A Taste of the Surreal

Rather than sharing a recipe for a melting wheel of already soft cheese in honor of Salvador Dali, I wanted to share this recipe for Salvador Dali’s Toffee with Pine Cones, which we had the chance of recreating for an art event in San Francisco a few years ago.

Toffee with pine cones
by Salvador Dali, 1973

2 ¼ lbs of sugar 1 cup of water 1 teaspoon of butter 1 slab of marble 1 tablespoon of pine needle oil* 7 oz of pine nuts

In a saucepan, combine the sugar and water and cook over medium flame. Be careful: you have to watch the process since the sugar is turning to toffee (or caramel, however you want to call it). It can burn very fast.

When it turns brown and has started to smell like something burnt, remove quickly from the fire. Add the tablespoon of butter which will melt right away. You don’t have to stir.

Grease the slab of marble with oil; pour the toffee on it. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, work it, combining it with the pine nuts.

Soon it will be cool enough for you to use your hands.

Watch it: don’t let it harden too much. Squeeze tin the palm of your hand and form little sausages which you will cut to candy size. Allow to thoroughly cool. *Pine needle oil: Place some needles into a mason jar one quarter full; add olive oil until all the needles are covered. Let infuse for 3 weeks (out of direct sunlight), then strain.