Salted almond & caramel toffee slice
WOW - this is the mother, of all slices! Is there anything better then the memory of that summer time of year, and toffee apples coming available at the local fruit shop! I worked at a fruit shop throughout high school down the road from where I grew up, and it was the best job I ever had! The owners were such a beautiful family that took me in as if I was their own daughter! I miss them so much! I used to eat the toffee apples like they were going out of fashion! I really owe them so much for the amount they looked after me!
This slice is similar to those memories! Sort of like the toffee off a toffee apple, crossed between a peanut brittle! This will be essential to your happiness to try! I assure you!
Ingredients:
Base:
150g almond meal
50g vanilla protein powder @nakedharvestsupplements
1/3 x cup soy milk
Salted almond caramel
3/4 x cup almond butter
1/3 + 1 tbsp x cup rice malt syrup
4 x tbsp @twoislands collagen powder
2-3 x tsp vanilla
Dash of soy milk
Pinch of salt
Salted caramelized crunch topping
½ x cup mixed nuts (I used almonds/peanuts)
2-3 tbsp maple syrup
Sprinkle of salt
Method:
in a bowl mix together the base ingredients with a spatular until combined thoroughly.
In a small lined baking tin, press base into a thin layer across the bottom of the tin (0.5-1cm thickness, roughly). Pop into the freezer to set.
In the meantime, in a seperate bowl, add all ingredients for the almond salted caramel and thoroughly combine until you reach a silky texture. Remove base from freezer and cover bottom layer with the caramel, and return to the freezer to continue to set.
Ove a medium heat, add the nuts to a small pan, keeping a watchful eye over them, ensuring to turn consistently so they do not burn. It happens quite quickly, I know that for a fact, all too well!
Once beginning to brown, add maple syrup and salt, stirring continuously until the maple syurp is bubbling and beginning to cooking down.
Remove from heat and top the salted caramel layer and return to the freezer to set for minimum 2 hours.
Once set, remove from freezer and chop into bite size pieces or bars. I ate this entire lot in maybe 2 days so you could say i liked this one!
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Nutritional information:
Collagen supplementation has gained an immense amount of attraction over the past few years, for its benefits in skin, hair and nail health and also joint health. The industry was valued at an astonishing $3.71 billion USD in 2016 and is estimated to reach figures in excess of $6.63 billion USD by 2025.
Due to the abundant attention and business possibilities the collagen supplementation industry attracts coupled with, unfortunately limited regulation of the quality and quality of supplementation ingredients, there are numerous low quality products on the market.
The most common sources of collage in supplementation come from porcine, bovine and marine sources. Collagen is extracted from the tissues in various forms. When denatured by heat collagen forms gelatin, a compound used in traditional medicine. Further enzymatic hydrolysis (break down) of gelatine produces collagen hydrolysates, which are made up of peptides chains with the most common and abundant amino acids being glycine, proline and an amino acid sub group hydroxyproline. Collagen lacks the amino acid tryptophan therefore isn’t considered a complete protein source! (Complete protein sources contain all 9 essential amino acids - essential meaning they need to be obtained from the diet).
There is some evidence to suggest collagen supplementation (2.5g - 15g day) can enhance skin hydration, elasticity and dermal collagen density. The evidence isn’t overly compelling however there is some suggestion it may help.
My take? Ensure its a good quality source! Do you need it? No. Should you take it? Certainly if you want too, but it is not essential!
I like to give myself the best possible chance at getting enough protein (currently plant based) and will do anything for good skin! I didn’t those lovely olive complexion genetics - I am from the more pale, beer drinking Irish, decent.
Choi, F.D., Sung, C.T., Juhasz, M.L. and Mesinkovsk, N.A., 2019. Oral collagen supplementation: A systematic review of dermatological applications. Journal of drugs in dermatology: JDD, 18(1), pp.9-16.
