Liquorice candy

Pontefract cakes are small, flat liquorice sweets, traditionally made with liquorice extract and stamped with a design. Allsorts are a mixed assortment of sweets, often layered with liquorice, coconut and fondant.

Keep them in a cool, dry place, sealed in an airtight tin or bag once opened. Heat and damp can make them sticky and affect their texture.

Salty liquorice gets its distinctive taste from salmiak, or ammonium chloride. It’s a style associated with northern Europe and is sold alongside sweeter liquorice in Britain.

No. Some are flavoured with liquorice extract from the root, while others use aniseed or added flavourings instead. The ingredients list tells you which is used.

For a similar aniseed flavour, try a little aniseed extract or crushed fennel seed. Liquorice sweets also contain sugar and other ingredients, so they won’t behave like a spice in baking.

Dark chocolate is a good match for the deep, bittersweet taste of black liquorice. You can also enjoy the sweets on their own; they’re not a usual ingredient in traditional British meals.

A small 25 g portion is a practical starting point; it provides 88 kcal and 13 g of sugars. The NHS Eatwell Guide advises having foods high in sugar less often and in small amounts.