The persistent last drops clinging in your golden syrup tin doesn't have to go to waste. In fact, repurpose it into a luxurious caramel sauce ideal for Bonfire Night, especially when poured over cinnamon baked apples with creamy ice cream.
Butterscotch Sauce and Roasted Apples
Apples experience a wonderful metamorphosis when baked, converting this seasonal ingredient into a super-simple but luxurious final course. My preference is for smaller apple types (preferably compact apples), allowing for single-apple portions.
Time-honored approaches which produce dependable finishes serve as inspiration for this adjusted recipe. Here, I've modified a classic caramel sauce recipe to make use of the stubborn residue from a golden syrup tin, decreased the quantity of granulated sugar, and incorporated salt and vanilla if desired to heighten the traditional character of English caramel. (The special sugars in golden syrup are essential for producing an exceptionally smooth dessert sauce, since plain sugar can form crystals, resulting in graininess.) In absence of the specific sweetener, glucose syrup or honey also work well.
This flexible preparation works with various final courses, from ice cream sundaes to these baked apples served with cream. The warm sauce melts seductively over the hot fruit, creating a wonderful juxtaposition of flavours, mouthfeels and temperatures. Keep any excess sauce in a sealed container in the refrigerator for approximately a fortnight, or for a few months in the deep freeze.
Prepares for 6-8 servings
To make the Toffee Sauce
- 2-3 tbsp golden syrup (I used the residue of the can), or light syrup or natural honey
- 180g sugar (light or dark)
- ½ tsp sea salt (flaky salt)
- 150ml double cream (heavy cream)
- 50g unsalted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
To prepare the Dessert Apples
- 6 medium dessert apples (baking apples)
- 60g sultanas or raisins (dried grapes)
- 30g sugar
- 30g butter
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- Whipped cream or frozen dessert, for serving
Instructions
To retrieve all remaining syrup from your syrup container, introduce about hot water and, holding the tin in a kitchen towel to prevent burns, swirl it around and clean the interior with a spoon until completely empty. Transfer this syrup mixture into a big cooking vessel. (In case you're not using remnants from the can, just portion multiple measures of syrup into your saucepan and add 100ml hot water instead.) Add the sweetener and salt, place the saucepan on moderate temperature and swirl (as opposed to stirring) the container periodically, until the dry ingredients incorporate.
Leave the syrup to simmer quietly without interfering with it, then, when you notice the sweet layer of the pan start to change color, move circularly so the combination colors consistently. After achieving rich hue, lift the container off the temperature source and gently introduce the heavy cream (foaming may occur, so stand back), then mix to make a smooth sauce. Add the butter and flavoring, when adding, and combine further until glossy. Present immediately or place in serving vessel and allow to reach room temperature.
Heat the oven to standard baking heat, and remove apple centers from the apples. In a mixing vessel, mash the sultanas, sweetener, dairy fat and spice, then fill the hollow into the hollow of each apple. Position every apple in compartmentalized baking pan, to gather released syrups, then bake for 25–30 minutes, until yielding to pressure with the tip of a knife. Serve warm topped with some toffee sauce and optionally some ice-cream.
