The Red Folder

Red Folder Recipe – Teacakes

Move over Mallow Puffs, Tunnock’s Teacakes were here first!  A spectacular little cake for a special occasion.

MARSHMALLOW TEACAKES

Chocolate, soft marshmallow and vanilla biscuit, this teacake deserves a plate, small fork and fifteen minutes of your unadulterated time.  I will confess that it is messy and makes my arm burn with the 10-15 mins whisking by hand, but that is all forgotten and forgiven in the eating.

I have been making a version of this for years, a young Chef shared both a teacake and a jaffa cake recipe with me once.  I came upon the below recipe in Peyton and Byrne’s British Baking book.  I had borrowed it from the Library looking for a good fig roll recipe, so to find this was a gift.  I pass it on now.  This version is a wobbly replica of the silky smooth domes, wrapped in red foil I loved as a kid.  Enjoy.

Biscuit base

• 110g plain flour
• 1/8 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• Pinch of salt
• 60g unsalted butter, softened
• 60g caster sugar
• 2 egg yolks (keep the whites for the marshmallow)
• ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp double cream – I have used sour cream and creme fraiche

Marshmallow filling

• 2 reserved egg whites
• 100g caster sugar
• 1 tbsp golden syrup plus 1 tsp
• Pinch of salt
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate topping

250g good quality milk chocolate, chopped into small pieces

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºc/gas 4. Line 2 large baking trays with baking paper, set aside.
2. In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarb and salt and set aside
3. In a separate, large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.  This is such a small quantity do it by hand or hand-held electric whisk.  Add the egg yolks and the vanilla extract and mix together well.  Beat in the cream, then add the flour mixture and mix just to combine.  Do not over mix but make sure you scrape the sides of the bowl down to get it all.
4. This mixture makes 12, so drop equal spoonfuls 5cm apart onto the tray.  I flatten, then bake until just turning brown at the edges.  remove from the oven and let them cool completely
5. While your biscuits are cooling, make your marshmallow filling.  Put all the ingredients into a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water.  Whisk continuously by hand until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture become frothy and slightly opaque (about 10-15 mins).  Remove the bowl from the heat and ideally using an electric hand-held whisk, whisk the mixture into the consistency of meringue.
   

   No piping bag? Make your own by rolling a piece of baking paper into a cone shape and cutting a large hole at the tip end

   Once it is white  and thick and holds it’ shape, it is ready.  Scoop the filling into a piping bag fitted with a large plain round tip.

6. Pipe generous dollops of marshmallow on top of each biscuit, I like to use a damp finger to push the tips down, and set aside to set.
7. Now melt half the chocolate in a heatproof bowl, set over a pan of barely simmering water,  be careful not to let the chocolate get too hot. Stir once or twice only.  When the chocolate is melted, remove from the heat and sprinkle the remaining chopped chocolate over it.  Leave it to it without stirring for about 7 minutes, then stir the chocolate together it should be melted.
8. To finish, put the teacakes on a wire rack over a baking tray, or baking paper and spoon the milk chocolate over the top of each cake.  I usually do this once move the wire rack to another tray or paper and use the residue chocolate to fill any gaps.  Let the chocolate set before serving.

These are best eaten on the day, but will last up to two days in an airtight container.  Do not put into the fridge.

I was making these one day when my friend phoned and asked what I was doing, I told her and she asked if it was because I had just seen them being baked on the British Bake off show.  I told her it was a coincidence but that I had recorded it.  We later laughed at the shape of my cakes compared to the shiny perfect domes on displayed on my T.V, as we stuffed two down with a cup of tea.  Here is that recipe link.  It produces a crisper base and softer marshmallow.

PERFECT TEACAKES by Paul Hollywood

I was always taught that marshmallow must be whisked by hand for the first stage but have forgotten why, getting more air in I think. Paul uses a marshmallow recipe  more like the one I used to use, so I thought I would try it with my cakes. He states this is for six cakes, but it covered my twelve bases perfectly. It produces a softer, sweeter filling, and uses an electric hand mixer, so a massive plus for the cook.  Compare the picture at the top to the picture below.  A straw poll of friends and family put the by hand method as the best!!  They would, they do not have to mix it.  You decide.  Either way I still want to pick the chocolate off and scoop the center out with my finger as I did as a kid!