Sparklers, sleeping bags and spices
Pulled toffee recipe
I have a particular love for the fifth of November, not least because it was the day I was supposed to have been born (I kept my poor mum waiting another week and a half), and of course because of Bonfire Night.
I remember (remember) that for at least the week before, my brother and I would collect newspapers from Nannie Gwen, and mum would find us an old pair of dad’s jogging bottoms and a shirt and we’d make a Guy, ready to burn on the bonfire.
When the day came, my dad would start the bonfire in our little garden and we would take out chairs and put them against the outside of the kitchen wall, ready to watch the fireworks. We were lucky that as well as the small ones that dad would let off at the end of the garden, we could see right across the shallow sort of valley behind our house. That’s where the big houses were that always had parties and set off the best and biggest fireworks, which rained down over the houses in crashes and bangs, lighting up the sky.
I would sit with my Nanna Lena against the kitchen wall. My mum would bring out old sleeping bags (the kind you could completely unzip to make into a duvet) and we’d have it over out legs to keep warm. My granddad Poppa and my dad would stoke the fire and keep it going and my mum would be busy in the kitchen preparing hot dogs (proper ones, not frankfurters) in finger baps, and potato wedges or curly fries. We’d then all sit and eat and late warm our hand and faces around the spitting, crackling fire.
I love fireworks but I’ve always preferred sparklers. There’s something childishly magical about being able to hold a little bit of fire in your gloved hand, and paint glowing ribbons of letters and patterns in the night’s sky. Then, of course, the satisfying fizz when the light has faded and you plunge it into a bucket of cold water.
These days, I tend not to be back home for bonfire night, the chilly kitchen wall and sleeping bags have been replaced by a toasty conservatory, and instead of hotdogs and wedges I usually cook something fiery, packed full of spice: chilli con carne, tongue-tingling curry, or simply a bit of spiced mulled cider. Tonight it’ll be sweet potato curry with roasted spiced cauliflower.
The Recipe
Pulled toffee
Toffee recipes come up a lot in old Welsh cookbooks and yet I’ve never made it (well, until this week). My granddad Ganka used to make toffee brittle in the heavy cast-iron frying pan that always seemed to be on top of the stove. This recipe for pulled toffee is adapted from a few recipes in S Minwell Tibbott’s Welsh Fare. It was tricky one to get used to, but the joy of moulding and stretching the warm toffee is all kinds of wonderful.
Ingredients (Makes plenty)
2 tbsp black treacle
3 tbsp golden syrup
150g granulated sugar
135g butter
½ tsp lemon juice
Method
Place all the ingredients into a deep saucepan (ideally enamel or copper) and gently melt together. Turn the heat up to a rolling boil (be careful!) and stir continuously for about 15-20 minutes.
Drop a spoonful of the toffee liquid into a basin of cold water. If it solidifies and doesn’t cloud up the water, it’s ready.
Take a large flat tray and grease it with butter. Tip the toffee onto it. Don’t be tempted to scrape the sides of the pan as the sugar may start to re-crystalise.
Leave to cool for 5-10 minutes until cool enough to handle. Grease your hands with butter and gentle pull and twist the toffee into long strands.
Cut into pieces while still just warm and then leave to set. My versions have turned out as a softer toffee than really solid stuff, but actually I prefer that.
If you try the recipe out, don’t forget to tag any photos with #mywelshkitchen.
The Playlist
To me, cooking and music go hand in hand, whether that’s singing at the top of your voice using a wooden spoon as a microphone while waiting for pasta to boil, or dancing around with the oven gloves on as the oven timer counts down. Here are this week’s ideas for your Welsh Kitchen playlist.
This week we have two tracks to wake you up and get the heart racing and head banging in equal measure. The first is a number from Welsh rock band, Cardinal Black. The second is from the famous Côr Glanaethwy, who you might remember from their time on Britain’s Got Talent. In my mind, they were robbed of the win.
Tell Me How It Feels by Cardinal Black
Y Weddi The Prayer by Côr Glanaethwy
The Pantry
Good food is nothing without good ingredients and thankfully there are plenty of fantastic Welsh products on the market. Here is where you’ll find recommendations to stock up your cupboard, fridge or fruit bowl, or a really great place for food.
Welsh Mulled Elderberry Wine
Talking of spices and autumn warmers, this popped up on my Twitter feed this week. It sure sounds up my street. The Welsh mulled elderberry wine is from Celtic Wines in Ceredigion and each bottle comes with a spice bag including lemon and orange peel, cassia, nutmeg, cloves and allspice.