Should I even bother typing an intro to this? I mean, with a title like that, I know you’re already thinking ‘Get in mah belleh!!!’ and working out how you can get to the shops and back in the quickest amount of time. I’m thinking it too. ‘Cos I know how flipping amazing these are!
For those of you still reading, let me break it down for you: cocoa shortbread, slapped with a thick layer of fudge, slathered with white chocolate and sprinkled with salt flakes. Jip, that’s fat on top of sugar, on top of butter (somewhere a dietician just quit her job cos she discovered what I do for a living… awkward!). BUT the key here is that it’s not just any sugar - it’s scrummalicious sugar (there are just too few food adjectives out there okay - inventing my own starting now).
I’ve used the crunchy caramelly Natura Demerara sugars for the job (Demerara sugars is crystallized from the first press of sugarcane juice). The Light Demerara is perfect for shortbread - the texture is fine (like wiggling your toes in beach sand!) so it dissolves while baking but still adds flavour. The Dark Demerara has gorgeous amber crystals (so pretty I used them as decoration on top of the white chocolate) which are perfect
for making a kick-ass caramel fudge. I’ve realised that sugar is so much more than
just adding sweetness and using proper unrefined sugar will add heaps of
flavour to your baking!
In my opinion, the best part, is the sexy off-cuts! I pretty much spent the entire morning munching on them while shooting - don’t think for a second they made it back into any sort of storage container (what is this ‘storage container’ you speak of? What is it used for?!).
Well, now my camera is covered in fudge… Wait, my camera is covered in fudge!
Now, go bake yourself happy while I contemplate whether licking my camera is socially acceptable…
P.S. This is what was left of the batch:
P.S. This is what was left of the batch:
Demerara Fudge Bars with White Chocolate and Sea salt
Makes 16-20
Shortbread base
150g cake flour
30g cocoa powder
130g butter, cut into blocks
Demerara Filling
130g milk powder (full-fat if possible)
150g Light Demerara Sugar
210g salted butter
160ml boiling water
Topping
200g white chocolate, melted
Sea salt flakes
Dark Demerara Sugar, for sprinkling
Grease and line a 20 x 20cm baking tray with baking paper.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius (160 if you’re using a fan-forced oven).
Combine the flour, cocoa, sugar and butter in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix until it forms a soft dough. Alternately, get your fingers dirty and rub all the ingredients together until well combined.
Press the dough into the prepared baking tin and prick the base with a fork.
Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool completely.
To make the Demerara fudge layer, place all the ingredients in a blender and blend for 1-2 minutes or until smooth and combined. Pour into a saucepan and stir continuously over a low heat until all the sugar has dissolved.
Bring to the boil and cook until the mixture turns golden brown and reaches soft ball stage (118C on a sugar thermometer). To test if it’s ready, drop a small amount into a small cup filled with tap water, it should form a soft, pliable ball. Remove from the heat and immediately pour over the shortbread. Allow to cool completely.
Spread the melted white chocolate over the top of the toffee then sprinkle with a little sea salt and the Demerara sugar. Allow to set then cut into bars using a hot knife.
Disclaimer: This post has been sponsored by Natura Sugars who produce a range of really special sugars that are unrefined and made according to traditional Mauritian sugar-making techniques. The sugars are non-GM, non-irradiated and unbleached with no preservatives, colourants or syrups added which basically means they are pure, natural and packed with flavour!
Wicked treats! Especially love the intro, so well written Kate!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Dianne! x
DeleteAi ya ya. Your relationship with sugar is criminal!! Gorgeous as always Katelyn.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your delicious recipes with us. Will definitely have to give this a try...It looks super moreish!!!
ReplyDeletePleasure Annell! Give these a try - they are divine! x
DeleteNooooo - this is wicked! Thanks for the lovely recipe!
ReplyDeleteI can't convey just how excited I am to have come across your blog! I've been in search of a great fudge recipe for a while now! I'd like to find a base for fudge filling, between cake tiers, I'd welcome any insight or feedback even if you think this is a ridiculous idea ��
ReplyDeleteI'm also curious about the different flavors of the sugars you mentioned to see if we have an alternative in the US.
It totally makes sense now that they don't just make things sweet, like salt,it can add depth to flavors, etc. But, as you said, I'd never thought of it like that before! Even though I love making different flavored sugars with freeze-dried fruit, mint, vanilla (and more recently I've been playing with different vanilla beans & alcohols for extracts).
Anyway, I glanced at the website and the sugar sounds like a great quality product!
As I experiment with flavors/recipes & learn about the science behind baking I've come to realize & truly appreciate quality ingredients. My first experience was with Ceylon cinnamon sticks, wow! But I digress.
I had only been aware of light and dark brown sugar; I thought the difference was simply the amount of molasses. Could you maybe explain the different flavors?
As I said, I really hope I can find something similar in the US, yours looks so decadent! And the cane juice is pressed once, are other sugars pressed more or did I misunderstand what the website said?
Again, I want to thank you for your amazing blog and generosity! I've just started looking through it but I had to stop and bow to you for recipes like the Pecan Praline, Pecan Brittle, Caramel layered deliciousness, can't wait to make it!
Sharon M
I want to apologize for my rambling and if pieces of my post don't seem coherent lol. I've been trying to write this for a few hours, stopping several times to run after my toddler ��