To create toffee, we will basically heat sugar and butter until the sugar reaches the hard crack stage (300°F / 150°C). If you don't allow the sugar to reach this temperature before cooling, the texture will be different. For example, if heated to the soft crack stage (the temperature range just below hard crack), the candy would be more like a butterscotch than a brittle, crunchy toffee. (In some parts of the world, this is also considered a toffee, but it's not what comes to mind when I hear the word.) If the sugar is heated beyond 320°F (160°C), then it might not retain its solid form and turn into liquid caramel over time.
Assemble the ingredients: 6 oz. (170 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1 cup (200 g) sugar, about 1/2 cup (60 g) chopped almonds, 1 (5 mL) teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter.
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Melt the butter in the saucepan with the sugar and salt plus a little (about 2 teaspoons, 10 mL) water over gentle heat. (Low heat is important to prevent separation later. Just be patient and let it melt together.) The extra water will make it easier for the sugar to heat evenly and melt together.
Stir the mixture constantly while heating over medium-high heat. The butter and sugar will bubble and foam as the water boils off. This can take several minutes because butter contains a decent amount of water. The volume of the mixture will increase dramatically at this point. At this point the temperature should be relatively constant at a few degrees above the boiling point of water.
Once the water has boiled off, the mixture will collapse and thicken. The temperature will also start to rise again. The goal is to remove the pan from the heat once the mixture passes 300°F (150°C) and before it reaches 320°F (160°C). Use an instant read thermometer or candy thermometer to keep track of the temperature as you heat and stir because the temperature can change pretty rapidly once the water boils off.
When the mixture reaches 300°F (150°C), remove it from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Pour the mixture onto either a silicone baking mat or a large sheet of parchment paper set on top of a sheet pan. The silicone baking mat is probably easiest to work with since it won't slide around on the sheet pan. If you're using parchment paper, one way to keep it in place is to dab the underside of the four corners with a little bit of butter. That will help the paper stay put while the toffee is poured on.
Right after pouring, use a spatula (again silicone works best for working with toffee) to spread the toffee into a rough rectangular shape.
While the toffee is still hot, sprinkle the surface with the chocolate chips. Wait until the bottoms of the chips start to turn shiny and dark brown as they melt from the heat of the toffee, about two minutes. Use your spatula to spread the chocolate. If the chocolate is still mostly solid, wait another minute before attempting to spread again.
Spread the chocolate so that it covers the toffee.
Sprinkle the chocolate surface with chopped almonds. If not using finely chopped almonds, such as the slivered almonds shown in the photos, visually inspect the the surface of the toffee to make sure the almonds are making good contact with the chocolate. Lightly press down on those pieces that are barely touching the surface of the chocolate.
Let the toffee cool for about twenty minutes until the sheet pan returns to room temperature. Slip the pan into the refrigerator to cool down and set for at least thirty minutes.
Remove from the refrigerator and peel the toffee from the baking mat or parchment paper. Working quickly so the chocolate doesn't melt too much, break the toffee into chunks of the desired size and place into an airtight container. During the breaking of the toffee, you'll lose quite a few almond pieces, but don't worry, this is normal.}?>
Because the chocolate isn't tempered, this English toffee should be stored in the refrigerator to keep the chocolate from melting if the room gets warm.}?>
English toffee (makes about 1.5 lbs or 700 g)
1 cup (225 g) butter | melt on low | heat until 300°F (150°C) while stirring | stir in | pour onto sheet pan | melt and spread chocolate on top | sprinkle almonds on top | cool in refrigerator and break apart |
1 cup (200 g) sugar | |||||||
2 tsp. (10 mL) water | |||||||
1/8 tsp. (0.8 g) salt | |||||||
1 tsp. (5 mL) vanilla extract | |||||||
6 oz. (170 g) semisweet chocolate chips | |||||||
about 1/2 cup (~170 g) chopped almonds |
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I keep mine in an air tight container. Unfortunately, I don't have any toffee left to experiment with, but, next time I make a batch, I'll keep one out of the container and see what happens to it.
I haven't been able to find satisfactory toffee here for baking and eating, so making my own sounds like a wonderful solution. However, I don't have parchment or one of those silicone mats - is there something else I could use instead?
Mixing toffee into Rice Krispie Treats is also delicious. <3
Nathaniel
So if you're going for a softer texture on your butterscotch, add the cold butter later-- it'll hang on to its water content and it'll stop the sugar's heat-up.
I ought to make a batch... but for the last few years I've been being it online for some family and friends for Christmas just so I can have some. If you haven't tried this, it's worth it. So good.
http://www.enstrom.com/
I decided to carry it to the finish, because all it would cost me from that point was a teaspoon of imitation vanilla extract and a small portion of chocolate chips. The candy came out darker than the semi-sweet chocolate was, in color. It's still cooling, but I'm game to take a taste, at least. But it won't be going with me to tonight's party as initially planned.
Thanks!
Rachel
I didn't have parchment paper - actually I've never heard of parchment paper in the baking context.
I read somewhere that we could also use aluminium foil. So i used that and it turned out just fine.
Malaysians tend to like the ones that are more chewy though so i'll make a couple adjustments next time - First thing i gotta do is get a themometer! :o) Thanx for this recipe!
I have lived in england all my life and i have never seen anything like that!
I have lived in england all my life and i have never seen anything like that!
I don't know why toffee+chocolate+almonds is known as English toffee, but butter toffees were first created in England in the late 1800's. My guess is that an American family began to produce these candies and marketed them as English Toffees in the early 1900's. Soon, that's what they were known as: English Toffees. (English muffins have a similar origin story.)
No, I think it will be fine. Even if the chocolate melts a little during transit (perhaps if the package sat in the sun), if you friend lets it cool before eating, the chocolate won't get all over their hands. It might not arrive looking identical to how you prepared it, but it should taste about the same. :)
Thanks!
Rachel
I found that reducing the heat throughout the process, and stirring regularly, will avoid the breaking problem. Even if it looks like it's breaking, it will usually come together fine as long as the heat is not too high.
http://members.cox.net/jjschnebel/engtoff.html
www.arizonatoffee.com
I make probably twenty or thirty batches of toffee a year, for gifts and parties. Over the years I've discovered some variations that you might be interested in.
I usually use a 9x13 pan lined with aluminum foil-that way I can just wrap up the sheet of candy in the foil if I don't have time to break it up and package it once it's cool. No need to butter or otherwise prepare the foil.
I usually pour the candy over a layer of nuts (about half a cup) in addition to spinkling another half cup over the chocolate at the end. I usually use almonds and semi-sweet chocolate, but not always. Chopped peanuts are very good with milk chocolate. So are macadamias and coconut. White chocolate is good with pecans. If you toast the nuts in a dry saucepan right before you use them, they will have a lot more flavor.
I always melt the butter then add the water, sugar, and a tablespoon of corn syrup (it's supposed to help keep the sugar from recrystallizing, although that might just be a useless artifact of my starter recipe.) I use three tablespoons of water-or any other flavored nonalcoholic liquid. I've successfully used strong coffee, strong spiced tea, maraschino cherry juice, and orange juice. Alcohol based flavorings should, of course, go in right at the end.
Sometimes I add a 1 oz square of unsweetened chocolate at about 230 degrees. It's especially good with walnuts, and coffee toffee. Watch it carefully, though-it's more likely to burn.
One of my most popular flavors is coffee toffee. I use coffee instead of water, and I coarsely grind expresso beans, pouring the hot candy over half of them and sprinkling the rest over the chocolate.
I also make a cinnamon white chocolate variety. I use strong spice tea in the syrup, pour the candy over toasted almonds, sprinkle with chopped white chocolate (good-quality real white chocolate doesn't melt as readily as regular chocolate-I usually need to stick in a low oven for a few minutes to melt), and sprinkle with cinnamon. This one is very popular.
Orange juice in the syrup, and curls of orange zest sprinkled over the chocolate is good. Maraschino cherries (well drained and dried!) and their juice in the syrup was tasty, though sticky.
