SESAME, CASHEW & CHOC CHEWY BARKS – CHRISTMAS SPECIAL Recipe

FESTIVE CHEWY BARK Ingredients:

• 180g (3/4 Cup) Caster Sugar 120, 60 brown
• 85g (1/4 Cup) Honey
• 1 Tablespoon Water
• 80g ( Cup) Raw Sesame Seeds
• 10g Poppy seed
• 75g (1/2 Cup) Cashew Nuts
• 80g Bittersweet Dark Chocolate 70%, Coarsely Chopped
• 1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
• 2 Teaspoons Unsalted Butter
• 1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• Pink Rock Salt/Sea Salt

 

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 180C (350F).
2. Combine sugar, honey and water into a small pot.
3. Heat on medium heat, stirring until a smooth slurry mix is made.
4. Stir in the sesame seeds & cashews & cook whilst stirring until the sides bubble and turns golden amber.
5. Remove from heat & stir in the vanilla & butter till smooth.
6. Stir in the baking soda, be careful as it will begin to foam up and bubble a bit.
7. Immediately pour out onto 23cm (9″) silicone pan.
8. Bake & check every 15-20 minutes until the sides begin to bubble. At this point you will need to bake for another 30-40 minutes at least to get a deep, dark amber colour to get it really crunchy but still chewy. Cover top with tray if necessary. Mine took around 40-50 minutes giving it a nice crisp crunch but very soft chew in the centre. The longer you go after that the firmer the centre of the slab will get.
9. Remove the pan & crack or sprinkle some rock or sea salt lightly all over the brittle.
10. Scatter the chocolate pieces.
11. Allow to cool completely. It should feel firm and require a fair amount of pressure to make the slab give in when pressing with your finger.
12. Once it has hardened, use sharp knife to chop into irregular pieces.
13. Pack for gifts and keep airtight when not serving.
14. *You can easily replace any of the nuts, seeds for your preferred choices.