Hazelnut Catkin Biscuits

Spring

Feb 19

Recipe by Luke Jefford

Nikki & I have spent many seasons really perfecting these as much as we can. We’ve finally nailed it! It’s a little bit of a process, but they last an eternity in a sealed container and are totally worth every second.

They taste like a hybrid of English breakfast tea and malted biscuits. The resulting sugar syrup tasted too good to just throw away. So we reduced it down into a thick syrup (just before caramel stage) to add to our morning yogurt alongside our catkin biscuits. Though, there could be many more applications.

This process really is going to depend on your oven. So keep a close eye on the catkins throughout the cooking times.

Ingredients

350g Hazelnut Catkins
1500g Water
750g Caster Sugar (1st Stage)
750g Caster Sugar (2nd Stage)

How To Identify Hazelnut

Method

Step 1

Be diligent processing your catkins to make sure no bits of twigs are left on them. This will result in a much better final product.

Step 2

Once processed add into a pan with your water and ‘1st stage’ sugar. Bring the catkin mixture VERY slowly up to the boil and remove from the heat and let them infuse for around 1 hour. Then strain the mixture (keeping the syrup)

Step 3

Pop the catkins on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Bake at 140c for around 2 hours until they are starting to brown nicely. During this process every 10 minutes you need to gently toss the catkins so they cook evenly. At this stage they should still be soft, but browned.

Step 4

Place the catkins back into a pan along with your reserved sugar syrup and add an additional 750g caster sugar (2nd Stage). Repeat the process of slowly bringing them back to the boil. This time once this has been achieved strain the catkins immediately and pop back in to your lined tray.

Step 5

Bake again on 170c for another hour. Tossing regularly to ensure an even bake. You can tell when they are ready once they start to feel crisp & brown (not burnt). They will get more crispy once they start to cool also.

Step 6

Remove from the oven and let them cool. Package in to an airtight container and enjoy for a minimum of 12 months.