There’s a treasured Aussie biscuit called the Iced Vovo, but I’ll admit that it is the mysterious name, rather than its hard base and uniformly sweet fondant topping, that has always appealed to me. With apologies to traditionalists, I’ve reimagined it with a light and crisp biscuit base, flavoured the soft chewy marshmallow and showered it with snowy desiccated coconut, then finished it with a drop of tart, sweet ruby redcurrant jelly for a colourful Christmas treat.
Making a small batch of marshmallows can be tricky – because a small amount of syrup is difficult to cook and a small amount of egg whites is difficult to whip. For this reason, you will have more marshmallow mixture than is needed. Spread the leftover mix on to a baking tray lined with baking paper, cut into small squares when firm, then add to hot chocolate or toast over an open fire. You will also have more pastry than is needed for the biscuit bases, so freeze it for future use.
