Boozy Marshmallows And Meringue Trees: How to Make The Christmas Recipes

Add the gelatine leaves to a shallow bowl of cold water and set aside.

Spray a 20cm square cake tin with sunflower oil. Sift together the icing sugar and cornflour. Then dust the tin with this mixture, tapping around the sides for an even coating.

Puree the raspberries. Strain through a fine sieve with a spatula to get rid of the seeds.

Whisk the egg whites with a food mixer until stiff.

In a medium, heavy-based saucepan, mix together over a low heat the sugar, glucose syrup and 180ml of water. Stop stirring when the sugar has dissolved, insert a sugar thermometer and turn the heat up.

Meanwhile, remove the leaves of gelatine from the water, squeeze the water out. Add to the raspberry puree and whisk to combine

When the sugar syrup has reached 128°C, remove from the heat. Add the raspberry mixture.

Start the mixer again on a low speed and pour the very hot syrup mixture down the inside of the bowl.

Gradually increase the speed to high and continue mixing until the mixture is thick and holds its shape for a moment on the whisk when you lift it out. It will have tripled in size and faded from a deep rich red to a pale powder pink.

Add the crème de cassis at this point and whisk again. Pour the mixture into the tin, smooth the surface and stand uncovered for four hours at least, or overnight, somewhere cool, but not in the fridge.

When the marshmallow is set, dust a chopping board with the icing sugar/cornflour mix, then pass a knife around the edge of the marshmallow to loosen it and turn out onto the board.

Cut with a wet pizza cutter, and then coat each cube in the freeze-dried powder, or alternatively in more of the icing sugar/cornflour mix. Now they're ready!