Toffee crisps, but better

If you have time on your hands this weekend, spend it in the kitchen making these clever homemade Toffee crisps, citrus curd and chutney, writes DOMINI KEMP

I DON’T OFTEN FEEL the urge to make jars or bars of anything, mainly because good delis and farmers’ markets are full of such fantastic products, but every now and then it’s nice to make a few bits and pieces when the weather is cold, you’re stuck indoors and you find yourself with plenty of time on your hands.

It’s time to look up all those old recipes you’ve never had time to make and have been eyeing up all year. For me the first contender was the Toffee crisps recipe from London restaurant chain Hawksmoor. I’ve always had a nostalgic soft spot for Toffee Crisps, but as an adult, they just don’t taste as good as they once did. But one bite of these gourmet versions reaffirmed why this is such a great combination of sweet flavours and textures. Our version of the Hawksmoor toffee crisp is much less trouble, and just as evil.

By putting a tiny little flake or two of Maldon sea salt on top, you won’t believe how the taste of the chocolate and each little bar is transformed.

I’m happy to report that the apricot, tomato and ginger chutney is delicious – sweet, spicy and it mellows nicely after a week or so. It goes really well with all that cheese we seem to have far too much of after Christmas.

To be honest, the recipe doesn’t make a vast amount – you should end up with a few nice jam jars’ worth – perfect quantities for home use rather than industrial amounts. This is a great chutney to have with leftovers and the blend of spices makes it feel a little exotic rather than sharp and sickly sweet.

The pink grapefruit curd is a little different and gorgeous. If you mix it with some Greek yoghurt to taste and freeze it, you’ll have a really quick and instant ice-cream. But it’s also equally good on scones or anything rich, especially with chocolate in it.

Toffee crisps

We made this in a square brownie tin.

First layer

180g white chocolate

50g butter

60g Rice Krispies

Second layer

65g dark muscavado sugar

60g light muscavado sugar

125g butter

125ml cream

Third layer

500g dark chocolate

Melt the white chocolate and 50g of butter in a bowl over simmering water, and stir in the Rice Krispies. Line a brownie tin with parchment paper then spread the Rice Krispies mixture on the base of the tin and pat down with the spatula (which you may need to dip in warm water). Freeze this base for an hour.

Put all the ingredients for the second layer in a saucepan and melt. Simmer for five minutes until thick and then pour this toffee over the Rice Krispie layer and freeze for two hours. Remove the large square from the tin and cut into “bars” and then place them on a wire rack over a baking tray.

Melt the dark chocolate in a bowl over simmering water and then dredge the bars with chocolate and when one layer is set, dredge them with a second coating. These are great frozen again, or just chilled down, or even eaten while the chocolate is still a bit fudgy. One or two Maldon sea salt flakes on top make them taste like salted caramel toffee crisps.

Apricot, ginger and tomato chutney

Makes about 1kg – enough for a couple of regular jam jars

2 tbsps olive oil

1 large onion, diced

6 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

1 green chilli, de-seeded and thinly sliced

2 tsps coriander seeds

1 cinnamon stick

Salt and pepper

150g dried apricots, roughly chopped

750g tomatoes (approx four large ones), chopped

300ml cider vinegar

275g granulated sugar

In a heavy-based saucepan, sweat the olive oil, onions and garlic until soft. Add the chilli, ginger, coriander and cinnamon stick and season well. Add the apricots, tomatoes and cider vinegar and cook for about 20 minutes with the lid on. Stir gently and keep it moving around. Then add the sugar and cook gently until you have a nice thick, chutney consistency. Check the seasoning and then let it cool.

To sterilise the jars, wash and rinse them in hot soapy water, rinse well, then heat them in the oven for 15 minutes at 150 degrees/gas 2. Wash the lids and put them in boiling water for a few minutes then take them out and drain on kitchen paper.

When the chutney has cooled enough to spoon easily into the jars, fill them up and then close the jars and let them cool down fully. This keeps fine for a month in a cool, dark place. But to be honest, I just filled up a Kilner jar and we ploughed our way through it and it was fine in the fridge for a month.

Pink grapefruit and blood orange curd

Makes about 450g

1 pink grapefruit

2 blood oranges

85g butter

225g granulated sugar

3 eggs, lightly beaten

Zest and juice the pink grapefruit and oranges and then heat the juice and zest in a saucepan until reduced by half. Add the butter, sugar and eggs and whisk. Heat gently and continue to stir with the whisk and let the curd thicken up. Ours started to feel as though it was going to turn a bit scrambled eggy, so keep an eye on it and let it happen slowly.

We strained it as there were a few lumps, but this was simply because we let it cook too aggressively. Allow it to cool and keep it in a clean jar in the fridge and use on ice cream or scones and cakes.