Lazy
toffee
crunch
This
‘praline’
can
be
a
crapshoot.
Some
nuts
and
seeds
will
break
the
caramel
to
a
cloudy,
powdery,
crystallised
mix.
I’m
never
entirely
sure
what
I’m
going
to
get.
But
it
doesn’t
matter
at
all
because
I’m
not
after
a
clear
glassy
tofee
tile.
All
I
want
is
an
insouciant,
all-in-at-the-start
caramel
nut
crunch.
Set
a
small
heatproof
tin
lined
with
a
sheet
of
baking
paper
beside
the
stove
and
grab
a
large
metal
kitchen
spoon.
Place
all
the
ingredients
in
a
small
saucepan
and
bring
to
a
fast
boil
over
a
high
heat,
stirring
to
loosen
the
sugar
just
at
the
start.
The
syrup
will
turn
cloudy
then
start
to
brown
at
the
edges – this
is
your
cue
to
lower
the
heat
to
a
bare
flame
and
cook,
while
constantly
stirring,
until
the
caramel
crystallises*
to
powdery
dust
and
the
nuts
are
an
even
toasted
brown.
Scrape
out
onto
the
paper-lined
tin
and
set
aside
to
cool
to
room
temperature.
*
If
doesn’t
matter
if
the
mix
crystallises or not. We just want a sugary crunch.
Keeps
Up
to
3
months
in
the
freezer.
It
will
soften
at
ambient
temperature
or
chilled.
Makes
Around
120
g
(4½
oz).
Takes
Around
20
minutes.
80
g
(2¾
oz)
raw
walnuts
80
g
(2¾
oz)
caster
(superfine)
sugar
40
g/ml
(1½
oz)
water
tiny
pinch
of
sea
salt
Adaptrix
Other
nuts
Yes!
Any
nut,
but
if
the
nut is larger,
roughly
chop
before
adding,
as
large
pieces
won’t
brown
though
evenly
before
the
sugar
cooks,
leaving
a
raw
inside.
Sesame
Replace
the
walnut
with
80
g
(2¾
oz)
raw
sesame
seeds.
The
sesame
will
take
up
all
the
moisture
from
the
syrup
and
look
porridgey – that’s
okay.
Cook
until
it’s
an
even
caramel
brown,
as
above.