You can also make toffee with brown or tubinado sugar. It tastes wonderful, but watch it carefully-because of the impurities in those sugars that make them taste so good, the syrup burns very easily.
After dumping on to some parchment paper in a cooking sheet, I dumped the excess butter off. It's still very heavy in butter, but tastey none-the-less. Most certainly isn't as smooth as the picture, though. Any idea if it would help to melt everything before adding the sugar, or perhaps cooking it more slowly? This took me about 15 minutes to heat to 300.
If your butter isn't melting fast enough to be stirred into the mixture, then melt it first before you add the sugar. Everything should be combined before the sugar temperature starts to rise up - we need to boil off the water content in the butter as well. If the sugar, water, and butter are mixed, then the sugar's temperature will not rise significantly until most of the water has evaporated.
This toffee can easily last for two or more weeks at room temperature in a sealed container. Technically, it'll be perfectly safe to eat for a few months, but the texture may have altered by then.
This toffee can easily last for two or more weeks at room temperature in a sealed container. Technically, it'll be perfectly safe to eat for a few months, but the texture may have altered by then.
I have made similar toffee recipes in the past and it appears that while the chocolate and the almonds remain unchanged over time, the butter/sugar toffee layer begins to darken. What exactly is occuring when the toffee darkens?
I made a few more batches of toffee varying the steps a bit until I achieved the result you described - hard candy in a large puddle of oil. I managed to get this result buy melting the butter first and then pouring in the sugar. The butter and sugar never really integrated even after the sugar had melted and seemed to be mixed in.
I now believe that carefully melting the butter and sugar (with a tad of water to help) together at the start is essential to making this recipe work easily. Make sure the two are melted together before bringing the heat up to boil the mixture.
I tried your toffee recipe twice, and got the same result as farjane both times. Today I made some of your fudge, which worked out very well, and sprinkled some toffee pieces into it. I guess I'll have to wait and get a second taste opinion, though (I'm bringing it over to the house of my boyfriend's relatives).
Tip 1: [u:a9f338c1d3]Most important tip of all[/u:a9f338c1d3].....have a coolish [u:a9f338c1d3]DRY[/u:a9f338c1d3] environment in your kitchen.
Tip 2: It sometimes works to add about 1/8 cup of hot water (very slowly so you don't get splattered!) if you notice the mixture starting to separate. Or [u:a9f338c1d3]better yet[/u:a9f338c1d3], just brushing down the crystals forming on the side of the pan and the spoon handle with a pastry brush dipped in water. I felt that the more water added to remedy the situation, the more the final texture was altered (not in a good way) I know adding water sounds contradictory to the humidity explanation above....and that's why it took me so long to figure it out....but it does work. It doesn't cause more crystalization when applied in this way, it just melts the forming crystals and washes them back down into the toffee
Tip 3: I felt that heating the sugar and butter up to quickly (being impatient and setting the burner on high just to get it going) seemed to create a higher likelyhood of separation problems. So be patient...it really doesn't take too long.
Tip 4: Stirring too vigorously also seemed to contribute to separation problems. I [u:a9f338c1d3]do[/u:a9f338c1d3] stir quite regularly, and toward the end I stir constantly, but [u:a9f338c1d3]gently[/u:a9f338c1d3].
STORING TIP: Humidity matters here also. That's why recipes usually recommend an covered/air-tight container. I have had no problem storying mine in the frig [u:a9f338c1d3]BUT[/u:a9f338c1d3] it's very important if you're going to do this, to [u:a9f338c1d3]let it come back to room temperature before allowing it to come into contact with the air in the room[/u:a9f338c1d3]. Any moisture in the room will condense on the surfact of the toffee if it's cold (just like on a cold coke can) and affect the texture of your toffee (it gets sticky) Storing it in the frig, in itself, has never been a problem for me, and I almost think it's even safer in there as the refrigerator air is usually quite dry. However I always keep it covered till it's come to room temp.
I hope I've just saved someone from going through what I went through! This toffee is so absolutely fabulous it's totally worth making! And it's really easy actually.....believe it or not!
I loved this recipe, but I need the recipe (or at least, a similar one) of that type of toffee they put in the Mars bar.
Thank you!
P.S.: I need it urgently! Please! :shock: :shock: 8| 8| :unsure:
Thanks,
Sarah
Thanks!
http://uwacadweb.uwyo.edu/cesnutrition/Publications/Baking_Food_Storage/AltAdjust.htm
My own thoughts on the recipe are that it works well and is very similar to all other recipes I have seen. As far as stirring goes, it shouldn't increase the chances of separation. I think the idea is to not allow the mixture to stick and burn. I use a double boiler and so I don't really take that risk. However, I still stir constantly and never have separation issues.
On the 3rd batch I decided to lower the heat. While it did not separate it is still too grainy. If Heath made its' bars this way no one would be excited by the prospect of eating them.
I was delighted to find the "Cooking for Engineers" site. I expected a culinary Mr. Wizard or an online Alton Brown.
As I read the questions and comments on this recipe that go back almost a year and recognize that no one has responded I wonder what the value is of having the 'engineer' here?
So, if you can't get your toffee to stay together, please don't just say it doesn't work or separates - please let us know what elevation you are at, and what steps you followed - even if it's the same as the recipe, write down what you did. There's no other way for me to figure this out, and figure it out I do want to do. :)
When I cooked 1st batch at the low-end of Med-High the mix separated at approximately 275 degrees. I was not sure what, if anything, I had done wrong so I made batch 2 the same way as batch one. Same result.
The last batch I made I cooked it in the upper range of Medium. The mix began to mildly separate at 300 degrees but I poured it out on a cookie sheet immediately. I have not thrown it out but I am not willing to give it as a gift yet, my ultimate goal. The consistency if granular. Is this what you get? If so, your recipe may not be what I am looking for. If not, I still need to tweak my procedures.
I don't know how to gauge the effectiveness of my stove's rheostat to deliver a specific level of heat. My minor test program suggests that I need to lower the heat even more to get a better result.
I did not time the cooking process. Have you? Elapsed time would at least allow unsuccessful cooks (that being me) one possible thing to look out for.
BTW I am at 558 elevation. Close enough to sea level but too far from the sea....
Butter, sugar, salt and water went in together over a low-medium burner. I stirred it rarely. When all was melted I increased heat to mid-medium stirring a little more frequently, but not constantly. When temp reached 200-210 I began to stir regularly. Pulled from heat at 300, added the vanilla, mixed thoroughly and poured onto a buttered cookie sheet. Texture of the batter looked fine. It is currently cooling.
Thanks
Tonight I made my second batch according to this particular recipe. Last weeks batch came out perfectly, save that I didn't have any chocolate or nuts. I followed the directions to the letter. Tonight I deviated a little. I melted the butter and sugar together at low-medium heat, gradually increasing the temperature, once I felt the sugar crystals had dissolved. Then stirring only occasionally, I waited on medium-high heat for the temp to rise to 310F. Additionally, as an experiment, I swapped out 1/4 cup of the sugar for the same amount of dark brown sugar, because I wanted to generate a darker color.
The batch is cooling now, and it looks fantastic. I'll write back after I can taste it, to see if the brown sugar had any impact on the texture of the finished product.
Brian
I double checked the thermometer, and it seems to be spot on (at least for the boiling temperature of water). So perhaps a few degrees cooler (not a lot, just a few) might make things better.
Incidentally, if you pull it off too soon, and it doesn't solidify, you *CAN* reheat it very slowly and when it has re-liquified bring it up to the correct temperature. Of course, it is much easier to just do it correctly the first time.
(*Based on my cake baking experience, I buy only C&H pure cane sugar, because every cake baker I've heard from on the subject says the beet sugar doesn't perform the same. For example, my cake decorating instructor says every flower she's made with non-C&H sugar has shattered as it dried. C&H makes a baker's sugar that is easy to find in stores.)
Thanks!
