On British TV at the moment is one of the most addictive reality shows – ‘The Great British Bake Off’. Each week a bunch of amateur bakers create ever more complex cakes, breads, biscuits, pies and desserts. And each week one poor soul is discarded because of a soggy-bottomed sponge or an ‘uneven bake’.
This show is popular – TV analysts told us that more men watched it than the European football on the ‘other channel’ one week. It’s proper hardcore-no-holds-barred stuff. The judges include Mary Berry, a British Institution, and Paul Hollywood, the smiling assassin. They take no prisoners.
A couple of weeks ago the contestants were handed the task of producing Chocolate Marshmallow Teacakes. Now this looked like fun. In fact so much fun I decided I had to give it a shot. Specifically because it required the use of this unusual looking piece of equipment:
This weird looking thing, although an essential tool for this chocolate recipe, was not easy to find – it produces perfectly hemispherical chocolate shapes and not much else. So after waiting two days for it to turn up, via Amazon, we got busy, first gathering together the ingredients:
I hiked the recipe directly from the show. Could I create something that looked like the TV version?
Ingredients: Chocolate Marshmallow Teacakes
- 400g/14oz dark chocolate with around 40% cocoa solids
- 50g/1¾oz wholemeal flour
- 50g/1¾oz plain flour
- pinch salt
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 25g/1oz caster sugar
- 25g/1oz butter
- 1 tbsp milk
For the marshmallow
- 3 free-range egg whites
- 150g/5½oz caster sugar
- 6 tsp golden syrup
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ vanilla pod, seeds only (I used essence)
First off melt the chocolate in a bowl over water:
Once its melting start on the biscuits.
Put the flour, salt, baking powder and caster sugar into a bowl and rub in the butter:
Add the milk and stir everything together to form a smooth ball. You need a bit more butter and milk than the recipe says – I sometimes wonder whether these recipes are actually tested:
Roll out the dough and cut out rounds the same size as the moulds. Chill in the fridge for ten minutes (to stop them expanding in the oven) and then bake for about 12 minutes at 170 Centigrade. Once slightly golden remove from the oven to cool:
Now for the best bit. Line the moulds with the melted chocolate. The chocolate needs to have cooled slightly so that it isn’t too runny. If it’s too warm it won’t stay on the sides so they will be too thin and the tops of the domes will be too thick:
Once you’ve moulded the chocolate allow to cool completely. Try not to leave in the fridge too long or when you remove from the moulds the chocolate won’t have a lovely glossy shine to it! I kept smoothing the chocolate around the sides as it slowly set to get a good even coating:
Now back to the biscuits. Dip each one in chocolate to cover completely:
Put the chocolate covered biscuits on baking paper to cool and set:
Get the marshmallow ready. Put all the ingredients in a bowl:
Whisk for about 8 minutes over a pan of simmering water until you get a really thick glossy gooey mess!
The final, and quite messy, stage. Spoon the marshmallow mixture into a piping bag and fill each of the chocolate shells:
Now put the remaining chocolate into another bag and pipe round the edges of the biscuits and the rim of the shells (to form a chocolate glue). Place the biscuits on top of the shells and using a finger or knife smooth the joins to seal:
Now leave to set. I popped mine into the fridge for a bit and they came out okay, although you’re supposed to leave at room temperature – if I’d have done that they would never have set.
Now the moment of truth; gently peel back the mould to release the chocolate domes of delight within:
Let’s see what’s inside:
I took these to work. They were gone by lunch. Epic success!
Well the marshmallow was a bit on the runny side, but it tasted like marshmallow. However the shininess of the chocolate was spot on I think and the biscuits tasted just like the ones from the shop.
I reckon if I’d been on that TV show I wouldn’t have been kicked off for this effort. Now I need to think of something else to do with the mould. It cost £15!
Love it! But Vinny would have to somehow reduce the sugar…..
My youngest son has been begging and pleading for these teacakes since our last visit to England in the spring (my husband is a Brit and we started our family there). If I’m totally honest, I don’t think I could muster the energy to make these, but man would I ever be popular! The documentation you provide here tells me it’s certainly possible. They look great.
No these arent the kind of things I would ‘knock up’ – they were much too much hassle – will never make them again – although I am looking for things to do with the mold!
Very impressive, Could use the mould for indivudual ice cream portions or other frozen desserts?
Yes ice cream is a good idea i like that!
