M'mores warm melty marshmallow macarons

Y'all know I live in Australia, which is pretty great generally, but one thing we don't have is graham crackers.

I know what is with that! Of course we have other crackers (or biscuits as we call them) but nothing quite like graham crackers so sadly no s'mores for us.

But I'm not one to mope about and I decided to turn a batch of macaron shells I had sitting about into m'mores.

Oh boy, they were good, but I don't have to tell you that. In my book pretty much anything with flowing warm chocolate and melty marshmallows is a win in baking terms. Messy but oh so good.

And then in my warm gooey sugar haze I thought, what if I put an Oreo cookie in as well.

I think the picture above speaks for itself.

I've topped my M'mores with edible gold leaf , but it's a completely visual thing so you can leave it off if you like. If you do decide to use it make sure it's the edible version from a reliable source (In Australia try Cakes Around Town, in the US try Amazon Edible Gold Leaf Sheets CLICK HERE )

Happy Baking

M'mores Recipe (macarons with melted marshmallow and chocolate)
M'mores are of course best eaten immediately to experience the warm ganache and melted marshmallow. However filled macarons can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Ingredients
40 Macaron Shells colored brown or caramel (Click here for my recipe)
10 Large marshmallows (or 20 regular marshmallows)
100 g dark chocolate
50 g cream
Optional - Edible Gold Leaf

Make chocolate ganache by placing the cream and chocolate into a microwave safe dish and heating at medium for 2 minutes, let stand for a minute and use a hand whisk until all chocolate is melted. If lumps still remain heat at 30 second intervals until all the chocolate is melted.

Place ganache into a ziplock bag or disposable piping bag and set aside until required.

Place half the macarons on a baking tray with the hard shell facing down.

Cut marshmallows in half and place on top of the macarons on the baking tray. Push the sticky cut side of the marshmallow gently onto the macaron shell.

Optional - brush a very small amount of water onto the top of the remaining macarons and adhere a small amount of edible gold to the top of each macaron shell.

Set a rack in the oven near the top and turn the grill (broiler) on high. Place the marshmallow topped macarons under the grill (broiler) and cook until the marshmallows turn golden. Alternatively you can use a handheld kitchen blowtorch to toast the marshmallows.

Cut a small hole in the corner of the ziplock bag holding the ganach and pipe dollops of ganache onto the top of each macaron. Press a macaron half onto the top of the warm ganache.

Serve immediately.

Oreo Macaron Variation You will require 20 Oreo Cookies.

Follow instructions as above, after you have piped ganach onto the top of the marshmallow, press an oreo on top and then pipe a small amount of ganache onto the top of the Oreo. Finally press the other macaron shell on top.

Linda Vandermeer is a blogger, baker, maker and author of the cookbook ' Sweets on a Stick': More than 150 kid friendly recipes for cakes, candies, cookies and pies on the go!. Published in the US the book is available at most online book stores.

Affiliate links may earn me money and contribute to supporting this blog.

Original Ideas, photography and recipes by Linda Vandermeer please do not reuse without permission. 

Rocky Road cookie candy fudge

I had a plan.

It was a good plan and it involved me being totally organised with teacher gifts this Christmas.

Now I'm not going to bore you with the details of this super amazing plan, but lets just say everything did not go according to plan which makes this year pretty much like the last few years.

Paper napkin Coco White Greengate from Simply Sweet Home

But I did manage to come up with this nut free Rocky Road which was in the plan so I'm calling this year a success.

Because I made this nut free I added some Oreo Cookies for a bit of crunch. I also used Turkish Delight, which I know not everyone likes or can easily find so in the recipe I just say to cut up your favorite candy bar or lollies instead and it will work out amazing.

Lidded bowl - Sophie Vintage bowl and lid available from Simply Sweet Home

Rocky Road Candy Fudge makes around 60 pieces, you can halve the recipe if you like. I used Lindt Milk Chocolate. Conversions are approximate in this recipe.


200g (7oz) white marshmallows 
1 1/2 cup white sugar
2/3 cup evaporated milk (not low fat)
1/4 tsp salt
500 g (18 oz ) milk chocolate chopped into small pieces
1 tsp vanilla extract
150 g (5 1/4 oz)Oreo Cookies
150 g (5 1/4 oz) marshmallows
165 g (5 3/4 oz) candy bars or lollies (I used Fry's Turkish Delight bars)
400g (14oz) milk chocolate extra

Line 2 trays 15cm X 20cm (6" X 8") with foil.

Chop up the cookies, marshmallow and candy in a large bowl (use a bigger bowl than shown in picture as you will need to mix in chocolate later.) I like to use scissors to cut marshmallows and candy.

Chop the 500g (18oz) chocolate into small pieces and place in a large bowl with the vanilla extract.