Elevation:3247
Humidity: 36%
Temperature: 76degrees
Electric stove: heated butter, water, salt, & sugar at level 2 (out of 10) - once completely melted, raised temp to level 4.5 (out of 10). Stirred constantly from that point forward. Mixture did not "double" as mentioned in recipe notes...possibly from too much stirring?? At about 210 degrees some of the butter separated from the more solid mixture. I continued stirring a bit longer hoping I could get it back together, but to no avail. I pulled the pan from the heat at about 220 or 230 degrees and poured onto waxed paper. But I was distracted by this "problem" and I forgot to add the vanilla! I tipped the cookie sheet so the butter would run to the edge and then drained it off. My nephews seem to think it's still edible (pure sugar? What do you think??!!) - I went ahead with the chocolate topping, but didn't waste the almonds.
Ingredients:
Morton's Salt
Great Value Unsalted Butter (Wal-Mart Brand)
Whatever sugar was in the big canister in my sister's kitchen
From reading another's post, maybe I cooked it at too low a temperature after I got it melted?
... snip ...
From reading another's post, maybe I cooked it at too low a temperature after I got it melted?
I don't think it the temperature - I've successfully made this with the burners on low the whole time - just takes longer. This is going to be a shot in the dark - try adding more water. Let's say 1/4 cup water instead. I'm a little concerned that your butter didn't even foam up with the sugar before separating (the reason why you need a larger pot than you'd expect), so I think adding some water will help. Maybe all the water is boiling out before the sugar is reaching a high enough temperature - so we try adding a significant amount of water to the recipe. Hopefully, that will help. Let us know what happens.
If the butter melts quickly/unattended and you can see clear yellow mixed with the butterfat, I think you risk the nasty separation scenario you describe later on in heating. Once that happens it is a lost cause. I melt the butter first, very slowly, stirring frequently and once it is melted (but still opaque yellowish white) add the sugar and water and increase heat. Hope this helps.
I've found that the toffee keeps pretty well in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The toffee gets less crispy after about a week or so due to absorption of moisture but should still be fine to eat for a couple more weeks.
One other thing I noticed is the lack of a crystallization inhibitor. The butter helps a little bit to prevent the sugar from precipitating out/re-crystallizing, but if you want a better insurance policy, I'd add a little corn syrup. Corn syrup (or inverted sugar) is pretty standard as a crystallization inhibitor in hard candy.
And, lastly
Once the water has boiled off, the mixture will collapse and thicken. The temperature will also start to rise again.
Sorry to be such a stickler, but the water never 'boils off.' The boiling temperature of the water rises as the dissolved solids become more concentrated. Even at 300 (hard crack stage), there's still a trace amount of water in the toffee.
I have made toffee as holiday gifts for more than 20 years, and as my list has grown, so has my toffee quantity. This year I made more than fifty pounds' worth.
In November of 2005 I moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico (altitude 7000 ft.) I wondered (feared!) it would affect toffeemaking, and indeed it did. I did much experimenting last year and this year to fathom the hows and whys, and here is my tuppenceworth:
Whoever said upthread that humidity affects toffeemaking is dead on. It does. Our air here is very dry and that's helpful.
I learned to make toffee by first melting the butter at any heat that wouldn't burn it, then turning it to medium-low and stirring in the butter and cold water. My family recipe included a tablespoon and a half of water at sea level, for the quantities above (cup of water, cup of sugar.) Some years back I switched to double batches (2 cups of each,) which made the water quantity 3 tbsp.
After wasting a couple of pounds of butter and sugar last year, I altered the water content to a little over 2/3 of a cup. That gave me non-separating toffee 75% of the time, the other 25% of the time I had to add more water when it started separating, and re-cook the batch (sometimes twice!) However, I noticed no difference in texture or taste in those batches. So I thought I had the high altitude problem licked.
This year I stocked up on butter when the local co-op was having a sale on Plugra european-style butter. (Normally I go to Costco and buy the 4 1-lb. salted butter solids packs.)
I went through five pounds of butter and sugar before I finally twigged to why the toffee wouldn't toff: "European-style" butters are made by a different process than ordinary pasteurized American butter. It won't work. Period. Fermented butter won't toff, at least not in high altitudes. Back to plain ol' cheap butter.
High altitude requires much more attention to small details of when and how much to stir, where to set the heat at the different stages of toffeemaking, and judging done-ness. I make a carmelized-sugar version of toffee which is (I think) a bit more demanding than the lighter version discussed here, and that may have something to do with it. After 20 years I'm pretty good at judging by feel, smell, and look, which is a good thing because when I tried a candy thermometer last year I ended up with badly burnt toffee (again, I think because of the altitude.)
Summary:
Melt butter
Turn to med-low/low heat, add sugar and water, stir slowly to blend
As it starts foaming, stir regularly and turn the heat up a notch
As the foam subsides to bubbly thick syrup, turn the heat up another notch (heat should now be about med/med-high)
Stir gently, occasionally, as the mixture starts to brown and no crystals are left
As the mixture reaches a light-brown color, begin constant, gentle stirring. It will still feel quite "thick" as you stir.
Steam will begin to puff as larger bubbles in the mixture pop, keep stirring
The mixture will reach a mid-brown, caramel color, and the steam will have a little smoke in it. The burn-ey, toffee-ey smell will become very noticeable. The mixture will feel less thick and more liquid.
Turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla and (if using) diced almonds
Turn it out into a nonstick baking sheet and spread
Sprinkle chocolate over top
When chocolate is melted, spread to cover
Sprinkle with powdered or fine-chopped almonds
Refrigerate for an hour or so
Give the baking sheet a slight twist to "pop" the toffee loose
Break into (approx.) 3-4 cm. irregular pieces
Store in a zipper plastic bag (squeeze out air before sealing) in the refrigerator
The amount of water you begin with is of little importance for this type of application. Starting with 1/4 cup will give you the same results as starting with 10 cups. The only difference is that the 10 cup version will take a lot longer to make, as it will take longer to reduce the level of moisture in the syrup to the amount necessary for hard candy.
Sugar only begins to caramelize at around 305, but to achieve good color, you need to go considerably higher than that. If you have butter/butter solids in the solution, they'll burn long before your sugar is caramelized. It sounds like you're happy with the recipe you've got, but if you want a nice deep dark colored toffee without burning the butter, I highly recommend a two stage processs- caramelizing the sugar, adding water to bring the temp down and then adding the butter and browning it.
If they don't work, perhaps they should be added at the end, along with the vanilla.
Michael, since you have tackled oil, flour and food additives, perhaps a article on different sugars would interest the community.
Out of curiousity I recently bought some Barley sugar syrup from King Authur Flour, but don't know quite what to do with it.
I made this recipe for Christmas, and everyone raved about it.
For Easter, I decided to double the recipe and give some as a gift.
Everything looked fine during melting/heating process. It reached 150C without any problems.
However....after it set only the ends were hard and crunchy. The middle was much softer and almost like a toffee/butterscotch fudge. Any ideas on what went wrong?
I divided it between two parchment paper lined cookie sheets. Do you think it was still too thick in the middle?
Would a metal tray hold the heat too long and cause cooling problems? Should I have lined a glass tray or just lined the countertop?
Also, after I removed it from the heat and added the vanilla, it seemed to bubble a lot more than I remember. I had trouble mixing the vanilla in and I actually thought some of it might be burning because I was seeing brown streaks in the toffee. There were no brown streaks after it set, but could that have caused the problem?
Thanks in advance. I love the site. I also used your Biscotti recipe yesterday and they turned out great :-)
Also, don't forget to visit ToffeeKing Forums in my profile! ;)
You also don't need parchment paper or anything. Just pour it into a clean sheet; when it;'s cool, it will pop right off the sheet.
I did this recipe, but added Birch sap syrup in the ratio of 1:1 with the other ingridents.
Did it live on web cam with quiet a few viewers watching me, and then a write up about my little adventure on a forum board.
