The persistent last drops remaining in the classic syrup can can be transformed into something wonderful. Instead, convert it into a luxurious toffee sauce wonderful with special occasions, deliciously drizzled over oven-roasted apples with frozen custard.
Toffee Sauce with Warm Apples
Apples undergo a magical change when baked, transforming this autumn produce into a remarkably simple yet decadent dessert. My preference is for firm dessert apples (preferably compact apples), enabling you to serve individual apple servings.
Time-honored approaches which produce consistent outcomes provide the foundation for this adaptation. Here, I've adjusted a traditional toffee method to employ the stubborn residue from a golden syrup tin, decreased the quantity of granulated sugar, and added sea salt and vanilla extract optionally to intensify the traditional character of British toffee. (The special sugars in liquid sweetener are the secret to producing a silky-smooth toffee sauce, since plain sugar can form crystals, creating a sandy texture.) In absence of the specific sweetener, light syrup or bee honey are good substitutes.
This versatile sauce works with numerous sweet treats, from ice cream sundaes to warm fruit desserts with ice-cream. The warm sauce dissolves beautifully over the hot fruit, establishing a delightful juxtaposition of flavours, consistencies and heat levels. Keep any excess sauce in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, or for multiple months in frozen storage.
Yields 6-8 individuals
Ingredients for Dessert Sauce
- 2-3 tbsp treacle substitute (I used the dregs of your container), or light syrup or honey
- 180g sugar (white or brown)
- ½ tsp sea salt (flaky salt)
- 150ml double cream (whipping cream)
- 50g unsalted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (if desired)
For the Dessert Apples
- 6 medium dessert apples (baking apples)
- 60g sultanas or raisins (dried fruit)
- 30g sugar
- 30g butter
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- Whipped cream or frozen dessert, for serving
Method
To extract the final remnants from the nearly-empty can, introduce about 100ml boiling water and, holding the tin in protective material to prevent burns, swirl it around and scrape the sides with a spoon until clean. Tip this sweet liquid into a big cooking vessel. (In case you're not using remnants from a tin, just portion multiple measures of liquid gold into a pan and add 100ml hot water instead.) Add the granulated substance and sodium chloride, set the pan on medium flame and gently move (as opposed to stirring) the pan from time to time, until the dry ingredients incorporate.
Allow the mixture to boil softly without disturbing it, then, when you notice the sugar at the base of the container start to colour, swirl again so the combination colors consistently. After achieving rich hue, lift the container off the temperature source and gradually add the rich dairy (the caramel will bubble up, so maintain distance), then mix to make a smooth sauce. Incorporate the dairy fat and vanilla, if using, and stir again until lustrous. Use while warm or move to a container and leave to cool.
Preheat your oven to moderate oven temperature, and remove apple centers from the apples. In a bowl, mash the raisins, sweetener, dairy fat and spice, then fill the hollow into the empty center of every fruit. Sit each apple in individual muffin cups, to catch all the juices, then bake for about half an hour, until yielding to pressure with a sharp implement. Present while hot crowned with some toffee sauce and possibly some ice-cream.
