Helena Fairfax

Daryl Devoré is one of the contributors to the Bake, Love, Write dessert recipe book recently released by Lois Winston and over one hundred other authors. If you like desserts, you’re in for a treat, and if you love a hot read on a cold winter’s night, then check out Daryl’s new release!

Daryl’s going to share her favourite holiday recipe here today. Thanks for coming by, Daryl!

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This recipe looks daunting, but after you try it the first time, it is amazingly easy and the toffee is fabulous with no chemical additives. It’s like making healthy candy! I make it around the holidays. I don’t know how long it will stay fresh as it’s never around long enough to go stale.

Chocolate Sponge Toffee

You will need: Saucepan, Pastry Brush, Large metal spoon, Candy thermometer

Tin/Aluminum Foil lined 8″x 11″ baking dish (20 cm x 28 cm) (bigger than brownie pan smaller than lasagna pan)

Butter the foil

Several hours later you will need: Rolling pin or hammer, Wire Cooling rack, Cookie Sheet, Bain Marie (saucepan and bowl to fit over top)

Sponge Toffee Ingredients

2 1/4 c sugar

2/3 c corn syrup (British: golden syrup)

1/3 c water

1 tbsp white vinegar (as in not apple cider or wine vinegar)

2 tbsp baking soda

4 tsp vanilla

Topping ingredients (will need several hours later)

4 – 6 squares chocolate – chopped (I use dark chocolate. It helps offset the sweetness of the toffee.)

Make Toffee

Pour sugar, syrup and vinegar into pan. Bring to boil; cook, without stirring (stirring could make it crystalize and the consistency of the toffee would be off.) Brush down the sides of pan occasionally with pastry brush dipped in cold water (this is to keep crystals from forming around the edge.) Heat to 300F (148C). Immediately remove from heat (this will go from delicious to burnt-tasting very quickly). Add baking soda. Be careful – might sputter and spit. Stir well. When mixture has settled a bit, pour in vanilla. Pour mixture into buttered baking dish. Let cool at room temp.

When cool, remove from pan. Check carefully for little bits of foil that have stuck to toffee. To break into chunks, place on a hard surface and whack it with a rolling pin or hammer.

Make Topping

Melt chocolate in Bain Marie. (Put water in saucepan, place bowl over the top, put chocolate into the bowl. Turn burner on to med high and adjust to lower when steams escapes from edges. Important – keep water out of chocolate. It will seize and become unusable.) Position wire rack on top of cookie sheet. Place toffee pieces on wire rack. Drizzle or pour melted chocolate over sponge toffee. Let cool.

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Capri’s Fate

Erotic contemporary fantasy

Blurb: What’s a woman to do when a voice follows her home and makes mad, passionate love to her?

Corporate business woman, Capricious Gray, is dragged to a sex toy convention by her best friend. Once a shocking, mysterious disembodied voice helps her with her purchases, it follows her home. Passion ensues, leaving Capri torn between lust for her fantasy lover and the desperate need for reality in her life.

Thall, son of one of the Fates, harbors the irrepressible need to be with the woman he’s desired from afar for years. In order to make her his, once and for all, he must help Capri get past her fears, including the fear of what he represents – a fantasy.

Can fantasy become a reality for these two lovers?

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Daryl that sounds totally delicious! It would make a great Christmas present, too, if you put it in a nice box or in a Christmassy tin. Thanks so much for sharing! And I love the unusual idea behind your romance. Just the read for a cold winter’s night!

If you’ve enjoyed Daryl’s post, or have any questions or comments at all, please get in touch. We’d love to hear from you!