As my waistline sadly attests, eating by far tops my list of favourite things to do. But recipe development is up there too. I see it as legit playing with your food. Made all the better because I get paid for it. Of course with money changing hands clients have expectations, so this is pretty serious stuff most of the time.
But when my culinary thinking cap goes on all sorts of things tend to happen, and often this ‘work’ has a fun spinoff idea that’s just too divine to resist – like these toffee ClemenGolds. You heard right – not toffee apple folks, toffee ClemenGolds. Soft juicy fruitiness encased in spiced crackly caramel served on an indulgent blend of whipped cream and featherlight double cream yoghurt – with just a splash of something boozy.
All you need is…
1 cup castor sugar
¼ cup water
1 cinnamon quill
4 cloves
4 small ClemenGold mandarins (I used the teeny baby ones Woolies packs for the kiddie market, they’re the perfect size)
To serve:
2 cups double cream yoghurt
1 cup fresh cream
2 tbs castor sugar
splash of brandy, Cognac, van der Hum or Cointreau (optional)
pistachios or almonds, lightly toasted in a dry pan and chopped
Peel the ClemenGold mandarins, taking care not to break their fragile membrane. Place them on a baking tray lined with non-stick wax paper. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a small saucepan and cook until it is a lovely golden brown caramel. You want it to be hard crack stage. To test if it is, simply drop a bit of the caramel into a bowl of cold water. If it hardens completely instantly, it’s there. If it stays tacky and toffee-like, it needs a few minutes more. Use a large spoon to drizzle the caramel over the ClemenGold mandarins.
Whip the cream with the 2 tbs castor sugar until fluffy and firm and gently fold the whipped cream into the double cream yoghurt along with a tablespoon of the hard stuff if you’re using it. Serve topped with a toffee ClemenGold and toasted nuts.
serves
4
prep
10 min
cook
10 min
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