Honeycomb and Raspberry Marshmallows

Well, have you all been holding tight onto your hats?


I didn't know where to start with Barry's endeavours so I asked him if he would write it all down...he obliged and I have to say his words did bring tears to my eyes but oh so much joy to my heart....
Here's Barry's words wot he wrote.....

Phew! What a week! Poor Marianne. She's been suffering so much these last few days.... nothing seems to work out completely for her and on top of which she has this beastly illness to deal with (and that's without me)!
I'm afraid I'm a bit of "ants in me pants" type of guy.... Marianne reckons I'm a "hyperactive twerp!" Truthfully, I didn't know I was like this until we got together and it was pointed out to me. So much (in a previous life) was kept down or suppressed and, after 32 years of marriage, I didn't realise just how bad it had become. Anyhow, after our trip to Cambridge yesterday, I had so many things I wanted to do but I'd said to Marianne that, in view of how she had been of late, we'd take it step by step - only do what we felt was comfortable and not push ourselves. That was ok until we got home.... I was on a high. Actually, I should've realised (well you'd think so after experiencing my 53 years of life) something else was going down. Even I don't get this hyperactive do I, not without good cause that is!
I remembered that, after we'd looked through the "Sweet Baby James" dessert book, Marianne expressed a passion for the Raspberry Marshmallow. So, armed with all the enthusiasm a hyperactive twerp can muster I busied myself in the kitchen. I feigned a surprise assault on the ingredients by, firstly, making some more of that delicious honeycomb toffee that there wasn't enough of to go round at work. That should confuse her, I thought to myself. She won't know I'm going to make the Marshmallow as well..... The honeycomb was/is superb! Onto the Mallow.....
Preparing everything was a bit of a chore, so many things to happen at once - prepare the raspberries, dust them with icing sugar, boil the water, sugar and glucose ...and... whisk the separated eggs to a stiff, bemused frenzy! Soak the gelatine leaves. (I'm only a mono-tasking male after all!) Grease/oil a pan - constantly checking the honeycomb still tastes the same (it did/does), watch the thermometer. Slide in the gelatine leaves and their soaking water. Boy, that's a bit dangerous. No wonder there's not too many "Naked Chefs" around! Check Marianne's still asleep. (Note to self - we must get a quieter mixer). Now the tricky bit..... pour in slowly the gelatinised hot sugar into the beaten egg whites whilst still whisking.... I feel a KitchenMaid coming on.... too much and the eggs'll cook. This is hard work! My legs ache....? Why? Doing too much? No, I can go for ages.... what's happening?
Whisk and whisk and whisk...... there, that's it, shape firmly held on the beaters. Next? Half the mix into the the tray, smooth flat. Should it really be this sticky? Yeuk, it's everywhere! Get off my fingers and stay in that tray! Now, where's the raspberries? Into the tray with them.... now I've got pink stickiness! Smooth on the rest of the mixture. Hmmm, that looks pretty good. Not what I thought it should look like though :^/ (Later on I realised I'd got confused so that I thought I was -or wasn't - making Turkish Delight - another Marianne favourite).
Into the fridge now for an hour... good job, takes an hour to tidy away all trace of stickiness! Sit down and relax. Tick, tock - watch that clock..... boring...next!
An hour later an we have our treat, still doesn't look like Turkish Delight - it's all white. Icing sugar and cornflour dusting down the worktop ready for the knife. What a job! Every little boy should have a crack at this.... so much delightful mess! Don't cough or sneeze (infections and diseases aside), this stuff is an accident waiting to happen. Everywhere! Cutting into strips, more stickiness. The knife (knives, actually, I chose too small to start with). Woah, this looks good. Dusty whiteness marbled with red raspberries. Got to taste a bit. Boy, I'm impressed. How can we eat all this?
Marianne is now awake and is giggling like a teenager! Why? What have I done now? White dustiness had decided it was going to leap off of wherever it had previously laid and greet me with total affection. I was a little boy again! I was also in (minor) trouble for leaving the traces of "tastings" around my mouth and beard!
Our neighbours received the benefits of my enthusiasm when Marianne took some (as she says "Absolutely beautiful marshmallow") round to them. Rob, the neighbour said Lyndsey can't have any, she's just bitten the head off of a chocolate rabbit. (I think they must be madder than us)!
I feel shattered..... an hour later I'm smitten with a temperature, aches and pains I've seen in someone else for the last two weeks. Oh no... here we go! Sigh....bed for me :(
I thank this lady so much for liberating me and letting me loose in the kitchen unsupervised. I've learnt so much from this wonderful lady and I love her to bits.

and this is me again...

what can I say...nuffin'!!

Oh and if you want to see a funny little slide show of more images of Barry's work in the kitchen yesterday then go and click the image above, if you let it run you will come back here again. Only 5 photos this time so it won't take too long!

You've seen the photos now go and make the recipe!

My darling Mum has now found my blog too.....I wonder if she'll read this far xxxx