Chocolate Marshmallow Teacakes

Hello my Little baker bees! I see you have clicked on an oldie but a goodie - my Nana's Chocolate Marshmallow  Teacakes - which i'll warn you now: you will have a very hard time only having one. Of course as we are now in December I've added some red and green food coloring to give them a touch of Christmas (and, of course, a dash or three of Sherry and Peppermint Liqueur, which hits you a few seconds after your first bite).

Christmas is one of my favorite time of the years, perhaps its when I take stock and look back on the year that's coming to an end. I think it's no secret that this year is a year we would all wish we could forget or never have had. Maybe!!

But for me, I've been a tad more home stick than I had been in years, Perhaps is due to having too spend more time at home than normally ( My poor Husband ) Not seeing my friends, and having to cancel some trips we had plained, which takes me back to this little treat, which to me looks like a little nipple, I recall when being a kid( wasn't that long ago, I'm an 80s child after all)  with my much older siblings we used to dash into nans dinning room, we had to run through the kitchen and the hint of chocolate used to hit you before you even reached the dinning room and you knew right away what was awaiting you, once you reached Nan's l'queur dinning table. Theses yummy marshmallow chocolate goodness. So heres my take on one of my dear departed Nans, hope I've done her justice I guess my mother would tell me, but she can't cook. So! you will have to take my word for it. Enjoy

What will I need? 

• ​325g Dark Chocolate - 40% Cocoa or higher (set aside 100g for later) 
• 200g All Purpose flour
• 1/4 Tsp salt 
• 1/2 Tsp Baking powder
• 25g (10z)  sugar 
• 50g Unsalted Butter 
• 3-4 Egg Yolks (save the whites for the filling)
• 1 Tsp milk or cream (one extra tsp if needed)

Marshmallow filling 

• 2/3 Egg whites
• 150g Caster sugar
• 6 Tsp syrup ( golden in the uk ) 
• 1/2 tsp Salt 
• 1/2 tsp Vanila extract 

Optional

• 1/2 Tsp red and green food colouring
• 1/2 Tbsp sherry ( 2/3 whisk after adding each one
• 1/2 Tbsp Creme De Menthe / Mint Liqueur
• Sprinkles ( link to what I used)

What do I need to do?

1	Pre-heat your oven to 325 F ( 170 C )
2	Mix your dry ingredients (flours, baking powder, sugar and salt), then rub in your butter.
3	Mix in your egg yolks and milk, and knead is to form a smooth ball. Then wrap in plastic-wrap and pop in the fridge for a few minutes. (This makes it easier to roll out).

4	Roll out your mixture to about 5mm thick on a flour surface, then cut out 12 rounds the same size as your chocolate moulds (the thinner the better). You will get a good amount out of this mixture.
5	Chill for 30 minutes (this will help prevent them from spreading or shrinking when baked). Sprinkle a dash of sugar (optional), then pop in the oven to bake at 325 F for 10 minutes.
6	Leave to one side on a rack to cool (these biscuits will form the base of your teacakes)
7	Melt your dark chocolate in a bowl set over a simmering pan of water (ensure the bottom of your bowl does not touch the water). Melting the chocolate over a medium-low heat prevents the chocolate from discoloring, and helps keeps the shine (I can almost hear Nana L'queur repeating this now).

8	Set aside to cool for a few moments (you can’t line the moulds if your chocolate is too runny). I use a back of a spoon to help spread it around (try not to make the shells so thick... I'm frequently guilty of this).
9	Leave to one side to set. Do not put them in the fridge, as the chocolate will lose its shine.
10	For your Marshmallow, place all of the ingredients in a large heat-proof bowl (sugar, eggs white, syrup and vanilla extract). Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water (make sure the bowl does not touch the water), and whisk with an electric hand whisk for 6-8 minutes, making sure it is smooth, silky and doubled in volume. Once very stiff - the consistency of whipped cream - remove from the heat.
11	Dived your marshmallow into two bowls, then add red and green food coloring into each one. Add Sherry in your red bowl, and Creme de Menthe into your green - a little at a time - whisking in-between.
12	Spoon the marshmallow mixture into two separate piping bags, and pipe the mixture into each chocolate-lined mould about half-way to the top (less than you think, trust me a little goes a long way).
13	Now take your biscuits off the parchment and place them onto clean parchment paper, flat side down. ​
14	Melt the remaining 100g of chocolate, and using either a piping bag or a spoon, coat one side of each biscuit, and place them chocolate side down into your molds, on top of your marshmallow filling.
15	Pipe or spread chocolate over each of the biscuits, up to the rim of the mold.
16	Smooth the top of the mold with a palette knife so the chocolate is flush, removing any excess.
17	Leave the teacakes to set until completely cool, and sealed.
18	Once the chocolate is firm, very carefully remove the completed teacakes from the mould – be careful of fingerprints on the glossy dome
19	Place on a plate and keep cool – but do not refrigerate, to make sure the chocolate keeps its glossy shin

You, should be proud about making these deadly delicious desserts. They are a tasty treat, and so beautifully with that shiny glossy dome. 

Optional: As you can see, I've touch them up with some edible sugar balls & holly leaves to give them that extra touch of Christmas, but it goes without saying these are perfect for any time of the year. 

Tips, Tricks and Tiaras

Once you roll your biscuit dough into a ball, covering it in wrapping and refrigerating it will stop it from spreading while baking.

Be sure to use high quality chocolate.

The chocolate dome shell should be tick enough to make them sturdy, but not too thick. This is best done with the back of a spoon. If the chocolate is too runny it will mean that the top of the dome is too thick and the sides too thin.

You wish to dip the cooled biscuits in the melted chocolate, covering them completely (you may require more chocolate). You can either dip the biscuits in the chocolate or spread the chocolate onto the biscuits with a palette knife.
 
Short on time? Skip tempering and simply pop them in the fridge to set (they  will lose a little of their shine, but will be ready to each much sooner).

​May be stored in the Fridge for up to 3-5 days in a sealed container.