Novvot

Method

1. Wash a 250 ml heatproof glass jar and 2 wooden skewers in hot water and dry them. Dip the skewers in water, shake off the excess, then roll them in 1 tsp of sugar spread on a saucer so they are evenly dusted. Stand them upright and leave to dry for 20 minutes: these seed crystals are what the novvot grows on.
2. Grind 0.25 tsp of saffron threads to a fine powder in a mortar with a pinch of sugar taken from the weighed amount, and set aside.
3. Put 200 g of sugar and 100 ml of water in a small heavy saucepan over low heat. Stir gently only until the sugar has dissolved and the syrup is completely clear, then stop stirring altogether and brush any crystals off the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush.
4. Raise the heat to medium and boil the syrup, undisturbed, for 8-10 minutes until a sugar thermometer reads 114C and the syrup falls from the spoon in a heavy thread. Do not let it colour. Take it off the heat, stir in the ground saffron and 0.5 tsp of rosewater, and let the bubbles settle for 2 minutes; the syrup should be clear amber-gold.