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Turning sugar into gold
Indulge in a little kitchen alchemy and transform workaday sugar into something extraordinary – rich, sticky, meltingly wonderful caramel. The magical ingredient brings a luxurious touch to this beautiful collection of desserts
RECIPES: CHARLOTTE BINNS-MACDONALD. FOOD STYLING: KIRSTEN JENKINS STYLING: EMMALY STEWART
PHOTOGRAPHS: BEN DEARNLEY.
Caramel, white chocolate and sesame praline éclairs
Cider caramel dumplings
Pistachio and tahini caramels
Take care with caramel
Many people are scared of making caramel. True, it can crystallise while melting and it’s also easy to burn, but if you follow Jen’s Golden Rules on p109, you’re guaranteed success.
Do remember caramel can be extremely hot and will stick to your skin and burn, so always take care. When you add cream or liquid to hot caramel it can spit and bubble, so keep your face away from the pan.
Apple and salted caramel baklava
How the magic happens
Caramel is simply sugar cooked until it browns. Refined sugar has no real taste, just sweetness. But as it browns, through a complex chemical process, it develops myriad flavours from buttery and sweet to nutty, toasty, bitter and fruity. At different temperatures the sugar breaks down into hundreds of different compounds with complex flavours and aromas – and different textures: from sticky and runny to chewy and brittle.
Caramel and halva ice cream
Apple and salted caramel baklava
Makes 36 pieces
Hands-on
time 45 min, plus cooling
Oven
time 55 min
You’ll
also
need Food processor; 35cm x 22cm x 3cm deep oven dish, greased
MAKE AHEAD
You can prep the baklava up to 1 day ahead, then cover and keep chilled. Store the caramel in the fridge and gently heat to bring it back to a pouring consistency when ready to use.
DON’T WASTE IT
Any leftover caramel will keep, covered in the fridge, for up to a week. Drizzle it over ice cream, use to sandwich a layer cake or swirl it through brownie batter before baking.
• 520g peeled, cored, coarsely grated granny smith apples (about 8 apples)
• Juice 1 lemon
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon