Mrs O’s Marshmallow Balls

(from Sam Treister)

At the tender age of nine, my parents' marriage dissolved.  My father, as well as running a busy business, was also left to ‘carry the can’ and manage our hectic household.  I was the youngest of four children.  My siblings, being much older, came and went as they travelled & flatted.

My Dad wisely enlisted some home help.  This help came in the form of a wonderful Catholic woman who we fondly called Mrs O.  As far as I’m concerned, Mrs O was a marvel.  Not only did she raise her own six children, including a set of twins…… but she came three times a week to us, arriving at 8.30am, and leaving at 5pm. She ironed, cleaned, dusted….. and……… also, ( to our collective delight), BAKED. 

Every Wednesday I would arrive home from school, knowing the biscuit tins would be full. Somehow, on top of all she did, she managed to fill those tins with an array of goodies…… these included, Caramel Slice, Louise cake, Chocolate Crunch, Sydney Special, and best of all, Marshmallow Balls.

You need to make these balls when you have a bit of extra time….I usually double the recipe (as that way you can use up all of the condensed milk in one hit). I then leave the balls in a container in the freezer.  This is for two reasons; I think they taste better when eaten frozen, and secondly, my husband can’t find them!

These balls are perfect to serve when visitors pop in unannounced, or as an after dinner treat. As they tend to be a tad sweet, consume them with a strong cup of coffee .

‘Here’s to Mrs O’ (who sadly passed away last year.)

Mrs O’s Marshmallow Balls

100 grams butter
1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 tin condensed milk

1 dessertspoon cocoa

1 packet of  wine biscuits (or any other plain biscuit). You need to crush these until they resemble breadcrumbs.

Fine coconut, enough to roll the balls into.

1 packet of marshmallows (not the tiny baking variety, or the very large ones, the middle sized ones!)

Melt the butter in a medium sixed pot, but don’t let it boil.
Add the crushed wine biscuits and all the other ingredients except the coconut.
With wet hands get a marshmallow, and coat it on all sides with the biscuit mix. (This can get messy, but persevere!)
Roll the ball into the coconut to coat.
Freeze- with wax paper between each layer of balls.