Inspired by the children's recipe 'Sticky Blobs' in the 40th edition of the Be·Ro flour home recipes book, these super easy and super yummy blobs can be adapted in all sorts of ways! Plus, they have a funny name.
I first tried them a few weeks ago when someone at work offered me one. It was their idea about swapping jam for caramel sauce and making fewer but larger blobs, rather than lots of small ones. They made their own caramel sauce, but if you like, you can be like me and cheat with a bought one.
The original recipe states to use jam so when I first baked these blobs, I swapped shop-bought jam for elderberry jam that I'd made from berries foraged from various walks. These went down well with people who don't like overly sweet treats and I also got away with substituting 100g of the self-raising flour with plain flour, which made a nice, cakey scone-like texture.
But this time I let my sweet tooth dictate the adaptation... I decided to add some cocoa powder, cinnamon and a generous pinch of coarsely ground pink Himalayan sea salt to the mixture. Rather than a jam, I opted for something more indulgent- Tiptree's salted caramel spread! Next time I make them, I'll add a final sprinkle of pink sea salt over the caramel for extra flavour and garnish.
>>> Recipe for SALTED CARAMEL BLOBS below >>>
METHOD:
The original recipe states to make 24 but I tend to make 12 larger blobs
Heat oven to 200°C, 400°F, Gas Mark 6. Grease a baking tray.
Mix 225g of self-raising flour with a pinch of sea salt in a bowl. Alternatively, mix 200g of self-raising flour with 25g of cocoa powder and a tsp of cinnamon.
Rub in 100g of butter or margarine.
Stir in 100g of caster sugar.
Mix to a stiff dough with 1 medium beaten egg and a little milk. Tip: add the milk slowly to avoid a runny dough mixture. Add a little flour or cocoa powder to compensate for a bit too much milk
Roll into walnut-size balls (or larger, if preferred) and make a hole in the centre by pressing in your thumb or the end of a spoon. Place on a baking tray.
Fill each hole with Tiptree's Salted Caramel Spread and bake for about 15 minutes until golden brown. Tip: don't overfill the holes - you can top up the caramel once they're baked.
Place on a cooling rack... or eat warm!
Add a bit more caramel spread if desired.
Enjoy!
Store in an airtight container and eat within 2-3 days.
Happy baking!