Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Cooling Time: 1 hour
Yield: Makes about 10-12 sticks
I love the Darrell Lea Batch 37 liquorice. It’s distinctively liquorice, but the texture and flavour seem to be different to any other I have ever tasted.
Looking at the ingredients, it seems to be a traditional liquorice recipe with a few little additions. In the commercial production of liquorice, more specialised ingredients may be used. The flavour is primarily from liquorice root extract, which is more potent and has a distinctive flavour. In our version, we’ve substituted this with liquorice powder, which is easier for the home cook to source.
Traditional liquorice is often extruded through a machine to create uniformly shaped pieces. In the homemade version, shaping the liquorice into pieces is done manually, so they may not be as uniform. Additionally, we used honey as a glazing agent, whereas commercial products might use Carnauba wax or other specific agents to give their products a glossy finish.
Many of these products can be sourced from a store. However, the liquorice extract and aniseed oil may need to be sourced from a speciality grocer or health food store. I bought these things off Amazon. I have linked some of the speciality products to Amazon. I find it’s the best place to source these things.
Ingredients:
- 150g White Sugar
- 120g Glucose Syrup
- 40g Wheat Flour
- 40g Molasses
- 20g Wheat Bran
- 20g Sunflower Oil
- 1g Liquorice Extract (approximately 1/4 teaspoon)
- 0.1g Pure Anise Oil (use sparingly!)
- A pinch of Salt
- 2 Egg Yolks
- 1 Tablespoon Honey
Instructions:
- Place sugar, glucose syrup, molasses, and wheat flour in a large saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring regularly until the ingredients blend into a smooth and uniform mixture.
- Add the sunflower oil, liquorice extract, anise oil, and salt into the saucepan. Stir until all the ingredients are well combined.
- As you keep stirring, gradually add in the egg yolks. The yolks will enhance the smoothness and prevent the mixture from separating.
- Let the mixture simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
- After 30 minutes, add the wheat bran. Stir swiftly to mix well. The mixture will now look thicker.
- Pour the mixture onto a flat, greased surface or onto wax paper. Allow it to cool.
- Once the mixture is cool enough to handle, cut it into strips and shape them as you prefer.
- Finally, apply a small amount of honey on your liquorice with a brush. This will add a subtle sweetness and give your liquorice a shiny, eye-catching finish.