Pop marshmallows, sugar, evaporated milk and salt into a saucepan on medium low heat, stir until the marshmallows melt. Stir the mixture over the heat for another 5 to 7 minutes, do not allow it to boil.

Pour the marshmallow mixture into the bowl with the chocolate and allow to sit for a minute or 2.

Using electric mixer beat the chocolate fudge mixture for a couple of minutes at low speed. All the chocolate should be melted.

(note this is a picture from a previous fudge the milk chocolate fudge will appear lighter in colour)  

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, use the back of the spoon to level the mixture until it looks pretty smooth

Chop the remaining 400g milk chocolate in small pieces and melt in the microwave at medium heat for 2 minutes, allow to sit stir and then heat for a further 1 or 2 minutes, mix until smooth.

Pour just over half the mixture into the prepared marshmallow/cookies mixture and gently use spoon to try and coat as evenly as possible. Spoon the mixture onto the top of the fudge and press in as evenly as possible. Pour or spoon the remaining melted milk chocolate over the top of the rocky road fudge making sure that there are no bare candy bits showing.

Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight.

When the mixture is set, turn upside down on a cutting board and peel off the foil. Using a sharp knife cut fudge into desired number of pieces.

Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Linda Vandermeer is a blogger, baker, maker and author of the cookbook ' Sweets on a Stick': More than 150 kid friendly recipes for cakes, candies, cookies and pies on the go!. Published in the US the book is available at most online book stores. 

Affiliate links may earn me money and contribute to supporting this blog. Links to Simply Sweet Home are not sponsored however I am related to the owner.

Original Ideas, photography and recipes by Linda Vandermeer do not reuse without permission.  

Baking pretty cupcakes -in greengate bowls

Mini Greengate bowls available Simply Sweet Home CLICK HERE

Ooops due to some technical difficulties (or maybe more accurately a spectacular baking fail) I do not have my planned recipe post this week.

Instead I'm going to share these pictures I took quite a while back using up leftover frosting, candy, sugar flowers and sprinkles to decorate some cupcakes I baked in mini bowls.

They turned out soooo pretty.

The kids had these for afternoon tea and it made the everyday into a bit of a fancy occasion.

Plus I love using those little mini bowls to bake stuff in, I use them when ever I can (um maybe to justify to Mr Sweet how many of them I have sitting around the house).

If you would like to decorate your cupcakes in a similar way, fill mini bowls (or teacups or cupcake cases) around 3/4 full then when baked and cooled top with frosting or icing (I used raspberry Italian Meringue Buttercream piped using a star tip to make lots of small stars).

Add a macaron (Click here for my macaron recipe) some sugar flowers (Click here for my tutorial on how to make your own sugar flowers) and then some sprinkles, sixlets, marshmallows and sprinkles.

Shopping notes
Greengate bowls available at Simply Sweet Home
My sixlets and marshmallows were from Big Lolly
Macaron recipe CLICK HERE
Sugar Flowers CLICK HERE
Soft sugar pearls from Queen Australia

Linda Vandermeer is a blogger, baker, maker and author of the cookbook ' Sweets on a Stick': More than 150 kid friendly recipes for cakes, candies, cookies and pies on the go!. Published in the US the book is available at most online book stores.

This is not a sponsored post however I am related to the owner of Simply Sweet Homes.

Original Ideas, photography and recipes by Linda Vandermeer do not reuse without permission. 

How to make a macaron, marshmallow and strawberry tower

It all started with the marshmallows I had left over from Sweets party but it didn't end there.......

Yup I had strawberries left over as well. Lots and lots of strawberries. Now I'm not going to dwell on the obvious issue which is why I didn't just put them out on the dessert table regardless of whether they colour matched the rest of the stuff.

I'm a glass half full type of girl so I decided to take those strawberries and the rest of the left overs and make them so fabulous that no one could resist them.

I had already made up my pretty macaron and marshmallow tower and then I thought, hmmm this looks good but what if I added strawberries.

CLICK HERE to see more pictures and details of the marshmallow macaron tower

So I did and it looked great. It transformed the tower from a dreamy pastel tower of sugary sweetness into a more complex textural and vibrantly coloured dessert offering with a choice for anyone who wanted to join in but still be healthy.

Or something like that. It looked good and it tasted great so I guess that is the main thing.

I did think about dipping the strawberries in white chocolate coloured pink and adding some more sugar flowers but that would take away some of the texture and colour, plus I mostly believe that the strawberries are best on their own. This way you can have the fresh fruit and then a macaron as well.

I was a little worried that the strawberries would weep and ruin the tower, but I left it out for a few hours as an experiment and it still looked great with just minimal juice running down the fondant (note the weather was mild when I tried this out).

How to make a macaron, marshmallow and strawberry tower
This is a modified version of my last post just replacing the mini macarons. Make sure everyone eating from the tower knows there are toothpicks being used and check kids marshmallows before they eat them to ensure sticks have been removed.

