Licorice Allsorts Squares

For as long as I can remember, these strongly flavoured chewy candies have been present in our home at Christmastime. I’m talking about Allsorts and this year, I’m incorporating them into a no-bake confection. These licorice squares are uniquely delicious!

I have a feeling that many of you might disagree with me when I tell you that Allsorts candy are as Christmasy as one can get! Growing up, they only ever made an appearance in our home at Christmas time, and to be quite honest, I’m not even sure the whole family liked them! However, I certainly did like them, and I still do, which is why I’m including these Licorice Allsorts Squares into my holiday baking this year!

If you’re not familiar with Allsorts, let me tell you that they are one of those candies that are texturally a little offputting in the beginning. When I first put one of those layered squares candies in my mouth, the chalk-like texture feels odd, but as soon as the licorice flavour kicks in, I quickly get over it. To me, the texture is much like those after-dinner mints. Even the slight grittiness of a Brach’s peppermint candy reminds me of the texture of Allsorts.

Licorice allsorts are assorted licorice confectionery sold as a mixture. Made of licorice, sugar, coconut, aniseed jelly, fruit flavourings, and gelatine, they were first produced in Sheffield, England, by Geo. Bassett & Co Ltd. History tells us that in 1899, Charlie Thompson, a Bassett’s sales representative, supposedly tripped over and dropped a tray of samples he was showing a client in Leicester, mixing up the various sweets. After he scrambled to re-arrange them, the client was intrigued by the new creation. The company began to mass-produce the allsorts as they have done since then.

I’m going to tell you all about this recipe and how you can make it in your home this holiday season, but first, I want to tell you about what you can expect from Lord Byron’s Kitchen this Christmas. I know we’re getting closer to the big day, so it’s time to get to the bars and squares recipes! Before I get into today’s recipe, let me make mention of the previous holiday confection countdowns that I just finished up this year.

Back in October, I kicked off the holiday season with a holiday recipe series called Lord Byron’s 12 Holiday Trifle Series and followed that up with a second series called Lord Byron’s 12 Holiday Breads and Loaves. My third series this year is the second volume of my 12 Bars and Squares of Christmas! You can find the first bars and squares series here! Before we get to a list of ingredients and instructions for today’s recipe, let me tell you about this series and more!

LORD BYRON’S 12 BARS AND SQUARES OF CHRISTMAS – Volume 2

Another holiday series, Lord Byron? Yes – why not!? Welcome, Dear Reader, to the third of my annual holiday recipe series for this season! This one is called Lord Byron’s 12 Bars and Squares of Christmas – Volume 2! I will try to keep the recipes in this series quick and easy, just like in previous years. Even if a recipe looks complex, I promise you that it is not! My goal, as always, is to share recipes with you that are not too complex to whip up as a holiday treat for your family.

Like every other holiday series I’ve shared over the years, this series will share a new recipe every day for the next 24 days – even on Saturday and Sunday! You might be asking yourself, how many Christmas recipes could one possibly have or need? Well, I say you can never have too much of a good thing. And, I love having lots of choices. Who wants to prepare the same holiday recipes year after year?

SUBSCRIBE NOW SO THAT YOU NEVER MISS OUT ON NEW RECIPES!

So, welcome, Dear Reader, to Lord Byron’s 12 Bars and Squares of Christmas series! Even though this is the third series for this holiday season, you can always look back at previous years if you just cannot wait until the next recipe is published. Also, some of my favourite recipe collections from previous years are my 75 Homemade Gifts from Your Kitchen, my 50 Make Ahead Freezer Friendly Christmas Recipes, and my 30 No-Bake Christmas Recipes post.

You really don’t want to miss one of these recipes, so if you have not yet subscribed to Lord Byron’s Kitchen, I encourage you to do so. That way, a new recipe will be emailed to you every day. You won’t have to bother to come looking for it! Like in previous holiday recipe countdowns, I like to mix up the recipes in the series so that there is something for everyone. Are you ready!!??