Here's the link.
http://overthegate.myfreeforum.org/about1634.html&highlight=
Regards From Gareth
Mead; If it's good for ancient Druids, runnin' nekkid through the woods, Drinkin' strange fermented fluids, it's good enough for me!
www.overthegate.com
After having made these excellent treats for several birthdays, I started to coat them with chocolate and roll them in chopped almonds after cutting them apart (using a pizza cutter). This way the chocolate stays on the toffee, and fingers are protected from chocolate by the almonds, when picking. Another advantage is that the chocolate tended to fall off when breaking the toffee apart. And so did the almonds.
I also have a dehumidifyer in the kitchen due to my candy making (living in MI it get's fairly humid this time of year). Should I keep it set a 35% humidity?
I made it great and gave it out only to have orders come back at the point when I couldn't make it anymore.
Thanks
Over the course of the years, I've found that it takes me a good half hour to make a batch of toffee. It cannot be rushed, and I have a special wooden soon that I use to constantly stir and incorporate the ingredients. It looks very much like a regular wooden spoon, but the tip is flattened, so's I can get into the corner of the saucepan. I wet down the interior sides of the pan, so it cooks evenly.
Usually after it hits 270, there's a tiny window where it finishes up at 290-- it goes wicked fast, so I watch it like a hawk.
As I get time I will visit the forum and help with any questions you may have about making toffee. As many of you have discovered, toffee making can be difficult.
Here is what I did:
1. I placed the sugar, salt, butter, and water in the pan and heated on low heat (1.5/10) until the butter was fully melted and the sugar partially dissolved (no visible pieces of butter but mixture too thick to be only liquid). This took about 7 minutes.
2. I raised the temperature slightly (to 2.5/10) and continued heating and stirring until the sugar had fully dissolved. This took about 5 more minutes.
3. I raised the temperature to medium heat (5/10) and continued stirring constantly. As the temperature increased toward 212°F, the mixture became fluffier and more solid until it reached a marshmallow-like consistency. The volume did increase somewhat but not as far as double the original, and the mixture did not foam up.
4. As the temperature further increased, the mixture lost its marshmallow-like texture as it separated into ghee and sugar-whey clumps.
5. I poured off the ghee (butter oil) and dumped the sugar-whey(butter solids) clumps onto the baking sheet. Their consistency after cooling is similar to sugar cubes but somewhat harder to break apart.
And what I believe I did wrong:
# I did not clip the thermometer to the side of the pan but instead used an instant read (which generally takes 3 or 4 seconds per every 50 degrees, ie, it takes 18-24 seconds to show 300°F).
# I stirred constantly from start to finish.
# I did not raise the temperature high enough.
I will try again tomorrow and report back.
--genomerick
just out of curiosity, where are you located (approx. what altitude?). I'm a little surprised by your description of step 3. Around this point, the water you added as well as that in the butter should be boiling and the whole thing should be foaming up (not becoming more like a solid).
As I get time I will visit the forum and help with any questions you may have about making toffee. As many of you have discovered, toffee making can be difficult.
I tried making the toffee again today. I looked at a few other recipes first and found that most recipes that included salt called for more than 1/8t, so I used a whole teaspoon of salt today. I also included more water for similar reasons (I used 2T water) and did not stir the ingredients while the butter was melting.
Ingredient changes: frozen butter (still 1 cup), more salt (1t total), more water (2T total), and corn syrup (1T).
Procedure with changes:
1. I added the frozen butter, sugar, salt, and water to the pan, turned the temperature to 2/10, and walked away. The butter took about 25 minutes to fully melt.
2. I increased the temperature to 4/10 and added the corn syrup. When the mixture reached boiling point, I placed a lid on the pot for about 5 minutes. The mixture foamed and doubled in volume, neither of which happened the day before.
3. I stirred constantly (but less vigorously than yesterday) as the temperature continued to rise.
4. When my thermometer read 305°F, I took the darkened foam off the heat, mixed in the vanilla, and poured it onto an ungreased baking sheet.
Comments:
After refrigerating my toffee, it has a very nice texture and fairly well falls apart in my mouth. However, I discovered that when it cools to room temperature it becomes slightly sticky and does not fall apart in my mouth the same way. I suspect that I cooked my butter-sugar foam slightly too long. The refrigerated end product is delicious!
Having made the recipe a second time, I think my two big mistakes yesterday were stirring too fast and not using enough salt. I think the air I whipped in caused yesterday's mix to reach that warm jelly / marshmallow-like state, which then separated into liquid oil and solid sugar with whey as I heated it further. Of course, when I noticed the separation I began stirring faster, which only furthered the reaction.
If I'd used the extra salt yesterday, it wouldn't have mattered so much that I stirred too vigorously, but if I'd stirred more gently I wouldn't have needed the extra salt... Anyhow, I won't include the corn syrup next time, but I'll probably keep the extra salt and water.
I enjoyed making this recipe.
--genomerick
It has been a few years since making this and my first batch last night failed. I think my pan was to big and I cooked it to fast. Just made my second batch and am a little unsure of it. Color is not what I had hoped for. Having made this many times in the past I am unsure what I am doing wrong, and unfortunately, I can't call my aunt or mother as they are no longer with me. All of that to be said, when it cooks right, it is absolutely fantastic. I grew up eating it as my kids have. I give it as gifts at Christmas. I can't imagine how incredible it would be if I used butter instead of margarine! Good luck to all of you!
Even after the separation, the texture and flavor are perfect, although there is a bit of greasiness due to the butter. Obviously, something went wrong, yet it turned out pretty much as I would have liked. I'd like to try this again to see if I can get a better result. It may have something to do with my 5000-ft. altitude, but I'm not sure. The air here is bone-dry, and the only liquid to hit it after cooking was the vanilla. I'm open to suggestions.
Browning is at least in part from browning of the butter-- you can taste that, in a typical toffee. For this reason, while it is important to stir correctly for the polymerization, you don't want to stir so much that the butter doesn't brown-- you can make a relatively flavorless toffee that way.
Corn syrup can be added to extend the glass transition temperature of the resulting polymer. Which means that it increases the probability that you will end up with a candy that has not "sugared," or turned grainy, when it cooled. Otherwise, cooling rate can be critical to the results as well and is hard to control. So syrup is a good idea. You usually don't need as much syrup as recipes call for-- a tablespoon is a LOT for this volume, more like half or 1/3 that would be plenty.
As a substitute fopr tempering the chocoloate you can either add a little paraffin or buy "melting chocolate" which usually then does not taste as good as the kind that gets all over your fingers. Your choice.
So, to the poster who wanted more engineering, hope you got your fix.
I have found two things help me when making toffee.
One) Cook on MEDIUM heat. I know it will take a long time to cook this way but it really does pay off. I was taught old school where we didn't have a candy thermometer and therefore had to do things by feel and sight. I will usually melt the butter first about half way then add the sugar. Stirring constantly is also a must, which keeps it from burning to the bottom of the pan.
Two) Take a measuring cup, or something large enough to put your fist into and fill it with COLD water. When you notice the mixture starting to brown to the color you like and is starting to separate in the pan, take a small amount on the spoon and drop it into the water. If it immediately turns into toffee (crisp and not gooey) and the water stays mostly clear, then turn off the heat and pour into your prepared (buttered) pan. Cover with the chocolate chips and nuts ifyou like. Let it cool at room temperature until firm. I have also used whole Hershey bars which I just lay on the surface and smooth later.
It should take no effort to break this into smaller pieces and then transfer to another container for storage.
So I may not be a scientist or chemical expert, but I have Grandmother's and Mother's experience and seem to do well with those items. Good luck and I hope someone finds this helpful.
