Episode 145: Candy

Hazelnut Caramels
Concorde Grape Jellies
Menage a Trois Chocolate Truffles
Marzipan Fruit

HAZELNUT CARAMELS

1 cup of unsalted butter - (250ml)
1 ¼ cups of packed golden brown sugar - (310ml)
1 cup of sugar - (250ml)
1 ¼ cups of dark corn syrup - (310ml)
1 ½ cups of sweetened condensed milk - (375ml or a 14 oz can)
1 vanilla been, split - lengthwise
1 cup of coarsely chopped husked toasted hazelnuts - (250ml)
Coloured cellophane for wrapping

Line a 9-inch square baking pan with a piece of foil, folding it over the sides. Using your hands or a pastry brush, liberally butter the foiled pan thoroughly and set it aside.

 

Over a medium-low heat, melt butter in a medium sized saucepan. . Add the white sugar and mix. Add the brown sugar, dark corn syrup and sweetened condensed milk. Continue to cook until all the sugars have dissolved. Stir continuously - being careful not to burn your sugar.

Split vanilla bean lengthwise. Extract the seeds and add them to the pot. Add the pod to the mix as well.

Cook for 8-10 minutes then remove your vanilla bean pod and discard. Attach a candy thermometer to your pot, to ensure careful monitoring of the temperature of the candy. Bring the mix to a light boil and stir frequently. Continue to cook your candy mixture until thermometer reads 242°F - (120°C).

Start to move quickly here so that the candy does not cool too much before you have finished with it. Remove the candy from heat and stir in crushed hazelnuts. Pour candy slowly into your buttered foiled pan. Do not scrape the sides of the saucepan. Give the baking pan a quick tap to ensure there are no air bubbles and leave the candy to cool at room temperature for 1 hour. Place the sauce pan into warm water to ensure easy clean up.

Once cool, using the foil, remove the caramel from the pan. The candy should still be quite soft. Carefully pull the foil away from the caramel and discard. Butter a heavy knife cut through the caramel - 8 lines across and 8 down.

Wrap caramels into the colored cellophane.

Yields: 16 pieces
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CONCORDE GRAPE JELLIES

2 cups of pure unsweetened Grape Juice - (500ml)
2 ¼ cups of White Sugar + 3 tablespoons - (560 ml + 45ml)
½ Cup of light Corn Syrup - (125ml)
2 tablespoons of Apple Pectin - (30ml)

Line a square pan in plastic

Over medium low heat, combine 2 ¼ cups of sugar and corn syrup with the grape juice in a sauce pan. Bring mixture to a simmer and stir while sugar dissolves. Let the mixture come to a light boil. It will start to thicken slightly.

In a bowl, whisk together the remaining sugar with the apple pectin. Add ½ cup of the warm liquid and whisk continuously until the mixture is lump free. Pour this mixture into the original saucepan with the remainder of the juice liquid.

Place a candy thermometer on the sauce pan and bring the mixture to 219 F - (118 C)

Pour the mixture slowly into the plastic lined pan immediately. Tap the pan on the counter to remove any air bubbles that may have developed during the pouring. Leave the jellies to set at room temperature.

Once they have set the jellies , flip them out onto a board coated in sugar. Carefully cut them into squares and toss them in sugar.

Yields: 1 ¼ pounds
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MÉNAGE A TRIOS CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

2/3 cup of whipping cream - (150ml)
2 cups (12 oz package) of semisweet chocolate chips - (500ml)
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract - (10ml)

Toppings
¼ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder - (60ml)
¾ cup of sweetened shredded coconut, toasted - (175ml)
¾ cup of banana liquor - (175ml)
½ cup of finely chopped unsalted pistachios - (125ml)
½ cup of finely diced candied ginger - (125ml)
Sprinkles

Using a medium sized saucepan add whipping cream and bring to a boil, make sure not to burn. Add the vanilla extract. Remove from the heat and add chocolate.

Whisk until the chocolate is fully incorporated and separate chocolate mixture into three separate bowls.

In one add grated orange peel, in the second espresso powder and in the third add banana liquor. Cover each with plastic wrap and place them to the fridge to cool until they are firm - at least 3 hours.

Using two spoons or a melon baller, form rounded balls of each mixture and place them on a baking sheet lined in wax paper. Place then in the freezer to set for approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Once firm, remove the truffles from the fridge and roll them between your hands just to get the surface slightly warm again. Roll truffles into the different coatings to your taste - nuts, coconut, cocoa, sprinkles, candied ginger, confectioners sugar, etc….Place te finished truffles on a tray.

Serve and enjoy!

Yields: 30 truffles
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MARZIPAN FRUIT

Candy
1 cup of almond paste - (250ml)
2 tablespoons light corn syrup (30ml)
1 1/3 cup sifted confectioners sugar - (325ml)
Liquid food colourings

Glaze
2 T light corn syrup
¼ cup water - (60ml)

Add corn syrup to almond paste and knead it together. Gradually knead in sugar.

Separate your paste into three sections and while wearing gloves, knead in different food colouring red, green and yellow. Place them in three separate bowls.

Shapes:

Apple-
Use about 1 ½ teaspoon of dough from your red paste, roll into an apple shape. Indent stem ends slightly using a pointed wooden stick. Using a thin pencil or the side of a round toothpick create a bend in one side of the apple. Insert a clove as the centre stem.

Banana -
Using a tablespoon of the yellow dough make a banana using a clove for a stem. Dip a pastry brush into a bowl with 4 drops of yellow food colouring, 3 drops of red colouring, and 1 drop of green well combined. Brush your banana to create streaks.

Other shapes that can be made are strawberries, oranges, grapes, pears & leaves.

Using a saucepan dissolve corn syrup in water and use a pastry brush to glaze your fruit.

Serve and enjoy!

Yields: ¾ pound
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Recipe compliments of Chef Ned Bell