Fat Friday #21 Salted Buttered Toffees

Christmas is fast approaching. Have you finished that shopping yet? Better get a move on. If you planning to make some small gifts to give out to friends and work colleagues may I suggest these buttery soft toffees? They want to be caramels but are more toffee like. Or are they more caramels who wants to be more like a toffee? Either way, they make great gifts once you've wrapped them up in cellophane bags with a cute little ribbon plus a cute little tag (thanks Chloe!) and they are extremely addictive. Be warned...addictive!!



 

Recipe: Makes 40 soft toffees (depending on how big you cut the pieces) (Recipe adapted from Sweet Things by Annie Rigg) 

Ingredients:

·       150g Demerara sugar

·       125g golden syrup

·       100g unsalted butter, diced

·       250ml double cream

·       150g caster sugar

·       ½ teaspoon of sea salt, plus a little extra for garnish

·       ½ vanilla pod seeds

Equipment:

·       Baking tray greased with sunflower oil and lined with silicone

·       Sugar thermometer

·       Small saucepan

·       Rubber spatula

·       2 litre saucepan

·       Knife

·       Extra baking paper

·       Airtight container

Method

1.    Grease the tin with sunflower oil and line the tin with silicone paper.
2.    Put the Demerara sugar, golden syrup, butter, double cream in a small pan and place over a low heat.
3.    Stir the mixture until smooth and once the mixture is hot, remove the pan from the heat.
4.    Place the caster sugar in a 2 litre pan with the 2 tablespoons of water and place over a low heat. Don’t stir the mixture but swirl the pan from time to time. Continue to cook until the mixture turns an amber colour.
5.    Slide the pan off the heat and really carefully pour the hot cream mixture into the caramel mixture. It will hiss and spit so do be careful. Return the pan to a medium heat and place a sugar thermometer into the mixture and cook in 121c/250f.
6.    As quick as you can add the vanilla seeds and sea salt and stir briefly to combine and pour into the prepared tin.
7.    Leave to cool completely for at least for 4 hours or overnight.
8.    Cut into little pieces with a hot knife, sprinkle with a little sea salt and wrap in silicone paper in cute twists and store in an airtight jar.

 

Fat Friday #16 White Treacle Tart

*In cockney accent* "Alright treacle? Its Fat Friday. Fancy a bit of treacle for my treacle?" ... Ok lets just get on with it. Happy Fat Friday and happy baking! (Again sorry about the lack of pictures, its pastry class moment again...)

 

Ingredients:

For the pate sucre

·260g plain flour, plus a little extra
·100g icing sugar, plus a little extra
·30g ground almonds
·125g unsalted butter
·3 eggs, 1 egg yolk to wash the bottom of the tart
·1 tsp milk

For the white treacle filling:

·60g unsalted butter
·1 egg
·1 egg yolk
·3 tbsp double cream
·6g salt
·450g golden syrup
·120g white bread crumbs

Equipment:
·Saucepan
·Whisk
·Mixing bowl
·Fork
·Wooden spoon
·Sieve
·Rolling pin
·Knife
·9 inch baking ring
·Baking sheet
·Baking beans
·Cling film

For the pate sucre:

1.Place the flour, icing sugar, almonds and butter in a mixing bowl, rub the mixture together.
2.Add the 2 eggs and mix well. Cover and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
3.Preheat oven to 180c/350f/ Gas Mark 4.
4.Dust the work surface with icing sugar. Roll out the pastry to about 2mm thick.
5.Line the tart ring with the pastry, letting it hand over the sides. Cover with cling film and fill the tart base with baking beans.
6.Bake blind for 20 minutes or until the case is cooked through and lightly golden. Remove the baking beans and cling film.
7.Brush the bottom of the tart with a little egg yolk to crisp up the bottom.
8.Place the tart back in the oven for 5 minutes to crispy up the base.

For the filling:

1.Melt the butter, cream and golden syrup in a saucepan until liquid.
2.Once melted put in a separate bowl to cool. Whisk in the eggs a little at a time.
3.Mix in the breadcrumbs into the liquid ingredients.

To Finish:

1.Pour the treacle mixture into the tart case and bake for 20 minutes on Gas Mark 4/180c/350f.