Caramel Marshmallow Shortcake

Caramel Marshmallow Shortcake

(A.K.A. Pinky Bar Slice)

125 grams butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 3/4 cup plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon custard powder

1 can caramel (optional, leave it out to make simple marshmallow shortcake)

3 teaspoons gelatine
3 tablespoons (50 mL) boiling water
1 1/2 cups (300 grams) sugar
2/3 cup (160 mL) water
1 teaspoon flavoured essence (eg vanilla, raspberry, strawberry)
Red food colouring
1 teaspoon cornflour

Chocolate

First make the shortcake. Preheat the oven on to 180 degrees celsius and grease a square or rectangle tin.

Soften the butter and then cream together with the sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla essence and beat well. Sift in the dry ingredients and mix well - you may have to use your hands to do this as it forms a rather stiff dough.

Press the dough into the prepared tin and bake for 10 minutes. Let it cool.

Next make the marshmallow

Take the first measure of water and place in a large bowl, then sprinkle the gelatine on top. Mix gently and let it sit.

While the gelatine soaks place the sugar and second measure of water in a pot and bring to the boil. Once it has boiled remove from the heat and pour it into the gelatine mixture. Add flavouring and colour and begin beating. Beat until it is thick and pale, and just barely warm, then sift the cornflour over the top. Keep beating it until it has cooled and is quite thick, like stiff egg whites.

Combine the layers of the slice.

Spread the caramel over the base.

Then gently pour or spoon the marshmallow over top. It should be thick and viscous and hold it's shape a little, so that if there is too much mixture it will not spill and drip but hold together on the top of the slice.

If you are making simple marshmallow slice, sprinkle coconut over top and chill. If you are covering with chocolate, chill until the marshmallow is set, then prepare the chocolate topping.

Melt enough chocolate to either drizzle over the slice, or to spread over the entire slice.


Now it is late and I must go to sleep. I have sampled far too much of the caramel, marshmallow and chocolate and am left with a tummy-ache. It is time for bed and hopefully in the morning I will actually get up when my alarm rings and go for a run. That way I will feel very hungry and up to eating such a ridiculously decadent treat as what I have baked this week!