I've tried different temperatures, different thickness and kinds of pans, different stir rates or none at all, and even different spoons, you name it, I've tried (I was on a quest to find out the secret) and basically after many years of ongoing tests (I've wasted SO much butter and sugar), the only thing that really matters is the kind of sugar! Be careful though, because even "extra fine" candy making sugar can be made from beet sugar and it fails for me....so that's the important secret I've found... [u:46d4df414d]PURE CANE SUGAR![/u:46d4df414d]
Also, an idea to get it to turn out without a thermometer. I never use them when making this. I've had faulty thermometers, so I don't trust them. Besides, I have found for this, I don't need it if I follow my grandmother's "secret." Our family has made it for at least four generations (who by the way came from England) and my grandmother who is over 90 says that the no fail way for her has always been to stir until it is the color of a paper bag. She always keeps one close by to compare, because the color can change sometimes very imperceptably, and a paper bag is sometimes a lighter brown than your mind's eye thinks. I also do the ice water drop test (see post above), just to make sure, but secretly, I think it's probably mainly so I can get a sneak preview taste! Yummy!
Per suggestion, I just pour it on to a aluminum foil on a cookie sheet. I preheat the cookie sheet to 220. If I don't preheat, the toffee sets up too quickly and is uneven in thickness. I tip the sheet to spread out the toffee.
I modified the recipe and everyone likes it.
I added 3 oz of finely chopped dried tart cherries. The contrast in flavors is really good.
To make it more colorful, I added a cup of white chocolate morsels and used the toffee to melt them. Then I added the cherries. I waited for the white chocolate to set up. Then, I added another layer of milk chocolate (1 cup), but I had to melt it in a microwave. On top of this I used 1 cup of crushed macadamia baking nuts (Costco) and pressed it into the chocolate.
I find it easier just to use salted butter instead of the unsalted butter and adding salt. I can't tell any difference in the flavor.
Thanks for this recipe!
At any rate, I think I've finally figured it out. I think that the chocolate falls off when breaking up the candy if you let it get too cool before breaking. Sometimes I put mine the fridge and don't break it up for several hours later or even the next day. If the candy is cool enough to break, but the chocolate is not rock hard, then it is a little flexible when you break up the candy and doesn't shear off. I'm now going back to breaking it up about 30 minutes after cooling down and I can see that the chocolate is still flexible.
Hope this helps. Also, I'm putting on the chocolate a little thinner than before.
Yes this recipe works with vegetable margarine... but the idea of it causes me to shudder.
I think someone earlier mentioned that this might happen when using non-sugar cane sugar (beet sugar). I'd be curious to see if this is the culprit - if your bag of sugar doesn't say "can sugar" and just says "sugar" as it's ingredient then there's a good chance that it's beet sugar. Supermarket brands often switch between cane and beet sugar based on availability and so are not usually recommended for baking since results can vary with the same recipe and you can't predict/adjust for it.
So, I soften the butter (do NOT melt), mix in the rest of the stuff, and set my microwave for about 500 watts (50 percent power for an 1100 watt), and cook the mix in a heavy glass bowl for as long as it takes- usually 15 to 20 minutes. I stir every 3 minutes, washing the spoon after every stir. When it's done, I mix in almonds, spread it on a cookie sheet, and top with chocolate chips and crushed almonds. Try white chocolate for a neat twist.
If anyone tries this, let me know how it turned out. I'd like to find out how to get mine chewy/crunchy every time.
That should be fine, but I wouldn't add the almonds until you take the toffee off the heat, just before pouring.
I have the same question as another person from a year ago: why does the chocolate sometimes separate from the toffee when breaking into pieces? Thanks for any advice!
I have been making a variation of this recipe for years with much success and a few wipeouts. I believe the chocolate separation happens in two cases: the chocolate was not melted on top IMMEDIATLEY after the toffee was spread or the whole tray was put into the fridge/freezer too soon.
I usually leave it on the counter for at least an hour before refridgerating.
24oz sugar
24oz glucose/corn syrup
24oz condensed milk
10oz hard vegetable fat
2oz unsalted butter
1 tsp salt
Vanilla essence
Put the sugar in a large pan - far larger than you think you're going to need, like a stock pot of a least 5qt - with a little water and bring to the boil. Add the glucose syrup when the sugar has dissolved and boil hard to about 290F. Meanwhile, melt the fat in another saucepan and add the salt and condensed milk. When the sugar has reached the desired temperature, which can be varied according to whether you prefer soft, chewy toffee (lower temperature) or hard, sucking toffee (higher temperature), take it off the heat and pour in the fat and condensed milk. IT WILL FROTH AND SPIT!!! Return it to high heat and stir constantly with a long-handled wooden spoon. Wearing an oven mitt is a good idea at this point as the toffee will spit gobs of hot sugar as it boils. Don't stop stirring for a moment, unless you like burnt toffee, and be sure to get into the corners of the pan. A saucier would be perfect for this recipe, if you have one big enough.
After a while you'll see brown flecks appear in the mixture - this is the milk sugars starting to burn. The mixture will gradually become more and more brown. Once it reaches a medium to dark brown colour remove it from the heat, add the butter and a few drops of vanilla and return to the heat for a few moments, stirring until the butter is incorporated. Pour into a greased quarter sheet pan and allow to cool, then break into pieces and store in an airtight container, if it lasts that long.
2 c sugar
1/2 c water
1 lb of regular butter (not unsalted butter)
1 c chopped almonds (mixed in)
melted dark chocolate and chopped pecans (topping for both sides)
marble slab for cooling
decent candy thermometer
calphalon saucepan
gas stove
While living in the SF Bay Area, I would easily make 15-20 batches a year with 100% success. I would start with the sugar/water, let dissolve, then added the butter, 1/8 of a stick at a time. Usually once the butter was melted and frothing/foaming, I would stir in the chopped almonds and then stir continuously until it hit 300 (or the color of peanut butter). I never did anything to address separation, crystallization etc...becuase I never experienced it.
In 2005, I moved to Seattle and my success rate dropped to 10%. Besides my location (humidity?), I also now use a Al-Clad saucepan pan, and went through a brief stint with an electric stove (now using gas again). Separation has been my biggest problem, but I have also experienced burning before reaching 300 (perhaps a faulty thermometer).
For the first time in 20 years, I used a squirt (1 tbsp?) of Karo light corn syrup (added after all the butter was melted) and I think I may have solved my problem. The first batch with Karo, I tried not to stir too much (recommended in other post), however, as I like to add my almonds to the mixture while cooking, this just caused the almonds to burn, though the toffee looks good. For my 2nd batch, I added the almonds at the end (at 300). They clumped together which caused some angst when I poured it onto the marble, but other than that, i think I have my first successful batch (right color, right consistency) since moving to the pacific nw.
Observation: there have been many other people experiencing "recent" problems with their toffee, in that, like me, they made it successfully for years, and then recently started having problems. Up till now, I thought it was my change in location that was causing my problems. Could there be other issues? Changes to manufacturing of the ingredients; butter, sugar? changes to water (minerals, additives?)
Caroline Garvey
Could someone who knows how to make this candy please post a recipe addressing these questions? Now I'm almost expecting my first batch to fail!
I will continue experimenting with the recipes I've collected from
the internet.
I love trying new recipes and hearing just what others have done to perfect a recipe.ww
rest of the recipe is the same.
this change adds a nice toasted nutty flavour to the recipe. it's seriously delicious and SO easy.
8oz. Caster sugar
2oz. brown sugar
100gms butter
2oz. golden syrup
2oz. milk
4oz. condensed milk
2oz. water
1/4 tsp salt
chopped almonds
Re: chocolate breaking off the toffee.
I used to put the toffee on the porch outside (winter in Minnesota) immediately after pouring on the chocolate and topping with nuts, but i think it hardened the chocolate too quickly. The chocolate needs time to meld with the toffee and then slowly return to room temperature.
gret
In a thick walled pot the bottom and sides stay closer in temp due to better conduction. When you stir the batch it is not alternatly heated and cooled by the bottom and sides of the pot.
This might explain the case of a poster from February 02, 2008, 12:53 PM, who had problems after moving from SF. After the move they switched from a Calfalon pot to a Allclad pot.
Hope this helps.
I did a search for "VINEGAR" in toffee. I was taught that a wee bit of vinegar helps to 'set' the toffee. The only other ingredients we used were equal amounts of butter and sugar.
