Homemade Tootsie Rolls

I think that if you have been reading this blog for any length of time you will agree that I love sweet stuff...lot and lots of sweet stuff. Chocolate comes very high on my list, however nothing comes close to my love for TOOTSIE ROLLS!!!

I remember my very first one like it was yesterday...it was in October 1995 and my parents and sister had just returned home from a holiday in American, bearing a rather alarmingly large bag of Tootsie rolls as a gift for me. I was enthralled by the soft chewy texture, the slightly cocoa taste, with a hint of orange, a most unusual sweet and nothing like I had ever tasted before. I don't know if any Irish sweets come close in taste really but I was hooked. I don't know if it's wise for me having access to this recipe, I will try to make them on very special occasions (a rainy Tuesday, for example!!) To me these are a perfect replica....Enjoy!

Makes 22-24 pieces 

½ cup Honey
6 tbsp Cocoa powder, sifted
1 tsp Vanilla extract (or Orange essence if you can)
1 tbsp Butter, melted
¼ cup Icing sugar, sifted
Pinch of salt
1 1¼ cup *Dried powdered skimmed milk

Spray oil
Silicone paper

*Powdered milk should be very fine. If your powdered milk is lumpy or coarse, run it through a food processor or at best sieved it before using.

Method

In a large bowl, combine honey, cocoa powder and vanilla using a whisk. 

Add the melted butter and whisk until well incorporated. Add in the icing sugar and pinch of salt; whisk again until well combined.

Using a wooden spoon, mix in the instant milk powder ¼ cup at a time until a dough forms. When you can no longer stir the mixture with a spoon, knead  it with your hands. Keep adding in milk powder until a firm dough forms. You may not have to use all the milk powder. The finished dough should be firm and a little sticky but not so sticky that you can’t handle it. 

Roll the dough into a ball and place on waxed paper lightly sprayed with cooking oil. Let dough rest uncovered on the wax paper for 5-10 minutes. As the tootsie dough stands it will relax from a ball shape into a disc. Cut sweets into 1cm  strips and then into 5cm lengths. If it sticks to the knife, spray it with cooking oil or coat it with butter.Cut silicone paper into 9cm x 15cm pieces. 

Wrap Tootsie rolls with the silicone paper pieces. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving. Heaven.....

Recipe with thanks to Heather Baird of Food 52