Guess which teacake is home made?!
Before I get onto the subject of teacakes, have any of you come across Marshmallow Fluff? I'd heard of it but never eaten it - I think it's American (I could be wrong) and is often used as a cake filling or topping. I was very excited when I found a jar in TK Maxx for only £1.50 (though I have since been told you can get it from Asda, why did I not know that?!) and had to buy it.
It tastes like marshmallow but is very soft and creamy (yes, I had to test it... and ate it straight from the jar with a spoon!) and is absolutely delicious. I'm sure something that light and fluffy can't have any calories...my boyfriend loved it too, and we immediately realised it reminded us of one thing - the marshmallow filling in Tunnocks teacakes (which are far superior to any other kind of teacake!).
That got me thinking and I decided to have a go at making my very own Tunnocks teacakes!
I had a look online to find some inspiration for the base, which is a sort of cake-y biscuit texture. I ended up adapting a recipe that I found, and used:
30g butter
30g caster sugar
1 egg yolk
splash of vanilla flavouring
1/2 tbsp fat free plain yogurt
55g plain flour
pinch of baking powder
pinch of bicarb of soda
large pinch of salt
I mixed the wet ingredients first
Then added the dry ingredients
I dropped spoonfuls of the mixture onto a lined baking sheet - this quantity of ingredients makes six. Which is just enough for two people :-)
Here's the marshmallow fluff...
I dolloped a spoonful of the marshmallow fluff onto the teacake bases once they had cooled.
Then melted some chocolate in the microwave
Carefully turn the teacakes upside down and dip in the melted chocolate. Luckily the marshmallow fluff isn't runny
I still needed to use a spoon to make sure the teacakes were fully coated though
They do look a little messy! I left them to set on a piece of greaseproof paper
Ta da! My very own Tunnocks tea cake
It doesn't look quite so impressive when compared with the real one! But the true test is how do they taste....
Absolutely amazing! The outer coating of chocolate is a little too thick but I think it's impossible to make such a thin coating as the factory-made teacakes (unless I used a spray gun and sprayed the melted chocolate over - now there's an idea!). The base is also a bit deeper than the real thing, but they tasted absolutely wonderful. I'd happily make these again, and if I was feeling brave maybe even make my own marshmallow next time!
I'm entering my teacakes in the Best of British challenge, hosted by Janice from Farmersgirl Kitchen. The theme this month is Scottish, and Janice asks "When you think of Scottish cooking what comes to mind?" - well for me I have to say it's not shortbread or haggis but Tunnocks tea cakes! Tunnocks is a Scottish company even though their products are loved around the world... so I hope I'm allowed to enter this!
The challenge is sponsored by The Face of New World Appliances.