A quick way to tell if your toffee is ready is by dropping a drop into a cup of ICE COLD water. The quicker the drop solidifies, the more 'harder' your toffee will be. If it turns to mush, you are nowhere near ready to pour ... I suppose that means you are nowhere near the 'crack-point' of the candy?
Practise makes perfect if you can remember what you did.
Or you can judge by your senses.
nuts toasted ( a must in my opinion)
nuts chopped
chocolate chopped if not using chips
vanilla or almond extract measured if using
I don't use parchment or foil, just spray lightly with vegetable spray (PAM)
My most used recipe comes from Maria (AKA Diana) at Recipezaar
Once you have everything ready it takes approx. 30 min from chopping the nuts ( I use an old hand held jar-type chopper) to cool time
Toffee
10 servings
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons water
1/2 cup coarsely chopped nuts (pecans preferred)
1/4 cup finely chopped nuts (pecans preferred)
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped bittersweet bar chocolate
1. Cook butter, sugar, corn syrup & water over med heat until it reaches 290 degrees, stirring constantly; takes about 11 minutes
2. Remove from heat, add 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
3. Pour over coarselychopped nuts on baking sheet
4. Sprinkle chocolate chips over, allow to melt for 2 minutes
5. Spread with off-set spatula
6. Sprinkle with finely chopped nuts
7. Put in cool place to harden
8. Break into pieces, store covered (cookie tin) in cool place
9. Enjoy!
Might the fat content of the butter make a difference? I'm in Germany (46m above sea level, humidity no idea) and all the butter currently on offer is 82% fat. If i does make a difference, what do I need to do to compensate?
Nope, that didn't work either.
To the commenter wondering about getting small shaped pieces instead of the broken off pieces--I saw this site, which suggests scoring the toffee with an oiled knife while it cools.
http://www.chocolategourmand.com/recipes/candies/coffee_english_toffee.cfm
In a last act of desperation, I decided to switch from my heavy Circulon sauce pan (non-stick coating) to my stainless steel home brew kettle. Even though this was way too big, and I had a difficult time keeping it from burning because the kettle is not very heavy, the candy turned out beautiful with absolutely no separation.
I love the circulon pans for cooking, but I'm going to have to get a heavy stainless or cast iron pan for toffee.
Thanks for all the advice - David
a candy thermometer is essential, and I've also learned when working with sugar you need a heavy pot and it will not be rushed.... once the water is gone I like to reduce the heat and sneak up on "the final temperature" very slowly to ensure the whole pot is up to temp.
hope that helps - if it doesn't sound like anything that may have got awry in your methods perhaps someone else can jump in.
Do a web-search for "Tempering Chocolate at Home" online and you'll find tons of websites that basically tell you to "work" the mixture by heating and cooling and "working" your chocolate. It makes for a better gift, too! For anyone trying to make individual pieces of toffee, I've used a coated ice-cube tray (yes, one of those old ice cube trays you have hopefully stored in the back of your cabinet!)...it takes a little practice but pour into as many as you have (pour all remaining on your slab or pan). The little "cubes" will pop out and then you can dip them in tempered chocolate and dredge in ground nuts of your choice!! You could even wrap individually in beautiful colored foil for a real special gift!! All the best to my fellow cooks for the upcoming Holidays!
Does humidity affect the setting up of the toffee? I followed Michaels' directions but when I pulled off my toffee and poured it into the cookie sheet, it didn't set up. Instead of toffee, it resembled butterscotch.
It is foggy and overcast right now, so might the excess humidity affect the toffee?
Thanks for any help!
The salt is for flavor. Adding a little salt to sweet dishes (like cookies and toffee) enhances the taste. We use unsalted butter and then add salt so the amount of salt introduced into the recipe can be controlled. Using salted butter makes the amount of salt in the recipe unpredictable, so someone who uses a salted butter brand that happens to salt their butter heavily will result in a product very different than someone who uses a brand that lightly salts their butter. In the case of butter, we're lucky that they sell unsalted. In recipes that involve chicken broth, for example, we're not that lucky because unsalted chicken broth in now widely available. In those cases we have to resort to the "salt to taste" direction.
I also wrote the following in the recipe I typed from the article: "Toffee is more likely to separate when it is stirred too much or cooked too quickly. You can cook it at a lower temperature successfully, it will simply take longer. It needs to remain bubbling as you cook it." I do not know if that is a CI quote or I wrote it from the article or yet another source, however.
Over the years I've read a bit about candy making, but am always trying to learn more. Here's what I've learned/read regarding toffee:
1. Fast temperature changes are bad, so don't abruptly increase or decrease the temp while cooking.
2. Stop stirring at all after 265 F (this also in my CI toffee recipe notes)
3. Stirring throughout should be lazy stirs, not fast or vigorous. You need to do it some, but not excessively.
4. As noted above, do melt that sugar and butter slowly in the beginning.
5. Humidity definitely affects candy making, as noted above. If you are in a humid environment, consider waiting until it's more dry or use a dehumidifier.
6. If toffee does separate, try removing it from the heat and stirring vigorously and evenly. Then put back on the heat, but increase the heat gradually. Another option, as mentioned above, is to add some more water, but don't add more than a few tablespoons. Adding more than 1/4 cup will change the toffee too much and you'll sacrifice texture.
7. Adding corn syrup (glucose) does prevent crystallization, as noted above thread. According to Shirley Corriher about 1 T is all that is needed for a recipe like this because of the high butter content, which also inhibits crystallization. For a great description of why this happens, read the chapter on sugars in Cookwise.
8. The chocolate may not stick to the top simply because some of the fat separated out. Two tricks work. First, simply wipe off the top of the toffee before putting on the chocolate. Second, consider sprinkling some cocoa on top of the toffee to absorb the fat. I haven't tried this, but have read it works.
9. To get it to break evenly, you must score it before it's cool. You can score it pretty quickly after pouring. You can even cut it completely. But, once it's cooled and it's not been scored, it's very hard to get it to break the way you want.
10. Someone asked if you can use brown sugar. I use a recipe by Rose Levy Beranbaum in which she uses brown sugar: 1 1/4 cups brown sugar, 1/2 cup butter, 2 T water, 1 t vanilla. She also uses nuts and chocolate. The main difference is she cooks only to 285, taking it off and adding 1/4 t baking soda along with the vanilla, then pouring over the nuts. She says the temp rises to 290 anyway. I prefer to cook it a bit longer to get a less chewy toffee. As noted above thread, hotter means more brittle. So, a 290 toffee is more chewy than a 300, which is more chewy than a 305. But, you do have to be careful not to burn.
11. Unsure of the baking soda purpose in the above recipe. It's not enough to really add lightness (air bubbles and all that) although some Websites suggest it does, but it could be to counteract the acidity of the brown sugar. Where's a food scientist when you need one. Harold? Shirley?
12. Rubbing butter on the sides of the pan before adding ingredients is helpful to prevent crystallization. The lid on the pan trick also works well, as does brushing the sides of the pan with water.
13. As noted by other posters, the cooking pan does matter and matters a lot. It must be larger than you'd think you'd need as candy can double in volume while boiling. It needs to conduct heat well. It needs to have straight sides. It needs to be heavy enough to prevent scorching.
14. Someone asked about making large volume of this. I seem to recall the CI article saying NOT to double it, but I can't remember why. Could be pan size not able to accommodate, but not sure.
As for my ingredients. I just guessed at the salt. One stick of store brand unsalted. Half a cup of store brand sugar, a drop of white vinegar (I am not kidding when I say a drop), and I forgot the vanilla because I was so scared of how it would taste.
