Sweet Treats by frankie magazine

LARA BURKE CREATIVE DIRECTOR & STYLIST When Lara isn’t scouring antique shops with her (very cute) son Milo, she’s helming the design chair at frankie magazine and nutting out new pretty projects. This book taught her “chocolate is very messy” and that coconut ice is still her all-time favourite sweet. LOUISE BANNISTER EDITOR Louise can usually be found pottering about her herb garden or brainstorming ideas for frankie magazine special projects. She considers herself an expert on marshmallows and so thought it only fair to be on hand to taste test (and sometimes fix Mark’s recipe spelling errors). MARK CORE FOOD STYLIST & CHEF Munching on Florentines, and hanging out with his kids are high on Mark’s favourite things to do list. Although an expert on all things sweet and delicious, Mark claims he learnt…

What equipment will make things easier for me? If you don’t have the following you could always improvise, but it’ll make things easier if you can get your hands on these items. • Scales• Candy thermometer• Wooden spoon• Heatproof bowl• Measuring cups• Measuring spoons• Heavy-based saucepan• Greaseproof paper• Baking tins• Hand-held electric or bench-top mixer Do I need electric mixer/beaters or can I beat everything with a spoon? Depending on your mixing skills, you could make everything with a wooden spoon. But for minties and nougat, it’s best to use an electric beater. Do I need a candy thermometer? Where do I get one from? It would be best if you had one. It’ll make things a little easier and you won’t have to take any extra steps to ensure you’re at the right temperature. You…

THREAD STAGE 110°C - 112°C Put a small amount of the syrup on to a spoon, and drop it into a glass of cold water. If it’s like a spider web, it’s ready. SOFT-BALL STAGE 112°C - 115°C Drop a small amount of syrup into a glass of cold water and it should form a soft, flexible ball. FIRM-BALL STAGE 118°C - 120°C When dropped in a glass of cold water a firm ball will form. You won’t be able to flatten this unless you squeeze it. HARD-BALL STAGE 121°C - 130°C When dropped into a cup of chilled water, syrup will form into a hard ball, that will still change shape if you squash it. SOFT-CRACK STAGE 132°C - 143°C When dropped into ice water syrup will separate into hard but flexible threads. They will bend slightly before breaking. HARD-CRACK STAGE 146°C - 154°C If you…

Line workbench with greaseproof paper (approx 50cm long). Over low heat in a heavy-bottomed, medium saucepan, cook the sugar, glucose syrup and water until sugar is dissolved. Stir occasionally until temperature reaches 129°C (hard-ball stage). Add nuts and butter and cook until temperature reaches 143°C (soft-crack stage). Make sure you stir constantly. (Brush sugar crystals from the sides of pan using wet pastry brush to prevent sugar from crystallising.) Take off the heat and stir in vanilla extract and bicarbonate soda quickly. Pour mixture out on to greaseproof paper and spread out with an oiled spatula nice and thin. When the brittle begins to set, pull and stretch the brittle as much as possible. Let it cool before breaking into pieces. Store the brittle in an airtight container at room temperature. Makes a 50cm tray. INGREDIENTS 1…

Line a baking tray with baking paper. Spear a stick into each apple about 2/3 of the way in. Check to see they go in straight. Over low heat, cook sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Stir until sugar has dissolved and then bring to boil without stirring. (To prevent sugar crystallising, brush down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush.) Add food colouring and cream of tartar and give it a stir. Reduce heat to low and simmer mixture for 20 minutes or until it reaches 150°C (hard-crack stage). Take off the heat immediately. When toffee ceases bubbling, dip each apple into the toffee. You can coat an apple evenly by tipping the pan on an angle. Make sure you get lots of sticky stuff around the top of the stick,…

Line a couple of trays with baking paper. In a small saucepan over low heat, heat the glucose syrup, water and gelatine only until the gelatine has dissolved. Take pan off the heat and stir mixture. Grab a large bowl and electric hand mixer. Transfer the mixture into the bowl along with 1/3 of the icing sugar. Mix on low speed until everything is combined. Add another 1/3 of the icing sugar and continue mixing on low speed until the mixture is smooth. Add the remaining sugar until mixed in. Keep going until your mixture transforms into firm dough. Now throw some sugar on your workbench and prepare to start kneading your dough. Transfer the dough to the workbench and begin to knead. Use as much icing sugar as you need to dust…