Here is my signature recipe for light and fluffy raspberry marshmallows. One of the great pleasures of making marshmallows is that their delicate texture allows you to play with flavour combinations in whatever way tickles your fancy. Playing with new tastes and pairing fruits with herbs, spices and even vegetables is how to become a true Marshmallowist. Once you have mastered this basic recipe, you can go on to dream up your own flavours....

Equipment 

25cm square baking tin

heavy-based saucepan

sugar thermometer

stand mixer

palette knife or spatula

sieve

Ingredients

flavourless vegetable oil, for the tin
27g (13 leaves) gold leaf gelatine
300g granulated sugar
240ml glucose
190g Raspberry Fruit Purée 

250g icing sugar, mixed with 250g cornflour, for dusting

Fruit Purée Recipe (Makes 500ml)
500g soft fruit- raspberries are obvz ideal for this recipe

50g icing sugar

1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Method 

Fruit purée method

1. Put the fruit in a blender (or use a hand-held blender) and whizz until puréed. Add the sugar and lemon juice and blend to combine. Push through a sieve if you don’t want the seeds. Leave to cool.
(The purée can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for 1 week, or frozen for up to 3 months)

Marshmallow method 

1 Line a 25cm square baking tin with cling film and use the oil to coat the film. In a microwaveable bowl, soak the gelatine in 300ml of cold water for 5 minutes. Wring out the gelatine gently to remove excess water (pour away any remaining water in the bowl). Return the gelatine to the bowl and heat in a microwave for about 1 minute, or until completely melted, but keep an eye on it and do not let it boil or it will lose its setting properties.

2 Put all the granulated sugar, 120ml of the glucose and 100g of
the fruit purée into a heavy-based saucepan and place over a medium heat. Using a sugar thermometer in the saucepan, bring the mixture up to 115°C, stirring occasionally so it does not catch on the pan. Meanwhile, pour the remaining 90g of Fruit Purée and 120ml of glucose into the bowl of a stand mixer and gently whisk together on a very low speed.

3 When the mixture in the saucepan has reached 115°C, slowly pour the hot liquid in a slow, steady stream into the mixer, still running at a very low speed. Add the melted gelatine, then increase the speed to medium and whisk for 7 minutes. The marshmallow mixture will begin to firm up. Whip on high speed for the remaining 5 minutes. 

4. Once the marshmallow mix has tripled in volume and drops slowly off the whisk in thick ribbons, pour it into the prepared tin and smooth the top with a dampened palette knife. Dust the top of the mallows with some of the prepared sugar / cornflour mix, and leave to set at room temperature for 6 hours (or, even better, overnight) before cutting.

5 Dust a work surface with a nice thick layer of the icing sugar and cornflour dusting mix. Carefully tip the set marshmallow slab out of the tin, using the corners of the cling film to give you some lift. Dip a sharp knife in hot water to heat it, trim the edges of the marshmallow slab neatly, then cut into small cubes. 

6 Toss the cut mallows into the bowl of dusting mix and fully coat. Put them in a sieve and gently shake off any excess dusting. They are now ready to be eaten, or will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks.