Luca has asked to go camping. He wants to make a fire and he wants to sleep in a tent. We've said summer's not far off. A few times now.
In the meantime, he's seen Jay Laga'aia and children on TV with marshmallows on sticks. 'What are those white things called?', he asked.
Marshmallows are not high on my list of things to make. But I'm not about to buy any.
Junk food doesn't have to be junk. Made with unrefined sugar and gorgeous eggs from FIG, it's not junk out of a packet. It's a treat. Even better, he's learning about sugar dissolving in water, what a sugar thermometer does and what happens when you beat egg whites.
Pillowy soft squares of homemade marshmallow. Straight on the barbecue.
We stood on the decking under a cold dark sky and toasted our squares. Burnt bits of sugar and melting goo underneath.
I didn't think I would, but I went back for more.
Guess who stopped at one and turned his nose up? 'Daddy, can you make them nicer next time?'.
I can't wait to go camping now and take a tin of these with us.
From the River Cottage Family Cookbook. I love Hugh. Don't you?
Psst, have you thrown your name in the hat for some organic cacao and coconut goodies?
Oooh Yes we LOVE Hugh!! My girls would prefer to watch River Cottage than cartoons any day! Love the look of those marshmallows, I've always been a bit scared to try them, I think the sugar thermometer puts me off.
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome! I only knew about two kinds of marshmallows - the junky store-bought kind that I'm told have some animal product in them (gelatin?), or the fancy "homemade" kind you buy at expensive, trendy gift shops. So awesome that there is a third, far superior, version. Thanks for sharing this!! Love it. Now gotta check out River Cottage - never heard of it but love the sound already.
ReplyDeleteHi Rachel, well the homemade kind still has gelatine in it (at least ours does), but it's still far superior to the junk in the shops. If nothing else, the eggs are free range/organic - something I've never come across in the shops!
DeleteMarshmallows and Merangues are two of Little Eco's fav foods to make. I think its the texture. She's good and doesn't eat too many - me on the other hand - I have to get Daddy Eco to take the left-overs to work so that I don't eat them all :-)
ReplyDeleteSend some of that my way! Kid has been requesting rocky road, as one does x
ReplyDeleteAll gone! Graeme took them all to work and everyone demolished them. Then that evening I regretted giving him so much to take in, because I got a craving for that gooey char all over again!
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