Dark Chocolate, Hazelnut and Dried Apricot Toffee

Lightly oil a small, lipped metal baking tray, about 20 cm square, with vegetable oil.

Put the water, butter, salt, both sugars and the spice in a heavy-based saucepan and cook, stirring as little as possible, until it registers 140 ̊C on a sugar thermometer.

Remove from the heat and using a wooden spoon, stir in the baking soda and vanilla. It will bubble up a little.

Pour the mixture into the tray and tilt to form an even layer. Leave for 2 minutes to firm up a little then scatter over the chocolate. Leave for 1 minute then scatter over the combined hazelnuts and apricots and gently push into the melted chocolate. Allow to cool completely before removing from the tin. Break or cut into pieces and store in an airtight container, placing between sheets of baking paper to prevent them sticking together, for 8-10 days.

Cook's tip: Delicious, buttery toffee is easy to make successfully if you have a sugar thermometer. Available from good kitchenware shops, they are invaluable when cooking sweets, jams and for deep frying. Look for one that clips onto the side of the pan.