Styro foam cone 10cm (4") bottom by 25cm (10") high (available craft stores)
Ready Roll Fondant
Large Rolling pin
Toothpicks
8-10 medium strawberries washed, dried and with the leaves cut off
15-20 regular macarons (Click HERE for macaron recipe)
up to 40 marshmallows (mine from Big Lolly)
Sugar Flowers (CLICK HERE for instructions to make your own)



Knead fondant, dust workbench and roll out fondant until quite thing. Brush the cone with water and then wrap the fondant around cutting off any excess at the back where it joins and pressing the fondant down it into place on the cone. Use fondant smoothers if you have them otherwise you can use your hands,

Cut toothpicks in half and starting at the top push a toothpick into the cone through the fondant. Stick a strawberry onto the toothpick and then repeat the process working your way down in a softly spiraling line as shown in the picture (the picture shows mini macarons instead of strawberries). This will be the front center of your tower so make sure it is adhered in a pretty even line. Push a whole toothpick into the top point of the fondant covered cone.

Starting at the top again attach a layer of marshmallows on either side of the strawberries. I used toothpicks in the picture, but you can use royal icing# to adhere the marshmallows as the toothpicks can lodge in the marshmallows when being removed.

#do not adhere macarons with royal icing as the delicate shells will not easily lift off, toothpicks do not stick to the macarons the same as they do marshmallows.

Work a layer of macarons on each side of the marshmallows. Continue to adhere marshmallows and macarons to the back of the tower. The back of the macaron tower will not be as pretty as the front, but try to work the macarons and marshmallows in a design that looks even.

Finish the tower off with a regular sized macaron at the top of the cone (in the whole toothpick you popped in the top at the start).

Using royal icing adhere a few sugar flowers to the macarons as decoration.

Linda Vandermeer is a blogger, baker, maker and author of the cookbook ' Sweets on a Stick': More than 150 kid friendly recipes for cakes, candies, cookies and pies on the go!. Published in the US the book is available at most online book stores.

Original Ideas, photography and recipes by Linda Vandermeer do not reuse without permission.  

Sweet Dreams are made of Pink - Macaron and Marshmallow Tower

It was the marshmallows. That big huge bag of pretty soft purple marshmallows. They were not the right colour for my party table and I didn't end up using them, but they were oh so dreamy and pretty.

I had to use them and although they did not match Sweet's party table they did perfectly match all the left over treats.

I was in a living dream of swirly pink sweets and each afternoon the kids would come home to another version of leftovers.

This macaron and marshmallow tower was just so pretty. I think it was even prettier in real life and it would make the sweetest addition to a dessert table.

The best part about the marshmallows in the tower, apart from the fact they look pretty and are a lovely colour and texture contrast is that they are very cost effective compared to macarons. It actually uses quite a lot of macarons to make a tower, way more than you might suspect so the marshmallows are a great filler.

EDIT UPDATE 8/9/2014 - I have a free video tutorial up on my youtube channel click on the picture below to see it:


Shop the shoot note:  

Floral pink and grey bowls and jug in picture Greengate.


The purple puff marshmallows I used are by Fini.

How to make a macaron and marshmallow tower
Make sure everyone eating from the tower knows there are toothpicks being used and check kids marshmallows before they eat them to ensure sticks have been removed.


Styro foam cone 10cm (4") bottom by 25cm (10") high
Ready Roll Fondant
Large Rolling pin
Toothpicks
9-10 small macarons (Click HERE for macaron recipe)
up to15-20 regular macarons
up to 40 marshmallows 
Sugar Flowers (CLICK HERE for instructions to make your own)




Knead fondant, dust workbench and roll out fondant until quite thing. Brush the cone with water and then wrap the fondant around cutting off any excess at the back where it joins and pressing the fondant down it into place on the cone. Use fondant smoothers if you have them otherwise you can use your hands,

I decided to have a smaller macaron layer sideways and then regular sized macarons lying flat side out. Cut toothpicks in half and starting at the top push a toothpick into the cone through the fondant. Stick a macaron onto the toothpick and then repeat the process working your way down in a softly spiraling line as shown in the picture. This will be the front center of your tower so make sure it is adhered in a pretty even line. Push a whole toothpick into the top point of the fondant covered cone.

Starting at the top again attach a layer of marshmallows on either side of the macarons. I used toothpicks in the picture, but you can use royal icing# to adhere the marshmallows as the toothpicks can lodge in the marshmallows when being removed.

#do not adhere macarons with royal icing as the delicate shells will not easily lift off, toothpicks do not stick to the macarons the same as they do marshmallows.

Work a layer of Macarons on each side of the marshmallows. Continue to adhere marshmallows and macarons to the back of the tower. The back of the macaron tower will not be as pretty as the front, but try to work the macarons and marshmallows in a design that looks even.

