Marsbar Crispies

The cafes at work make these lovely and slightly addictive sweet things, and I thought since it’s a long weekend I’d try to make a treat. They’re really really simple to make, the hardest part is being patient while the chocolates melt, so it doesn’t burn.

These things are ideal snacks for kids’ parties and at other times when non-sticky snacks are a good thing. They’re much more caramelly than the original chocolates, and yummily chewy.

Makes 9 squares

 

200g mars-bars

40g crisped rice

Scrunch up some grease-proof paper, and line a tin with it. Scrunching the paper makes it more cooperative and easier to use. It doesn't matter if your tin is a bit too big, as the mixture won’t run.

Slowly melt the mars-bars in a thick-bottomed saucepan, over low heat. Stir occasionally to make sure it isn’t sticking or getting burned. When the chocolates have transformed themselves into sticky glup, add the crisped rice and stir well with a metal spoon.

Pour the mixture onto the lined tin, and pat it flat with a spatula. Leave to cool for about 30 minutes. Cut into squares, and enjoy.

Can be stored for a few days in an airtight container. 

Marzipan

A friend from Norway came to visit a little while ago, and the way he talked about his yearly Christmas marzipan-making inspired me to try it as well. It is quite straight-forward, but there is a little bit of hard work at the end when combining the ingredients into a sticky marzipan. You can use it for all sorts of things, and you can adjust the level to which you grind the almonds according to your own taste. I’m planning to use some of mine to cover my Christmas cake, and I’ve also made some small figures dipped in chocolate. You could give it to a friend as a present, or you could enjoy it all by yourself. The possibilities are endless.

300g almonds

300g icing sugar

1 egg white

15ml brandy

Finely grind the almonds in a food processor or any other type of mincer/grinder.  Place the almonds in a large bowl, and sift the icing sugar into it. Stir well using a large spoon. Add the egg white and brandy, and use your hands to work the mix into a firm and sticky ball. At first it will seem quite dry, but as you work it the oils from the almonds will be released, and it soon resembles marzipan. This is a little bit of hard work, but it is well worth it, just stick with it until you are satisfied with the level of stickiness.

If you’re not using it straight away, wrap it well in clingfilm, as it does tend to dry out quicker than the shop bought stuff (because it doesn’t contain all the preserving chemicals they use). You can melt chocolate and dip small pieces of it in this, or you can roll it out and cover cakes with it. Or you can eat it in its unadulterated form. Enjoy.