Marshmallow Shortcake Slice

Submitted by Jen T

"This is a shortcake base with a fluffy marshmallow topping that when set you cut into either squares or bars. I used to make this once a week when my girls were young so this recipe has been around in my handwritten cookbook for many years. I originally got it from a friend who even today still does a lot of 'home baking' as she lives in the country on a farm. Her tins are always full! Note:- My slice tin is 30cm long x 20cm wide x 2.5cm high."

 

• Ready In: 35mins
• Ingredients: 11
• Yields: 24 bars

ingredients

• For the shortcake base

• 4 ounces butter
• 4 ounces sugar
• 8 ounces flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla

• For the marshmallow topping

• 1 tablespoon gelatin
• 1 cup water (boiling)
• 2 cups sugar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 drops food coloring (may need more or less to get the colour you like. I use either red to get a pale pink colour or gree)

directions

1. For Base:

2. Cream together the butter & sugar until light & fluffy.
3. Add essence, egg, and dry ingredients.
4. Mix well and then press into a 9" x 13" shallow baking pan. (known in NZ as a sponge roll tin).
5. Bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes or until light golden brown.
6. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Don't remove from pan.

7. Topping:

8. Dissolve the gelatine in the boiling water in a large bowl.
9. Add the essence and the sugar and beat on med-high speed with electric mixer until stiff and fluffy adding drops of colouring to get the colour you like. This can take a few minutes. (maybe even up to 10mins depending on the weather).
10. When thick and stiff (like stiffly beaten egg whites that hold their shape) spoon over cooled base and cut into bars/squares when set. I usually place mine in fridge to set but you don't have to.
11. Optional: sprinkle with dessicated coconut after pouring topping onto base.

Reviews

[christie]

My kids loved this! I put some raspberry essence in the marshmallow and covered with a thin layer of chocolate and hundreds and thousands to finish. I also put a very thin layer of raspberry jam on the base before i put on the marshmallow. It was lovely. I will definately make this again.

 

[marella]

loved this one! very very easy recipe

 

[kiwidutch]

Jen, today was one of those cold winter days when I was at home from work sick, feeling rotten and longing to eat something sweet and familiar and comforting from my childhood. This has done the trick :) I did encounter a few hiccups, first: I seem to have two sorts of sponge roll tins, one is about 1 inch smaller and deeper than the other, I used the smaller one and the marshmallow topping almost overflowed all of the sides so I will write this here to remind me to use the fractionally larger of the two next time. Beating the marshmallow took me at least 10-15 minutes with an electric beater, it didn't want to get peaky at all, but it did thicken up evenually ( as the hot water cooled and the gelatin kicked in I guess) so I poured it over the shortcake base and left it in the fridge to set better. I used 1/2 t red food colouring and got wonderful soft pink marshmallow and I also melted 100g dark chocolate and spread it as thinly as possible on the top and before the chocolate hardened added some "hundreds & thousands" becuase this is the way my Gran used to make this. I have no idea how she managed to cut hers into neat squares without zillions of pieces of chocolate fractured on the top everywhere... I will have to work better on the presentation! DH was also under the weather and when he came into the kitchen to order me back to bed his face brightened considerably as he saw this, he said it's JUST what we needed to beat the blues today! Thanks for a childhood favourite and a great pick-me-up on a dreary shivery day :)

 

[delnz99]

LOVED it! This recipe is perfect as is! I didn't have any food colouring though so the marshmallow was white but that didn't alter the taste at all. I have a similar recipe that uses weetbix in the base but that isn't as popular as this one! The kids loved this for an after school snack and I think it's perfect with a cuppa when I'm reading at night time. This will become a firm favourite in our house! Thanks for another great recipe Jen :)