Cooking with Xianyitang dried ingredients
Roasted peanuts and toasted white sesame are bound in a thin amber caramel, then cut into small crunchy pieces for tea or a little homemade gift. Roast the nuts first so you can concentrate on the syrup; a sugar thermometer helps identify the hard-crack stage.
Times and yields are estimates. Allow for soaking, cooling and waits shown above, and check the state and doneness described in the method.
Recipe illustrations; measure ingredients using the written quantities.
Have ready a heatproof tray, a food-grade heat-resistant silicone mat, rolling pin, sturdy heatproof spatula, knife and sugar thermometer. Lightly oil the mat, rolling pin and knife and put the mat on a heatproof surface. You will need to work quickly after cooking the syrup. Clear away water bowls and keep children away; do not splash water into hot sugar.
Pick over the peanuts. Rinse briefly as directed on the pack, drain thoroughly and pat dry. Spread in one layer and roast at 180°C conventional / 160°C fan for about 20–25 minutes, stirring halfway, until roasted through with no raw centre or raw-bean flavour. Extend drying and roasting if still damp. Cool briefly, rub away the skins if liked and roughly crush into halves and large pieces. Rinse sesame quickly in a fine sieve and drain well. Dry it in a pan over a low heat, then toast for about 6–10 minutes until pale golden and fragrant, stirring to prevent burning. Keep both nuts and seeds dry; they may wait briefly in an approximately 80°C oven while you make syrup. Never stir wet ingredients into hot caramel.
Put 100 g sugar, 30 g golden syrup and 30 ml water in a small heavy-based saucepan. Heat gently until dissolved. Once boiling, stop stirring to avoid crystallisation. Keep the thermometer tip in the syrup but off the pan base. Cook over a medium-low heat to 150–152°C, the hard-crack stage, with a light amber colour. Judge by temperature; about 8–15 minutes is only a guide. If it smokes or becomes burnt, turn off, allow to cool safely and start again. Do not add water to hot burnt sugar.
Remove from the heat and immediately fold in the dry, warm peanuts, sesame and optional salt using the heatproof spatula. Tip onto the prepared silicone mat. Cover with a second heat-resistant silicone mat and use the rolling pin to flatten to about 8–10 mm thick. Do not touch or press hot sugar with bare hands, or taste it from the spatula; caramel-coated nuts can burn too.
Once the slab starts to set but is still cuttable rather than flowing, press an oiled knife down to portion into about 20–24 small pieces. Stabilise the mat with tools without holding hot candy. If already hard and brittle, do not force a slipping knife through it; cool completely and break into irregular pieces with a suitable utensil. Leave flat for about 30–45 minutes until completely cool before packing airtight.
Contains peanuts and sesame. No milk is added in this formula; check syrup and other ingredient labels. The Xianyitang dried-ingredient packs state that they are packed in a facility also handling peanuts, tree nuts, sesame and soya. Check the actual labels of every brand used.
Once completely cool, store in a clean, dry, airtight container in a cool, dry place. Aim to eat within 1 week for crispness; this is a quality guide, not a tested shelf life. Avoid fridge condensation and wet hands.