Other things
Elevation 351 feet
Humidity 70%
Pan Emerial Stainless Steel Sauce Pan (pretty heavy)
I looked through my notes and I don't believe I have made toffee without salt. I'm going to definitely have to experiment with that when I get a chance.
problem is my toffee when it is set out for a couple of hours at room temperature the texture changes and it gets sticky and chewy when you start eating it. When I first take my toffee out of the refrigerator it has a rich
buttery taste with a nice crunchy texture that doesn't stick to your teeth. As
soon as it warms up the texture changes. I have tried using white cane sugar, brown sugar and using caramelized sugar. I then enrobed the toffee bars or pieces with temper chocolate. Afterwards, I would double wrap the pieces in aluminum foil . The best results came with the caramelized sugar toffee chocolate bars. However, after a couple of hours the toffee gets sticky again. Can you help me overcome this problem? Thanks, GK
1. Cook butter, sugar, corn syrup & water over med heat until it reaches 290 degrees, stirring constantly; takes about 11 minutes
2. Remove from heat, add 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
3. Pour over coarselychopped nuts on baking sheet
4. Sprinkle chocolate chips over, allow to melt for 2 minutes
5. Spread with off-set spatula
6. Sprinkle with finely chopped nuts
7. Put in cool place to harden
8. Break into pieces, store covered (cookie tin) in cool place
9. Enjoy!
One extra tip for NON-analytical types who might like to consider the "Zen" in all of this. If you struggle with impatience when stirring slowly and lazily on low until the butter is blended, take this advice from a wise woman I once knew. I had asked her how in the world I could sense Spirit's presence when I'm so distracted by housework and children. She said, "Don't just wash the dishes. J-u-s-t w-a-s-h t-h-e d-i-s-h-e-s." I remembered her advice as I was stirring, and my mantra became, "J-u-s-t s-t-i-r t-h-e b-u-t-t-e-r." You may find yourself, as I did, in a most peaceful trance, and before you know it, your syrup will be at 265 degrees when you can stop stirring. :)
Bingo! DO NOT USE SUGAR THAT IS NOT PURE CANE SUGAR!
I also have changed this recipe as I like a darker, and harder candy. I added 1/3 cup of brown sugar and 1 tbsp. of corn syrup. Everybody in my family is raving about it.[/b]
I have ALWAYS used salted butter, either Challenge or Land-o-Lakes. In retrospect, I am inclined to think that Challenge is slightly saltier than LoL, but I have never had a problem with either. Also, I have ALWAYS used C&H sugar, which is my personal brand preference in any case, and I think I lucked out here because I never would have figured out the beet sugar issue on my own.
I try to use the drop-it-in-water method of testing, but have found that once it reaches the point where I "think" it's ready, it's unlikely that I actually have time to wait for the water to cool it enough before it starts burning. I also burn about half of my batches because I'm impatient. Once I see and smell the burn, I simply stop scraping the bottom of the pan and pour it out. It never tastes burnt, even if some of the burnt part does go onto the cookie sheet.
I pour my candy out on a foil-lined cookie sheet (sometimes I butter the foil, if I'm in the mood or have the time) and let it cool. While it's cooling, I melt half of my chocolate in a double boiler (well, more often a glass bowl on a pan of water). Sometimes I use Nestle semi-sweet chips, other times I use Hershey milk chocolate bars. It's all good. This year I tried white chocolate with macadamias; that was interesting and I probably won't ever do it again, but still good.
After spreading the melted chocolate on the mostly cooled (sometimes fully cooled from the fridge, it depends if I decided to make the candy the night before) toffee, I sprinkle half of my crushed almonds on top, and press it into the chocolate. While the chocolate is setting (sometimes in the fridge, sometimes overnight), I melt the second half of my chocolate. After the chocolate has set, I flip the whole thing over onto another sheet of foil (sometimes using another cookie sheet to support it, sometimes not, depends how adventurous I'm feeling that day) and repeat the chocolate and almond thing on the other side. Let it cool, then break it up.
I've noticed that it breaks very well if you break it first at the middle, across the narrowest width. Then, each piece from there should be broken the same way, at the middle, across the narrowest width. Pieces generally stay pretty uniform that way.
I have to say that I am less of an engineer and more of a "fly by the seat of my pants" kind of person, but I would have to say that in 20 years of making this stuff, I've never had what I would call a failed batch. Some have had a bit of oil on the top (never much), but that wipes off just fine. Last Christmas, I burned a batch beyond recognition, but being the frugal self that I am, I still turned it out on a cookie sheet "just to see how bad it really is." The kids disappeared that batch in less than 3 days (no chocolate, no nuts), so I can't think it was all that bad.
None of my batches taste exactly the same, which I think is contrary to the engineer's goal, but I would also say that all of my batches tasted wonderful and I would not call any of them a failure. It's a massively fun activity and for me, about 40% of the joy of it is in the making. Obviously, 60% of the joy is in the eating.
(Is this post too long? It's so much fun to talk about cooking!)
Susan ;)
To comment on some of the other posts, I also saw more of a separation problem when I used unsalted butter, or omitted the salt from the recipe!
I cook using a large skillet instead of a saucepan - maybe I'll have to try that!
I also toast my almonds before I use them - tastes better that way! Also, when it's done cooking, I pour the mixture into an UNgreased cookie sheet, then proceed with the chocolate chips & nuts. I never have a problem with it sticking - heck - it IS half butter already! ;-)
I stopped the process on the second batch at a soft crack stage. It has a nice bite although it is grainy. Do I need to factor in altitude to the temperature? I live at 4200 feet.
Is unsalted or salted butter better, could that be contributing to the problem? Would the size of the pan be a problem?
I am trying to get this made for gifts and my time is running out. Thank you for your help.
problem is my toffee when it is set out for a couple of hours at room temperature the texture changes and it gets sticky and chewy when you start eating it. When I first take my toffee out of the refrigerator it has a rich
buttery taste with a nice crunchy texture that doesn't stick to your teeth. As
soon as it warms up the texture changes. I have tried using white cane sugar, brown sugar and using caramelized sugar. I then enrobed the toffee bars or pieces with temper chocolate. Afterwards, I would double wrap the pieces in aluminum foil . The best results came with the caramelized sugar toffee chocolate bars. However, after a couple of hours the toffee gets sticky again. Can you help me overcome this problem? Thanks, GK
I need the same exact question answered please! Have same problem as George. As soon as I noticed the condensation on the candy and the stickiness I put the candy in seal a meal airtight backs and back into the freezer. Will this fix what I've already made?
*replace 1 of the tsp water with 1 tsp vinegar (not one crystal problem)
*melt the butter first at low heat before stirring in sugar and raising heat to medium
*stir lazily
Made it chocolate-free by choice and stirred in toasted almonds before pouring out. It's wonderful and set beautifully. Thanks!
I am at about 720 feet elevation, and it has been dry lately. I was excited, because I was always afraid of candy making. This went so smoothly and was very successful. I used pecans because they are my favorite.
:D
I am interested to package and sell it eventually however here in San Francisco CA area you cannot sell commercially without a certified commercial kitchen
toffqn
Its in the frig so I will keep it there and look at it after I do my walk.
So I need a new thermometer and also to trust what I know about the indication of the colors and the stages
toffqn
I've been using Taylor brand in many forms for ... gosh, hate to enumerate how many years,,,
recently got a dial type Taylor with a very effective rubberized clip - just looked, no model number on the thing - but it was all packaged up in plastic that needed plastic explosives to open . . .
It is cooling now so I have only eaten tiny little bits like what was leftover on the spoon, but it is delicious and very crunchy. It is slightly greasy on top but not separated.
Thought this might help in figuring out what's going wrong for some people.
The edges have a nice "snap" when you break them, but the centre only makes a dull sound, and feels more like compressed sugar and butter than toffee.
Recently i went to Fancy Food Show in SF CA and followed Michael Chu advice to go to all the toffee vendors and try their samples.
First I now know what I make its not toffee
I tried some excellent toffee - particularly like something from Claire in SF - I have the card and will post it later. Also Napa Valley Toffee. One toffee had cashew nuts. One lady makes Toffee pudding
It was a marvelous food show
My candy cause I had a faulty thermometer was very dark when it said 300 degrees. By then the sugar was burnt.
However I gave out a lot of this to people I know and most people really liked it. One lady friend kept telling me Its not toffee!.
