The best laid schemes o' mice an' men / Often go awry - Robert Burns, The Mouse
I had grand plans to wish you all a beautiful bank holiday along with this recipe. Sadly, this post comes a little later than intended, and also to the tune of a day-long downpour to sing us out of our last long weekend of the year. While I can't do much about the weather, it consoles me a little to share a recipe which is snappy, sweet and golden - everything this weekend should have been. It's also crazy simple, and the perfect treat to smash up and cover cakes, biscuits and puds with.
What with the wintery chills and back-to-school feeling I've had this week, the Burns reference proved too tempting to omit. Between unearthing coats and putting the heating back on its timer, I can't help but wonder where this year has disappeared to. Life in London seems to have swept me away a little, and it's crazy to think that i've been living in this city for nearly a year now. I escaped to the Isle of Wight this weekend, which was a beautiful break from the bustle of the 9-5.
Autumn is well and truly in her stride now, and I'm excited to experiment with beautiful new ingredients that are sneaking into season. If you have any suggestions for me, please do get in touch - I really love hearing from you all, and am around to chat over on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. I'm also pinning my ideas on Pinterest, along with a whole loada' inspiration from other foodies out there.
THE INGREDIENTS
100g salted peanuts, halved
150g caster sugar
1 tbsp water
THE RECIPE
Begin by lining a baking tray with parchment, and greasing this very lightly with oil. Weigh your peanuts then set aside, so that they're ready to go.
Next, weigh your sugar into a small saucepan, and place over a medium heat. Add the water, then shake intermittently, allowing the sugar to dissolve and darken into a caramel. Don't stir it. Once the caramel has reached a deep golden hue (around 5-10 minutes), remove from the heat and pour half of the mixture onto the prepared tray. Scatter with the peanuts, then top with the remaining caramel.
Allow the caramel to harden and cool completely, then break up with you hands or crush with a rolling pin. Store in an airtight container for the perfect cake decoration, or tasty morsel straight from the cupboard.
0 comments:
Post a Comment