Salted macadamia nut caramels

Ingredients

• 240 g (8½ oz/1½ cups) macadamias, toasted
• 100 g (3½ oz) flaked almonds, toasted
• 1 tbsp salt flakes, plus 3½ tsp for topping
• 150 g (5½ oz) unsalted butter
• 375 ml (12½ fl oz/1½ cups) pure cream (40–42% fat)
• 240 g (8½ oz) caster sugar
• 150 g (5½ oz) honey
• 150 g (5½ oz) liquid glucose

Setting time: 2 hours.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F).
2. Toast the macadamias and almonds on separate baking trays for 10–15 minutes, until lightly toasted, checking from time to time. Remove from the oven and set aside.
3. Line a 20 cm (8 in) square tin with baking paper and sprinkle some of the extra topping salt over the base.
4. Add the nuts to a bowl.
5. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a low heat. Add the cream, sugar, honey, glucose and 1 tbsp of the salt, then stir until combined and starting to bubble. Increase the heat to medium and bring to the boil, without stirring. Cook until the mixture reaches 126°C (258°F), which might take 20 minutes.
6. Once at temperature, immediately remove from the heat and pour in the nuts, then stir through.
7. Tip into the lined baking tin, then flatten out with a heatproof spatula. Sprinkle with the remaining salt, then leave to set for 2 hours.
8. Once cooled, remove from the tin and cut into 5 × 2 cm (2 × ¾ in) pieces. The caramels will keep in an airtight container for up to a week.

This is an edited extract from Cook: Sweet by Karen Martini (Hardie Grant Books). Photography: © Armelle Habib