagine to make, but don’t double the batch unless you are planning on seeing lots of people soon.  They are just too easy to eat, dissolving in your mouth with a puff of sweetness and then you think, ‘just one more...’ . Before you know it the marshmallow has re-formed in your stomach as one giant marshmallow man and you are wishing the Ghostbusters were real and that they would help you with digestion, or save you from yourself by eating the rest of the marshmallows. Then you’d all sit around toasting marshmallows while Bill Murray tells jokes and compliments you on your cooking.

Gift Toffee: Popcorn Balls

The decorations are out and hung on the tree,
There are people to visit, so many to see;
What gift to bring, just something small,
like toffee and popcorn made into a ball...

These toffee popcorn balls are easy to make and are very light and crisp, not densely packed, with the toffee threads merely holding the ball together. They always remind me of bringing them to the school fair, all tied up in crisp cellophane, when we were little and toffee was all we wanted. Kids would have their teeth glued together with the sticky toffee that come in colourful patty pans and we would crunch through the popcorn balls, jaw untethered!

Gift Toffee: Pistachio and Cranberry Brittle

The children are nestled all snug in their beds,

While the adults collapse, tired and stressed;
With still more to do, I need a big coffee,
And a piece of that remarkable toffee...

Butter Crunch Toffee is always a crowd pleaser, but sometimes I want something a little different, a more sophisticated toffee if you like, so I came up with this Pistachio and Cranberry Brittle. My original intention was to have a red toffee with flecks of green, but on making it turned such a luminous deep amber I am even happier with the result.

 

This is a toffee to savour, from the deep notes of the browned pistachios to the astringent tang of cranberry juice infused through the toffee - a little complex and not too sweet. Brittle can be clear or have a little bicarb soda added to form bubbles making it cloudy but easier to bite. Because of the wonderful colour of this brittle I have made it clear and by tipping the tray when the toffee was hot, stretched it as thin as possible so it's not too hard to bite through and has a wonderful stained glass effect.
 

Gift Toffee: Butter Crunch Toffee

'Twas two weeks before Christmas, and all around,
People were frantic with presents to be found,
For good friends and family and in-laws and more,
And a small Kris Kringle was also called for...

When people ask me what I want for Christmas I always say something edible or useful. The same goes for giving presents, you are either going to get the Bureau of Meteorology Calendar (I always get one for myself too), or you are going to get a homemade treat that you don't get all year round. It is a personal gift that tastes good, doesn't take up space after Christmas and most of all - it is made with thought and care. My mum taught me the joy of homemade candy making and even more, homemade candy eating, from a young age. Part of our Christmas tradition is to set aside a day to make candy - fudge, divinity, penuche, the occasional marzipan fruit and always a crunchy buttery toffee. Half of the candy would be piled onto gift plates nestled in cellophane and tied with ribbon to give to family and friends, the rest was for us.