When my husband and I moved into our house 11 years ago, we put all our CDs, boxes of photographs and other small mementos into large boxes and stored them in the cupboard under the stairs. A decade, two children and one major kitchen remodel later, the boxes finally had to be moved so the builders could get access. The boxes lived, in towering stacks, in our bedroom for over 8 months when we finally decided to tackle them.
Opening the boxes was like opening a time capsule. A time of being young, going to three gigs weekly, buying endless CDs of bands so obscure I doubt whether even they remember existing. A of time analogue cameras, endless photos and scrapbook diaries.
We were determined not to keep our CDs – who buys those anymore? – but we had literally hundreds between us and once you start to go through them the memories come flooding back. In the end nostalgia won. How could we get rid of Elliott Smith – his first UK gig at tiny Dingwalls was our first date. Or Beck, Belle & Sebastian, Belly, Ben Folds 5, Beta Band,… and we are just into the ‘B’s. Turns out you can OD on nostalgia, to quote Pretty In Pink.
Ingredients
- Chocolate Caramel Tiffin
- 300 g | 11oz Lotus biscuits
- 125 g | 4.5oz unsalted butter
- 75 g | 3oz golden syrup
- 200 g | 7oz dark chocolate I used Lindt 70%, chopped small
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- For the Caramel
- 1 tbsp runny honey or golden syrup
- 100 g | 3.5oz caster sugar
- 2 tbsp water
- 150 ml | 5fl oz double cream
- 30 g | 1oz unsalted butter
- good pinch sea salt flakes
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- Chocolate topping
- 200 g | 7oz dark chocolate I used Lindt 70%
- 30 g | 1oz unsalted butter
- 100 g | 3.5 milk chocolate
- 2-3 tbsp double cream
Instructions
- Line a 15cm x 24cm | 6in x 9½ baking tin with baking paper.
- Blitz half the biscuits in a food processor until you have fine crumbs. Tip them into a large bowl. Break the rest of the biscuits into small pieces and add to the bowl.
- Put the butter, golden syrup and the chocolate in a small pan. Allow it to melt slowly over low heat.
- Pour the melted chocolate over the biscuits and stir until the biscuits are coated.
- Tip into the prepared tin and press down with the back of a spoon until you have an even layer. Place in the fridge to set for 30 minutes.
- Make the caramel: put the double cream into a measuring jug and heat for 20 seconds in the microwave until warm.
- Put the sugar, honey and water in a small deep saucepan. Bring slowly to the bowl over medium-low heat, swirling the pan until the sugar melts.
- When the sugar turns a golden amber, remove from the heat and add the warm cream carefully. The mixture will bubble alarmingly and then settle.
- Stir in the butter and salt and bring the mixture back to the boil for a couple of minutes. Strain the caramel into a bowl and leave to cool until just warm.
- Pour the caramel evenly over the biscuit base. Place back in the fridge to set for about an hour.
- When the caramel has set, it's time to make the chocolate topping. Bring a small pot of water to the boil then reduce to a simmer. Place the chopped chocolate and butter in a bowl and set over the pot. Allow them to gently melt then set aside.
- Melt the milk chocolate and double cream using the same double boiler method and set aside.
- Pour the dark chocolate over the caramel layer and spread evenly.
- Dot blobs of the milk chocolate on dark chocolate topping then use a chopstick to mix the two layers to create a feathered effect. Return to the fridge until completely set.
- Warm a large knife until hot water and wipe dry. Cut the chocolate tiffin into bars or squares, wiping the knife clean between cuts.
- Keep the bars in the fridge or consume immediately.
Winnie says
Wowwwww Lucy – these bars look heavenly!!
Definitely my kind of GOOD treat 🙂
Louise | Cygnet Kitchen says
These look SO good Lucy! Sadly, my belly is bigger than my eyes. 'Keep in the fridge or consume straight away'! Both of these options sound dangerous, if I made these I would keep one and take the rest around to the neighbours straight away. x
Jennie Cranham says
Oh yum, these sound incredible! I really want to just dive straight in!
Jennie // Scarletscorchdroppers
xx
Gemma says
I can't stare at these bars any longer…they are so utterly tempting! O_O Gosh, they couldn't look more perfect!!!
Amazing photos as usual Lucy!
xoxo
Lucy Parissi says
Thanks Gemma. I guess they need to be made and enjoyed once in a while : )
Kerry Cooks says
Oof! These Look Amazing! (capitals required!). Adding caramel to them is a genius move!
Bintu Hardy says
Oh my gosh – I love everything about these bars from the name to the pics. Fab
Choclette Blogger says
Oh my goodness, I was going to make some remark about clutter and memory lane, but your tiffen has pretty much wiped my mind – all I want is to try a slice NOW! I always find it difficult to make tiffen look pretty, but your swirls have worked a treat.
Lynn | The Road to Honey says
I bet it was a lot of fun going through those old boxes and discovering things that you had long forgotten about. I'm getting ready to move myself (into temporary housing until my place is ready. . .sad face for two moves) so I too have been discovering treasures from the past.
What better way to soothe the soul as you are flooded with memories than with chocolate, caramel, and biscuits. These tiffin bars look great and I don't mind that they don't have the dried fruit. . .not one bit. 🙂
Lucy Parissi says
I often think the only way to get rid of the clutter is to move house and leave everything behind. But I don't envy you having to move twice. Hope you get settled soon!
Kavey says
Oh nostalgia is a powerful thing, isn't it? I'm constantly fighting my hoarder tendencies! This looks beautiful and I love speculoos biscuits!
Lucy Parissi says
Yes – too powerful. For all my being determined to get rid of those boxes (after all we hadn't missed them in over a decade) we ended up keeping at least one box of CDs just because of the memories attached. Never mind that the albums are on Spotify anyway!
Roz Goodgame TheFoodieCoupleBlog says
Spectacular photos as always. a really indulgent and delicious sounding recipe 🙂
Lucy Parissi says
Thanks Roz!