Gin & Tonic Marshmallows

Lightly oil a square 20cm baking tin and line with parchment paper.

Soak the gelatine leaves in a bowl of water for 5 -7 minutes.

Whilst the gelatine is soaking, place the egg white in a separate mixing bowl in preparation to whisk. It is important that this bowl is clean and grease free.

In a saucepan heat the tonic water and caster sugar gently and stir continuously until the sugar fully dissolves. Once this has happened bring the syrup to boil. Do not stir the mixture until the temperature reaches 115°C/239°F.

As soon as the mixture reaches the correct temperature (you can use a sugar thermometer to measure this) remove the saucepan from the heat.

Remove the gelatine from the bowl of water and squeeze out any of the excess water. Gradually add each sheet to the hot syrup and stir to dissolve. Once all the sheets have dissolved stir in the gin.

Immediately, begin whisking the egg whites on a high speed until it reaches a stiff peak, then slow down the whisks to a low speed and gradually drizzle in the hot syrup avoiding hitting the beaters as they mix. It is important to do this very slowly.

Once all of the syrup has been poured in add a squeeze of lime juice and the zest. You can now increase the speed of the whisks and beat the mixture for another 10 minutes until it becomes thick and glossy.

Pour the marshmallow mixture into the prepared tin and leave to cool for 4-6 hours until it sets. Do not refrigerate.

Once the marshmallow is ready to be cut, blend together the icing sugar and cornflour and dust the top of the marshmallows. Remove from the tin and discard the parchment paper before slicing into squares and rolling again in the remaining icing sugar and cornflour.

These marshmallows can be stored in an air tight container for 2-3 days.

Once you have mastered this recipe why not try experimenting with different flavours.