Finish the tower off with a regular sized maracon at the top of the cone (in the toothpick you popped in the top at the start).

Using royal icing adhere a few sugar flowers to the macarons as decoration.

Linda Vandermeer is a blogger, baker, maker and author

Original Ideas, photography and recipes by Linda Vandermeer do not reuse without permission.  

Raspberry Marshmallow Fudge with sprinkles AKA I heart mum fudge

This fudge is made from the heart...... and made with heart (sprinkles).

Delicious marshmallowy chocolate based fudge flavored with raspberry, dotted with swirly marshmallows and sprinkled with cute sugar hearts, it's as pretty to look at it is yummy to eat.

I came up with this fudge recipe for The Destroyer's kindi groups mother's day gift stall.

Originally I was going to make macarons 'cause y'know everyone loves them, but then I realised 4 year olds would be carrying the gifts home in school bags. There was no way those delicate treats would make it.

Yup it just wasn't going to work out.

So I went with fudge. It's sturdy, it tastes great, it looks good, it lasts well, it packs up nice, most everyone loves it. It ticked all the boxes.

So fudge. It was decided.

But I wanted to make up a special recipe for mothers days because....well duh! Mums are special.

Plus it had to be pretty to entice all those kindi kids.

In fact I did my job a little too well. I sent The Destroyer off with his money and he came home with.......fudge that I made. The teachers had tried to reason with him but he could not be swayed. That pink fudge with heart sprinkles and a pink bow was irresistible :)

 
The raspberry flavour for this fudge comes from a bottle. I know, I know, oh my goodness your thinking 'does this woman ever use anything fresh'. Well in fact I do and most of the meals we eat in this household are based on fresh fruit, vegetables, lean meat and dairy. However by using the oil flavouring the fudge is less perishable and lasts longer, which means you can take your time eating it if you want.

 

Oh and if you like fudge you should also check out my Peppermint Cookie Fudge recipe (CLICK HERE).

Rapberry Marshmallow fudge
makes 20 large pieces or 60ish small pieces - the ones in the picture are large.

200g (7oz) white marshmallows
1 1/2 cup white sugar
2/3 cup evaporated milk (not low fat)
1/4 tsp salt
250 g (9 oz ) white chocolate chopped into very small pieces
170 g dark chocolate (6 oz semi sweet) chopped into very small pieces
85 g milk chocolate (3 oz) chopped into very small pieces
1/2 tsp raspberry essence*
 few drops pink food colour (I use gel food color)
1 cup marshmallows extra cut into quarters (or mini marshmallows) for top
couple tablespoons heart sprinkles (optional)

*do a taste test as there is a big variance between different brand and types of essences

Line a 20cm X 20cm (8" X 8") square tin with foil.

Place the white chocolate into a largish bowl with 1/4 tsp raspberry essence and pink food colour.

Combine the dark (semi sweet) and milk chocolates together in another bowl and add the remaining 1/4tsp raspberry essence.

Pop 200 grams (7oz) marshmallows, sugar, evaporated milk and salt into a saucepan on medium low heat, stir until the marshmallows melt. Stir the mixture over the heat for another 5 to 7 minutes, do not allow it to boil.

Pour half the marshmallow mixture into the bowl with white chocolate and the other half into the bowl with the combined dark (semi sweet) and milk chocolates. Allow to sit for a minute or 2.

Using electric mixer beat the chocolate fudge mixture for a couple of minutes at low speed. All the chocolate should be melted.

 
Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin using the back of the spoon to level the mixture until it looks pretty smooth

Using a spoon or whisk mix the white chocolate mixture until all the chocolate pieces have melted. Spoon carefully onto the darker chocolate mixture and using the back of a spoon level the mixture until smooth.

Press in the extra marshmallows, I sprinkled mine over and then pushed them in to cover with the fudge. Add as much or as little as you like.

Then shake the heart sprinkles over gently so you don't get too many clumping together. I lightly pressed them onto the fudge to ensure they would stick.

Cover with plastic wrap and leave overnight to set.

Cut into squares with a sharp knife to serve. I measure where I want to cut with a ruler first for kinda even pieces. To get a clean edge run the knife under hot water and wipe clean between each slice.

Linda Vandermeer is a blogger, baker, maker and author of the cookbook ' Sweets on a Stick': More than 150 kid friendly recipes for cakes, candies, cookies and pies on the go!. Published in the US the book is available at most online book stores:

Link to Amazon:

Sweets on a Stick: More Than 150 Kid-Friendly Recipes for Cakes, Candies, Cookies, and Pies on the Go! 

Or at Fishpond (free shipping Australia)

 

 Sweets on a Stick: More Than 150 Kid-Friendly Recipes for Cakes, Candies, Cookies, and Pies on the Go!