On the face of it, Chocolate & Peanut Popcorn Marshmallow slice does not sound like a health food. OK, so it cannot in any way be construed as a health food but, as with all food, if it is made with good ingredients it is not all that bad for you either. I am very happy for The Princess to take a piece of this in her lunchbox or snack on after school. There are worse things she could be eating.
For a long time I was against popcorn. I lumped it in with other junk food, probably as I only saw popcorn for sale at the movies where it was coated in butter flavouring (as opposed to real butter) and so much salt that you were forced to purchase the supersize soft drink as well to quench your thirst. In reality, popcorn is actually quite a healthy snack. Popcorn is just the kernel of corn that has burst out of its tough exterior. You are eating the whole grain. It is what you put on that snack that has the potential to turn it from a wholefood into something unhealthy.
Once I made this connection, I was happy for The Princess to munch on a large bowl of popcorn after school. One year her grandparents gave her an air popper for her birthday, which I loved as it meant that she was entirely in charge of her own snack making. Gadgets with a dedicated purpose have to be extremely useful to stay in our house, and the air popper falls squarely under this banner. The Princess is quite capable of operating it herself, and I am very fond of finding errant pieces of popcorn behind kitchen appliances and in the corners of the kitchen floor. Not to mention the butter dripping off the roof of the microwave where she has melted it for just a little too long But I digress.
The glue that holds this slice together is the marshmallows. If you are not going to make your own, which you really should because they are so easy, then make sure you use a good quality marshmallow. This slice is not very sweet as my marshmallows contain less sugar than commercial varieties. Be prepared for a sweeter end product if you don’t make your own.
The slice comes together very quickly, so is great to knock up if you need something to put in the lunch boxes or pack for an easy snack. It would also be good on a party table. I have run it past a few child taste testers and it has been given a resounding thumbs up. And whilst it truly isn’t a health food, there are worse things you could be feeding your kids.
Use a large pot to melt the marshmallows. Much larger than you think you will need. It will seem an absurd size whilst melting the marshmallows, but will make life much easier when you are trying to incorporate the popcorn. Author: Tania @ The Cook's Pyjamas Serves: Makes 20 squares Ingredients
- 150g chocolate marshmallows
- 30g butter
- 70g plain popcorn
- 150g roasted peanuts
- pinch sea salt
- Grease and line a 21cm x 30cm baking tray
- Put the marshmallows and butter in a large pot over a low - moderate heat.
- Stir continuously until the marshmallows are melted, then remove from the heat.
- Add the popcorn, peanuts and salt to the marshmallow mixture.
- Stir well, until the popcorn is covered and there is no marshmallow mixture apparent on the bottom of the pot.
- Press the mixture well into the baking tray and refrigerate until set.
- Cut into squares to serve.
Soak the pot in cold water for about 30 minutes before washing. It will be much easier to clean. 3.2.2499
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