Hot Chocolate and Marshmallows on a Rainy Afternoon

After the hell-on-earth heatwave we've had for most of the last month, you can well imagine our jubilation at waking up to the sound of delightful rain! And rain it has, all day long.

The air is thick with the smell of it, and the sky is woolly and grey. A cool breeze is finally running through the house, trying to whisper relief into the heat fatigued timber and bricks. And my little people have finally been able to get back into the garden without sunscreen, hats and long sleeves. They've had a lovely morning playing in puddles and getting muddy, and now, as the day draws to a close, I'm giving them the perfect afternoon (in my opinion, anyway). Snow White, and hot chocolates with marshmallows. 

These are heavenly 'made from scratch', but if I'm completely honest, that had more to do with the ingredients I had to hand than any virtuousness on my behalf.

Homemade marshmallow is both easy and incomparably delicious - a wholly different creature to the powdery puffs you buy at the supermarket. Using organic raw caster sugar, gelatine and water (with two drops of naturally derived pink colouring) I made this marbled bloc of mallow. 

For the hot chocolate, I melted dark chocolate over low temperature, slowly whisking a full fat milk from a good quality and local dairy. 

As this was for small people, I then let the hot chocolate cool down a bit before serving with a scoop of the chilled marshmallow on top. 

I'll confess, I have puritan tastebuds when it comes to drink - I'll take my water in abundance with my poisons on the side (coffee, black, and wine, red). But one sip of this tempted me into the realm of impossible-to-resistness and I poured myself half a cup. 

Now, back to those sweet little dwarves of mine and the fabulous Snow White!