Good Lord, that looks delicious, but complicated for me. I think I’ll jump on a ship and come eat one of those, so I don’t have to make it myself. Oh, never mind, I hate deep water, and I don’t fly….
You could do that mega skydiving thing that chap did thats not really flying more controlled falling.
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Oh YUM!!! and I am not old, but I do remember RC cola–in a glass bottle. Though my family was a Pepsi family.
We never had RC cola we had R Whites lemonade with a very famous advert….
Thanks for reminding me why I stick to baking bread – and not pastry.
CHOCOLATE, I need to try to make these at weekend, or better still give the task to Mrs Sensible
Those look soooo good and almost identical to one of my all time favorite cookies, Pinwheels (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nabisco-Pinwheel-Chocolate-Marshmallow-Cookies/110526332316329). Do they sell Pinwheels or Mallomars, which are similar, in the UK?
Love this post! Your teacakes look great. You could probably use the molds to make individual chocolate ice cream bombs, get your moneys worth!
Awesome!!!!! I’ve been meaning to do moulded chocolates for a while now. You’ve got quite the impressive gloss (nice tempering!).
Wowwww!! These are amazing!! We have a cookie here that resembles this, but there would be a wee spread of jam between the marshmallow and the biscuit.. there you go.. for next time!! Outstanding accomplishment, you should be on that show!!
Well, I am impressed. You had me at chocolate and marshmallow, the rest was just gravy. Moon pies – or a version thereof. Got to love them. What a stellar effort – wouldn’t have known they were homemade.
They look epic! Need to get me one of those moulds!!
They were epic!
Now that was a marathon event but they look great & I think I can see your reflection in the shiny chocolate of the last photo. I don’t know if I’d have been able to not eat each piece as it was created though.
I did eat an awful lot of melted chocolate i admit
I have nominated you for the Liebster Blog Award! http://thegreedyfrog.wordpress.com/2012/10/13/liebster-blog-award/
Very kind thanks!
What a delicious Herculean dessert
Hmm, as for getting more use out of your molds, I nominate the chocolate dome cake (made with brandy-soaked sponge cake)! I selflessly volunteer myself to be a beta-tester
Mmmm will look into that one
Hummm!
J’en veux, j’en veux!!!
We’ll be trying Fraisier Cake next
Aixcentric is also hooked on this show – you did great marshmallows!
We reckon the chap with the crap jumpers is going to win. The old guy looks to desparate and the camp one is just one choux pastry from a mega balls up. Your daughter loves baking shows. Honest.
I can’t stand Sue Perkins
Either of them. Whenever they go near the poor contestants they put them off and screw up the cooking. Or they start eating whatever they are trying to make
They look fab! You can use the moud to make snowball cake by putting 2 together or make jelly eyeballs for Halloween. xx
Thats a good idea i could make chocolate balls
They look perfect! Used to love these as a kid, but yours look even better than the bought ones!
Well they’re certainly bigger!
Here Arnots makes them and call them Chocolate Royal.
Much better than Chocolate Marshmallow Teacakes – what a mouthful!
I nearly bought a packet on the weekend after reading your post
Congratulations! I nominated you for Inspiring Blogger Award; to accept and participate, go here: http://benleeirene.wordpress.com/2012/10/12/very-inspiring-blogger-award/
Thanks very much!
Well, those look like fun! And tasty too! Why aren’t you competing on the show? Next season, I hope 😀
God know It looks like a total nightmare
I want!
Its yours (for about £30 – thats how much this creation cost including the mould – ridiculous really!
They do look like one crust Moon Pies. I’m impressed you made marshmallow filling, not an easy task. You could try making round cupcakes, if the mold can take high heat. One question: why are the TV “chefs” so nasty?
now thats a good question – i think its silicon but i’m not sure i want to put it in an oven to find out. As for nast chefs – Gordon Ramsey is alot nastier on the American show he does than on UK TV – if he acted like that on UK TV he’d be out on his arse in no time
Moon pies are a classic Southern treat – along with an RC cola, if you are old enough, but these look sooo much better, and not a soggy crust in sight. Stiff price for the pan, but that’s Amazon for you.
Stiff price indeed and i cant think of anything else to do with it – except the jelly suggestion
Yummy !!!!
A Herculean effort! Very impressive. Btw, on this side of the pond, we call these moon pies. Prosaic, no?
Thanks !!!
I was trying to remember what they were called.
“Moon Pies”
Indeed.For some reason we call them teacakes but that reminds of of buns with raisins