Chocolate Marshmallow Bears

Before starting this Marshmallow Bears recipe, make sure you have organised all the necessary ingredients.

Using an oil spray, grease a Flexipan mould with 16 bear cavities. This operation is essential for an easy release later on.

Spread the oil with your fingers...

... inside the cavities.

Hydrate the powder gelatin with 28 grams of water.

Stir with a spoon and set aside. After a few minutes, the water should be completely absorbed and the gelatin should be compact.

Add 80 grams of invert sugar (or trimoline) to the stand mixer recipient.

In a saucepan, pour 60 grams of sugar. Always pour the water prior to the sugar to avoid clusters of sugar at the bottom of the saucepan.

Add the castor sugar...

... and 56 grams of invert sugar Cook until the temperature reaches 110°C. I recommend using a digital thermometer with probe.

Add the rehydrated gelatin to the mixer bowl.

Pour the cooked sugar over the sugar and invert sugar...

.. and start beating at medium speed.

Watch the preparation closely at this stage: it will cool down very quickly and turn into an emulsion.

The preparation should become fluffy. For this recipe, you won't be able to replace gelatin with agar-agar since agar-agar is a gelling agent and not an emulsifier. Gelatin combines both properties.

When the preparation is fluffy and still fluid...

... add the chocolate, melted beforehand in the microwave.
Stir the chocolate every 20 or 30 seconds for the chocolate not to burn.
We used dark chocolate couverture for this recipe. If you would like marshmallow bears with reduced sweetness, replace the chocolate couverture with 100% cocoa paste.

Combine until homogeneous.

Pour the preparation into a piping bag (no nozzle required).

Cut the tip of the piping bag to obtain a diameter of about 0.5 or 1 cm.

Pipe the preparation into the mould...

... and fill all cavities.

Grab the tray with one hand and tap underneath with your other hand in order to get rid of air bubbles. This operation should be very quick as the preparation is cold and about to set.

Leave to set at room temperature between 24 and 48 hours. Do not refrigerate!
At this stage, the marshmallow bears can be stored at room temperature for 3 months without any microbiological alteration.
Release the bears from the mould and dip them in the Plein Arôme cocoa powder (make sure you don't use cocoa powder for drinking chocolate).

Coat the bears with cocoa powder...

... and place on the mesh of a sieve in order to remove the cocoa excess.

Shake the sieve over a sheet of greaseproof paper so you don't make a mess.

Repeat the operation for all the bears...

... and lift them very carefully with your fingers...

... to arrange them on a serving plate.
Alternatively, you can coat the marshmallow bears with melted chocolate combined with grapeseed oil (25 grams of grapeseed oil for 200 grams of dark chocolate couverture).

Don't forget to taste the preparation regularly during the recipe to make sure these treats taste delicious.
You will find further tips and techniques kindly shared by Thierry Bamas in the video recipe.