The huge success from the USA has arrived in Belgium and is a new favourite for snacking, baking and topping ice cream and desserts
Dip into a bowl of M&M's together, grab a handful, share the fun... The iconic brand has been a favourite across generations for 80 years. The colourful candy-coated chocolates are everywhere to be found and were even on board the first manned space shuttle mission in 1982. M&M's Milk Chocolate Minis got off to a fast start in America as a small snack, a top ingredient for biscuits and cakes, and a topping for ice cream and desserts. Now, these tiny candy-covered chocolates are enchanting fans of snacking and baking in Belgium. Influencer Ellen Van Gool ("kokerellen") also feels inspired: "M&M's Minis are great fun as a little snack between meals and are so versatile. They are great for baking as they don't melt so quickly thanks to their crunchy shell. I've used them for baking cookies and filling a cake. The effect when I cut the cake was fantastic as the colourful chocolate drops tumbled out. They also look great on ice cream. They add colour and have a special crunch."
Crunching the numbers: with a diameter of 9.9 instead of 13.5 millimetres, the Minis are significantly smaller, but their taste is by no means inferior to the original candy-covered chocolates. On the contrary, the colourful shell around the tender chocolate core makes up a larger proportion of the whole sweet, creating an entirely new crunch and taste experience. The recipe is unchanged, but the mini version tastes a little different.
Enjoyed on their own, M&M's Minis really come into their own when it's time to relax, for example at home with friends and family or in front of the television. No matter where or when, every moment becomes more colourful with M&M's Milk Chocolate Minis.
Ellen Van Gool's recipe for a surprise cake
Ingredients:
125 g dark chocolate (64% dark)
125 g butter
6 eggs
145 g sugar
1 pinch of salt
230 g ground almonds
50 g wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
100 g M&M's Minis
Chocolate coating:
100 ml cream
125 g chocolate (46% dark)
35 g soft butter
Topping:
50 g M&M's Minis
Preparation
Separate the eggs. Beat the egg yolks, butter, sugar and salt until frothy. Add the melted chocolate (64% dark), then mix in the almonds, flour and baking powder.
Beat the egg whites until stiff and carefully fold into the mixture.
Pour the batter into a springform tin (Ø 22cm) and bake for 45 minutes at 180 °C.
Once the cake has cooled, cut it half horizontally to make two layers. Then cut a hole in the centre of the bottom layer for the M&M's Minis, fill with the candy-covered chocolate and cover with the top layer.
For the chocolate coating: Break the chocolate (46% dark) into pieces and place in a bowl. Bring the cream to the boil and add to the chocolate. Stir well and leave to cool until the mixture is lukewarm. Stir in the soft butter. Cover the cake with the lukewarm chocolate coating – and decorate with M&M's Minis as desired.
We would be happy to answer any questions you may have:
eckstein Influence GmbH
Max Liebermann Allee 2
14109 Berlin
25 June 2024
