Marshmallow Bars

2 breakfast cups (or 2.5 cups) sugar
2 cups water
4 tablespoons powdered gelatine
1 teaspoon (or to taste) pure vanilla essence
A little red food colouring

Boil all except essence and colouring for ten minutes. Cool. Add essence and beat mixture until it becomes thick and white. Pour half into a tin measuring approx 180 x 260 mm (7.5" x 10") that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. If possible put this in the freezer for a few minutes to firm up. (Make sure to place it somewhere level or it could spill over your other food.) Meantime, add a few drops of red colouring to the rest of the mixture and beat it in. Pour over the top of the white mixture. When set, cut into 24 bars, roll in icing sugar and place on cake coolers to dry. Store in airtight containers. Do not refrigerate. This makes marshmallow rubbery. Marshmallow usually tastes best the next day.

The mixture can also be used to make marshmallows. Set the white and pink mixtures in tins about half the size and cut into squares when set, then roll in icing sugar and/or toasted coconut.

Tip: To dry the marshmallows quicker, if your oven has a fan and a suitable grill pan and grilling rack, you can place the marshmallows on the rack with the pan underneath and put in the oven with only the fan on. Leave from half-an-hour to an hour.

Variations

• Use lemon juice in place of all or some of the water. Add yellow food colouring instead of red and leave out the vanilla
• Add citric acid and raspberry essence to taste, instead of the vanilla
• Add peppermint essence to taste instead of vanilla. Colour with green or pink as wished.

See also Chocolate Marshmallow Puffs.