Date Syrup and Macadamia Nut Toffee with Smoked Sea Salt

Bring that daily nut fix of yours into a fun and delicious treat because who can say no to a piece of salty sweet toffee? Reach for a piece, end up with eating the bag… they are that good! Made possible only with the consistent quality and overall great products at Moy.

Moy is a Berlin based nut and dried fruit importing and exporting company that focuses on the sourcing of quality ingredients from local and small farmers from around Europe. Their strong relationship and trust with their distributors, being not large mass producing farm yards, means their prices remain at initial retail prices and can be sold in large qualities. Because, let’s face it, who needs only a handful of nuts or dried fruit in their everyday cooking ventures? Some for the recipe and some for the mouth, am I right?

Macadamia nuts are a very interesting element within the nut family. They do contain the highest fat levels compared with their neighbouring friends - the almonds, cashews and walnuts. But before you freak out, the fat they contain is the beneficial fat type. It’s name is monounsaturated fat or monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs). These fats are rare in a lot of food so to have a high level in the macadamia nut alone - 21 grams in one cup - is an edible blessing.

MUFAs have been proven to reduce inflammation, reduce the risks of heart disease and help to loose weight. Their chemical component is made up of one singular or “mono” bond compared with the none beneficial or weight gaining fats that are made up of multiple double bonds. To read more about the complexities of monounsaturated fatty acids have a read here.

Along with the perks of high levels of monounsaturated fats, macadamia nuts also contain dietary fibres, protein, manganese, thiamin and copper. All of these components together also serve in helping the human body to loose weight. It also has a low amount of natural sugars which means it's flavour isn’t overly sweet.

When you combine the creamy but subtle taste of the macadamia nut with the strong but natural sweetness in the date syrup and deliciously smokiness from the course sea salt, there is a real balance and enhancing of flavours in this snack.

Toffee compared with brittle, won’t have you running to the dentist with a broken tooth. It’s more chewy but silky rather than crunchy and cracking. But if you wish to make it into brittle, simply cook the water/sugar mix for less time (5 minutes shorted) and follow the recipe as is otherwise. This reduction in cooking time means the sugars are not emulsified as much as they need to be for toffee, resulting in a firmer product.

So bring that beloved nut into something creatively sweet and salty because we all need to mix things up these days (and keep your partner/flatmates on their toes in what’s next being dished up during your ISO snack moments).

Date and Macadamia Nut Toffee with Smoked Sea Salt

Ingredients

• 2 cups white sugar

• 1 tsp table salt

• 2 tbsp honey

• 2 tbsp date syrup

• 2 cups Moy macadamia nuts (1 1/2 cups chopped), roughly chopped

• 1/2 cup cold butter, cubed

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 2 pinches smoked sea salt, optional (I used Maldon Smoked Sea Salt)

Method

Butter a deep tray, making sure all corners and rim is covered. Any small parts not thoroughly covered will means the toffee will stick.

In a medium pot, mix the sugar, salt, honey and date syrup on high heat. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat too low. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the sugar reaches 280 degrees on a sugar thermometer*. 

Add the chopped macadamia nuts and butter. Cook for a further 5-8 minutes or until the mix reaches 300-310 degrees on the thermometer*. 

Take off the heat and add the vanilla and baking powder. Mix vigorously until bubbling subsides and evenly incorporated. Immediately pour onto the buttered tray, tapping to evenly distribute. Leave to cool (around 30 minutes).

With a sharp knife, carefully cut into random shapes. Serve in creamy vanilla ice cream, alongside a morning cup of coffee or as a sneaky midnight snack as is. 

*If you do not have a sugar thermometer, there is another easy way of testing the cooking stage of the sugar. Have on hand a small bowl of iced water. After 9-10 minutes, drop a drip of the sugar mixture into the ice bat. Form a ball in your hand with the drop from the ice bath. If it’s gooey, then it has further to cook, if it holds it shape if is ready. Here is a link for the exact measures in testing sugar without a thermometer - https://www.thespruceeats.com/making-candy-without-a-candy-thermometer-520309