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Butter – I like to use unsalted butter here because there is some salt content in some of the other ingredients so I don’t want a confection that is too loaded with sodium.
• Sweetened Condensed Milk
• Corn Syrup – There are a lot of misconceptions about corn syrup because one of them is bad for you and the other one is just liquid sugar extracted from corn. We are using the latter, which won’t hurt anyone in moderation.
• Anise Extract – This will give your squares extra licorice flavour.
• Digestive Biscuits – You can find these almost anywhere these days. If you cannot, you can substitute them with graham crackers or Marie Biscuits.
• Coconut – Use unsweetened coconut.
• Allsorts – Here is what they look like. That package is 400 grams which is enough for this recipe. I do, however, encourage you to look at Walmart rather than purchase these from Amazon, because I only paid four dollars for that exact same package whereas Amazon is selling it for fifteen dollars at the time I’m writing this up!
• Milk Chocolate Chips
• Coconut Oil

HOW TO MAKE LICORICE ALLSORTS SQUARES

Line a 9×9 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Fold the parchment paper so that it fits snugly in the pan. I use two sheets – one folded to fit the length of the pan and another folded to fit across the pan. Allow the excess parchment paper to hang out over the side of the pan. Once the confection is firm, use the excess parchment to lift the whole block out of the pan to make it easy to cut into squares.

Transfer the digestive biscuits to a food processor and pulse until you are left with fine crumbs. Set aside. Add the butter, sweetened condensed milk, golden syrup, and anise extract to a large, microwave-safe mixing bowl. Microwave at half power in 30-second increments, stirring well between each increment until the mixture is melted and smooth. Add the crushed biscuits, coconut, and chopped allsorts to the mixing bowl. Stir well to combine.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and press it in so that you have a very flat, firm layer. Place the pan in your fridge for 30 minutes. Place the milk chocolate and coconut oil into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at half power in 30-second increments, stirring well between each increment until the mixture is melted and smooth. Pour the chocolate over the cookie base and spread it out to an even layer. Transfer to the fridge for one hour before cutting into squares. Package and a food-safe container and keep refrigerated.

LET’S TALK ABOUT ANISE

First of all, let’s start by stating that Anise Seeds (sometimes written as aniseed) is not the same as Star Anise. Anise Seeds or Aniseed, is a spice that is related to dill, fennel and caraway. It’s what you will find used in liquors such as Sambuca or Ouzo. In some instances, the seeds are left whole, but in most cases, the seeds are ground before being incorporated into recipes.

In contrast, Star Anise is the star-shaped fruit of a tree that is a member of the magnolia family. It has a similar licorice flavour as Anise Seeds, but the flavour is stronger and more potent. It is most often used in Asian cooking. For example, it is one of the main ingredients in the popular Chinese five-spice blend.

If you’re not experienced with the flavours of anise, let me try my best to describe this unique flavour to you.  I mentioned that it had a licorice flavour, and it does.  It tastes like black licorice.  If you like that taste, or if you like the taste of fennel, you’ll love anise. Fennel seeds are used quite often in sausage recipes, so you’ll probably already be familiar with the flavour.  Since there are many candies that have adopted the anise flavour, you’ve probably tried it many times over.

NO-BAKE RECIPES

I used to think that the term no-bake meant that a recipe was more of an assembly-type recipe. Something like a salad, for example. It sounds simple enough, right? Toss the lettuce and any other veggies you want into a bowl. Top it with cheese, croutons, avocado, hard-boiled egg, etc. Add some dressing and you’re all done! But, no-bake actually just means no baking. There still might be some stove-top cooking needed – or even a microwave, for that matter. To prepare these Licorice Allsorts Squares, you will need to use your microwave!

Some other no-bake-type holiday recipes you might enjoy are these Rudolph’s Red Nose Cookies. Hairy Moose Droppings are delicious and always quite the conversation starter! Just like these Caramel Peanut Slices were a favourite of my mom’s so were these Marshmallow Coconut Balls and so were these Christmas Crunch Cookies. You can find many more no-bake cookie recipes here at Lord Byron’s Kitchen by using the search field at the top of this page.

STORING, PACKAGING, & FREEZING

Most no-bake confections are made without the need to freeze them for long periods of time, but they can be frozen. For this recipe, I have tested whether or not they can be frozen, and they certainly can! Once they are completely firm, pile them into a clean, food-safe container. The container must be freezer-friendly! You’ll want to ensure a very tight-fitting lid too. I use these quite often when freezing baked goods. I like to place a sheet of plastic wrap over the top of the container before pushing the lid on. This helps to create a better seal. The goal is to keep all of that freshness locked in!  You can freeze these for up to three months.

If you plan to give previously frozen bars or squares as a gift, I would lay them out on a wire cooling rack to thaw completely. Once thawed, pile into cellophane bags and tie with a ribbon, or stack in a cookie tin/box.

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!

Finally, as I stated previously, every day I will be posting a new recipe. If you miss one, don’t fret. You can find my entire collection of Christmas Recipes right here! There are over 200 Christmas recipes and counting. There’s something for everyone! Cheers!