Sweet snacks are the fall down of many people trying to curb their sugar intake with many tempting products on supermarket shelves.
But making snacks from whole ingredients is much healthier than ultra-processed options, as recommended by the NHS, even if they do contain some sugar.
Baking extraordinaire Mary Berry has a tasty formula for those in the market for a new recipe, and it includes two simple ingredients; fruit and dark chocolate.
In a recipe for her lemon Madeira cake, Mary suggests topping the cake with just three strips of lemon peel. She suggests using any leftover candied peel to be dipped in dark chocolate “as a treat”.
The delicious treat is perfect for grazing and can be made in the form of candied fruit slices if you have more than just leftover peel lurking in the kitchen.
Candied fruit slices are easy to make, just start by making a ‘simple syrup’ with lemon and water.
Do this by mixing the lemon and sugar in a saucepan until the granules have dissolved into a slightly thick liquid.
Stir over medium heat on the hob and bring to a simmer – the mixture should be lightly bubbling but not boiling or the sugar will burn.
Slice up the fruit into very thin slices, around one-eighth of an inch. Lay them in a single layer in the pan of sugar water and simmer for another 15 minutes, until the rinds appear softened and slightly translucent.
Now, carefully remove the slices from the pan, allowing the excess syrup to drip off of the fruit.
Cover a baking tray with parchment paper and arrange the fruit in a single layer at room temperature, then leave them to dry.
They should be dry but still a little tacky to the touch. Dip in granulated sugar or, follow Mary’s suggestion and coat them in melted chocolate.
Simply break up some 70 percent dark chocolate (or stronger if you like), and melt it in a bowl in the microwave at 10-second intervals taking care not to burn it.
Dip the fruit slices in the melted chocolate and lay them on the baking tray ready to put them in the fridge or freezer to cool (no more than an hour in the freezer).
Serve on their own or as a topping for a delicious sweet dessert.
