Caramel Nut Diamonds - For Nut & Caramel Lovers

Nuts and a lot of nuts, this is the cookie for nut lover (esp. my own brother and my dear). The name of the recipe is diamond but I find it’s better to cut the cookies into square because all the cookies will be presentable and you don’t have to finish the scrap (the triangle pieces, left from cutting) by yourself (even I don’t mind, I still think that you should cut into square). The cookies are sweet but it’s welcomed by brother who always says that my cake, cookies or etc. don’t sweet enough. I feel like eating candied nut with a cookie and it’s delicious (how can I like this sweet thing I don’t know, but it’s feel like a child to have a kind of cookie) The recipe came from ............., I make only half of the recipe (the recipe here is half of the original) and now my brother said that he want more.

Caramel nut diamonds (I mean square, haha)

Makes 15 pieces

Caramel nut topping
60 g	raw unsalted macadamia halves
60 g	raw unsalted pecans
60 g	blanched almonds or raw cashews
120g	unsalted butter
100 g	brown sugar
35 g	caster sugar
1½ tbsp	golden syrup
1 tsp	vanilla extract
¼ tsp	salt
Base
120 g	unsalted butter, brought to room temperature
100 g	caster sugar
1	egg yolks
½ tsp	vanilla extract
150 g	plain flour
35 g	self-raising flour
15 g	custard powder
½ tsp	ground cinnamon
¼ tsp	salt

Just in case someone doesn’t know, this is a golden syrup.

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 28cm x 17cm slice pan, and lined with paper.

Spread nuts on a large baking tray, then roast for 5-7 minutes, stirring twice, until they smell toasty and are pale golden. Remove and cool. Thickly slice pecans and almonds (or cashews), then mix with macadamias. Set aside.

For the base: Beat butter with sugar on medium speed with an electric beater for 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, beating well, then beat in vanilla.

Sift flours, custard powder, cinnamon and salt into a bowl. Mix into the egg mixture on low speed until combined. Pat mixture into the pan with your hands, then roll a tumbler over the top to smooth out. Bake for 20-25 minutes until puffed and golden.

Meanwhile, place the butter, sugars, golden syrup and salt in a large, heavy-based saucepan over low heat. Stir until the butter melts and sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to medium and bring mixture to a gentle bubble. Cook for 7 minutes, then mix in the nuts and vanilla (the mixture will bubble). Remove from heat and keep warm.

When base is ready, remove from oven and cool for 3 minutes. Working quickly, pours over the warm topping and spread evenly. Return pan to oven and bake for 10-15 minutes until top is golden and slightly bubbly. Transfer pan to a wire rack.

Cool slightly for 5 minutes. Gently loosen sides around pan. Make diagonal slices across the pan in opposite directions to make diamonds (If you want to make a diamond cut, or just cut into squares). Cool completely in pan, then remove and store in an airtight container, between sheets of baking paper, for up to 5 days.

Adaptation from: Delicious Magazine issue June 08 (recipe by Belinda Jeffery)