Another great recipe from the Bugs for Beginners cookbook edited by Michela Dai Zovi.
Click on the book picture below to get your copy of Bugs For Beginners!
Here’s Mic’s comments on today’s recipe:
Mealworm toffee is such classy addition to a simple dessert like vanilla ice cream, especially if you’re going to serve it in such an atmosphere where the light will shine through the golden, translucent shards. Any roasted or dehydrated mealworms will do the trick, but for an extra pop of flavor, use cinnamon-fed mealworms. This recipe was inspired by Buffalowurm-Karamell by Snack Insects, out of Germany.
Editor’s note: Isn’t Sparkle Magic Donnie Darko’s kid sister’s dance troupe?? 🙂
Mealworm Toffee
3 Ingredient Sugar Sparkle Magic
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup confectioners sugar
- 1/4 cup roasted or dehydrated mealworms
- 2 Tablespoons water
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Prepare Mealworms If you are using ready-to-eat mealworms, skip to step 3; all you have to do is open the bag. If you are using frozen mealworms, follow provider instructions on the package. If you have raised your own mealworms, you will need to euthanize them in the freezer a day ahead of time, then boil for 3-5 minutes to kill any parasites, and drain. The easiest way to boil something tiny, like mealworms, is to bring water in a small pot to a rolling boil, then place mealworms in a fine mesh stainless steel strainer, and lower into boiling water for 3-5 minutes. Then, all you need to do it lift the strainer out of the boiling water, and rinse the mealworms, still in the strainer, with cool water.
2. Roast Mealworms To roast, preheat oven to 320 degrees Fahrenheit (160 Celsius), and spread mealworms over a pan or piece of tin foil. You don’t need any oil, they are fatty enough. Roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes until they are fragrant, and lightly crispy and dry to the touch. Be sure to watch carefully, as they can burn very quickly! Remove mealworms from oven, and spread across a new baking sheet, which you have covered in parchment paper. Set aside.
3. Toffee Warm water in a small pot and stir in sugar. Continue to heat and stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove any undissolved sugar crystals with a wet pastry brush or wet paper towel. When sugar has dissolved, increase heat to a boil, without stirring mixture. Continue to boil until toffee has reached a beautiful golden color; approximately 20 minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Pour Immediately pour hot toffee all over mealworms and parchment paper, in the baking sheet. Pick up baking sheet and rotate slowly, so toffee will thin and spread out. Set aside to cool for approximately 10-15 minutes. When completely cooled, break toffee into shards and enjoy, preferably as a topping on ice cream or cake. If you will not be consuming the mealworm toffee immediately, it will keep for 1 day stacked between layers of wax paper.
NOTE If you’re having a problem with toffee is crystallisation, make sure the sugar is completely dissolved before bringing the mixture to a boil, and make sure there are no undissolved crystals anywhere—undissolved sugar on the pan, or on the spoon, can cause crystallisation. Also, stop stirring the toffee mixture once it begins to a boil.
This recipe is included in Bugs for Beginners, a cookbook which teaches Westerners how to prepare and safely eat insects. Text may include affiliate links
