This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
There is something very special about making a food from one of your childhood favourite books. When I made jammy buns from Malory Towers, I was incredibly excited as finally, something I'd read about and wondered about for years (just what were jammy buns exactly?), was coming to life. And I could taste it! The very treat enjoyed by Darrell, Sally and Alicia – the characters I'd grown up with – during one of their many match teas. Oh, it was such a great day.
Perhaps it is little surprise, therefore, that I've found another childhood favourite this week. Another Enid Blyton story with yet another boarding school (they did tend to eat delicious food at boarding school, no wonder we all wanted to go ourselves).
The O'Sullivan Twins, Pat and Isabel, did not want to go to St Clare's. They were cross and acted rather badly about it all. So badly, they become known as the Stuck-Up Twins or the High-and-Mighties. But the school soon licked them into shape, rubbed off their sharp corners and, before you know it, Pat and Isabel adore the school and are popular and liked.
The Easter term arrives and with it, second former Tessie's birthday. She decides to have a midnight feast with just a few friends including the twins. The girls are all very excited at the thought of meeting up at midnight in the music room and stuffing themselves silly with a big fruit cake, a ginger cake, sweets, biscuits and wonderful, mouth stuck together, homemade toffee. Plus, of course, ginger beer and sausages. Sizzling sausages in a pan in fact. A sizzling pan in the music room. A music room near Mamzelle's study. No wonder they got caught.
Still, I bet the food was worth it.
This recipe for toffee is great as you don't need a sugar thermometer – just a pan and a few basic ingredients.
Equipment
One baking tin lined with greased baking parchment. Medium sized, heavy-bottomed or non-stick pan, wooden spoon, jug with cold water.
Ingredients
200g butter
300g caster sugar
60ml water
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla
Optional
Milk chocolate
Method
- In a pan, weigh out the butter, sugar, water, salt and vanilla
- Heat and allow to boil. It will become frothy.
- Turn down the heat slightly, stir, and keep simmering for between 5 – 10 minutes.
- This toffee will be extremely hot. DO NOT attempt to lick the spoon or touch it in any way.
- When you want to test if it is ready, put a teaspoon of it into the jug of cold water. If it stays together in a ball, it is done.
- Pour into the prepared tin and allow to cool.
- If you like, you can melt some milk chocolate and pour a thin layer of it over the top.
- When cold, bash with a rolling pin or similar.
- Eat.