Chocolate red wine toffee marshmallows

A girl only needs two things in life; chocolate and red wine. 

But a little toffee and marshmallow can't hurt either so I've thrown those in here for good measure. I've been wanting to create some 'gourmet' (I really despise that word but there really aren't enough food adjectives in the English language) marshmallows for a while now since they're so trendy and all but I didn't want to make just any marshmallows. These needed to be very special marshmallows. For grown-ups!

Then a box full of beautifully-wrapped red wine toffees from Sweet Temptations landed on my desk. It was a sign. 

Obviously this toffee HAD to go into my marshmallows. The recipe I've used is based on Eric Lanlard's cocoa marshmallows and it is so incredibly simple and easy you'll wonder why you've been eating those horridly squishy store-bought pink ones all along. How amazed would your guests be if you whipped these out for after-dinner sweets?!! I know, you're welcome.

Chocolate red wine toffee marshmallows
Recipe adapted from Eric Lanlard's 'Chocolat'
Makes 24 squares

2 Sweet Temptations red wine toffees, thinly sliced lengthwise*
150ml water
2 tsp sweet red wine
200g sugar
2 tbsp gelatine powder
1/4 cup glucose
1/4 cup honey
125g dark chocolate, chopped and melted
Cocoa powder, for dusting

Line a 20cm square cake tin with baking paper. 
Place the thinly sliced toffee pieces on a piece of baking paper and roll out using a rolling pin to the size of the cake tin. Cut to fit the base and place in the bottom. 
Place the water, red wine, sugar and gelatine in a saucepan over low heat and stir until the gelatine and sugar is dissolved. Do not let the mixture boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the glucose and honey. Place in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on high for 8-10 minutes or until the mixture is thick and holds it's shape. Fold in the cooled melted chocolate and pour into the lined baking tin. Smooth the surface using a hot knife, cover and allow to set in the refrigerator for an hour. Once set, unmould and using a hot or oiled knife to cut into squares. Dust with cocoa powder and store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. 

*You could use any very soft toffees here (make sure they're pliable) otherwise, leave out the toffee and sprinkle the base with a dusting of cocoa. 

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