Heres the thing - the toffee I tried at the food show would really make my dentist rich. I cant eat that often.
The candy I make - some form of candied dark chocolate with nuts is easy to eat if you dont mind the burnt sugar taste. My mixture doesnt separate only twice. I think its sometimes an elevation issue and Im in San francisco.
So now what? I havent made toffee in a week and Im ready to try again -- oops not toffee candied chocolate nut bar
I also need thermometer
toffqn
(have to change my user name cause Im not that)
if it sticks to your teeth is that toffee?
I bought a thermometer and made it this morning
its good and its sticking to teeth
toffqn
There should be a tackiness after the initial crumbly crunch. After that clean break, as the toffee is broken up, it can become somewhat sticky, but not as much as a caramel. It also shouldn't remind you of Jolly Rancher.
toffqn
abrupt temperature shift [ placing it in very cold or very hot temperature even for a very time span ]
Also keep an eye on the toffee cooknig process in the very start, when butter and sugar melt; a good reason for separation could be the uneven melting process of sugar and butter.
Now about the sugar. I read from a lot of people that you HAVE to use cane sugar, and not beet sugar. But I've always heard that sugar crystals are the same, no matter if they come from beets or cane. The only difference is that unrefined cane sugar has more extra nice-tasting thingies (I think it's called molasses), but basically it's all sucrose.
Couldn't it be that people have better results with cane sugar because the molasses make the sugar wetter, and for toffee one needs moist?
the usual distinction made between Eur / Amer butter is unsalted vs salted.
note that many many sweets have a touch of salt - it's a complimentary taste to the sweetness.
the fat content of butter varies from 80-86% but "brand names" control the fat content much more closely than that range.
82% is just fine.
cane vs beet - at a technical level you're suppose to be right.
regards molasses, there's not much of that left in refined white table sugar or either continent.
brown sugar, sugar in the raw, turbanado - there's a few hundred names applied to "less than fully refined sugar"
I combine the sugar and the room temperature butter very well before I turn on the heat. I use a low setting until all the butter melts, then turn it up to medium-low. This takes longer but the taste is wonderful. For a smoother texture, combine very well before turning on the heat and don't stir the mixture at all until it gets up past 250 degrees.
Sounds like you might be making toffee in a fairly humid environment. If it's humid or damp where you are, try turning on the air conditioning a couple hours beforehand to help reduce the moisture in the air.
I thought of something funny regarding how Martha Stewart gets hers so perfectly square...
maybe Martha Stewart [b:cc11b49090]laser cuts hers? :D :)
[/b:cc11b49090]
I don't live at sea level either so it has been helpful to read about why scientifically the toffee may not turn out.
Toffees and caramels both contain butter (a fat) and sugar in high quantities. If the toffee or caramel is not handled properly during the cooking process, the butter sometimes separates from the sugar and forms an oily layer on top of the candy. This often happens during the cooking stage, but sometimes it separates as it is being poured out onto a baking sheet to cool.
There are a few reasons toffees and caramels separate. One of the most common triggers is when the candy has undergone an abrupt temperature shift, either becoming too cold or too hot in a very short period of time. Try not to "shock" your candy by drastically turning the heat up or down during cooking. Additionally, it is especially important to watch the candy in the beginning of the cooking process, while the butter and sugar are melting together, because separation can often result if these two elements melt unevenly. If you have very effective stovetop burners I recommend turning them to medium-low to allow the butter and sugar to melt gently in the beginning stages.
Toffee and caramel can also separate if the recipe calls for constant stirring and the candy isn’t stirred often enough. Additionally, separation is more likely to occur when using thinner (cheaper) saucepans, as they don’t conduct heat efficiently and lead to “hot spots” that can cause the butter to separate. Finally, humidity can cause the butter to separate, so if your kitchen is very warm and humid, it’s not a good time to be making candy.
So, can your separated candy be saved? If your candy separates during the cooking process, there is a chance you can save it. Sometimes separated toffee or caramel can be saved by removing the saucepan from the heat and stirring constantly and smoothly until it comes back together, then gradually returning it to the heat, stirring constantly. You can also try adding a spoonful or two of very hot water to the toffee to help it come together. Start with one tablespoon and stir the candy to help it come together. Add additional spoonfuls if necessary, but do not add more than 1/4 cup of water total. If you have already poured your candy out to cool by the time it separates, the candy is unfortunately too far gone to save.
From: http://candy.about.com/od/carameltoffee/f/separate_faq.htm
Also inform the reader that the chocolate sprinkled on the toffee is not tempered and so will be soft and feel oily unless tempered.
From: http://www.cookingforengineers.com/article/155/Tempering-Chocolate
This is a fine recipe and description for making toffee and would be fine on any other site but on a site named "Cooking for ENGINEERS" it missed the mark. With some tweaking i think it can be deserving of its place on this site and I hope it does get the editing it deserves
First, I did add 1 TBSP of corn syrup to original recipe...
I used low heat to make sure the sugar was well dissolved, and very slowly brought up the heat. I used a nice heavy pot, seperation was not a problem. I don't know why, but the mixture really started taking on a dark color at about 270 degrees, and started smoked by 280. I should've pulled it then, but wanted to get it to 300 for the right texture. I ended up with a nice burned butter toffee. The garbage man will probably enjoy it...lol. I have absolutely no clue as to why it burned at such a low temperature... I was using a candy thermometer, so there wasn't any delay in reading the temp. I didn't time the whole preocess, but I'm guessing it was too long, and I should've used a much higher heat. I did observe just a nice slow steady rise in temp through the cooking, once I had the butter & sugar combined. I'd guess it took a total of 20 minutes or better. ANy suggestions????
The toffee turned out alright, but unfortunately, it was chewy and a little grainy. Now, maybe this is what some people mean when they think of toffee, but I was hoping for something a lot harder, crunchier, and darker (my toffee turned out almost white). I'm perfectly willing to have another go, but I'm at a bit of a loss as to what I should change. Any suggestions?
For reference, my elevation is 5000 ft, and my ingredients are mostly store-brand (sugar, unsalted butter, even the saucepan). I used a candy thermometer (I've tried just eyeballing it in the past and had even worse disasters).
Thanks,
Armand
I used low heat the entire time. It took me an hour and I got the dreaded separation and the temp approached 300 degrees. I was able to soak up the oil w/paper towel. The toffee was better than the first time I made it. BUT, is it possible to cook it for too long (should it take over an hour?) or was there some imbalance created when I lessened the amount of sugar.
Is it possible to keep the whole thing incorporated or is it better for the "hard crunch" to have lost some of the oil?
I'm very curious. Thanks so much!
Linda N.
Honestly, I would think that even the smaller amount of water in regular extracts would be deleterious to the mix. Should it be mixed in thoroughly, or do you recommend just folding it in quick-like? Or does it really not matter and I'm just paranoid?
ok, i posted back in June about my first attempt, which turned out burnt. I thought about it, and decided to check out the accuracy of my candy thermometer against another thermometer that I know is "extremely" accurate. It turns out that the "new" candy thermometer was somewhere between 25-30 degrees F off, so when my unit said 300, it was 325-330.
I tried it again using my "good" unit, and the candy was perfect..:)
Also, I'll echo what others have said about being careful regarding thermometer readings: when my toffee reaches what I consider to be the appropriate color, my thermometer reads as high as 320 F.
-Armand
The person who posted helpful hints about cooking in high altitude, thank you! I stirred my mixture slowing and graduated the heat slowly, too. Also, I added a touch of vinegar, and 1 tsp. of agave syrup in place of the corn syrup at the beginning after I melted my butter (salted butter) very slowly, as well. Also, I added 1/8 tsp. of Cream of Tartar to my half size recipe. I do not have a candy thermometer, so I used my "nose" when I detected the slightest caramelization (noticing that it started to smell like Toffee!) Off the stove it went and was spread onto my jelly roll pan, (greased with butter with toasted almonds stuck to it!)...which was a great idea from another poster..."Thank You so much!" I loved it that way! After spreading the chocolate over it...(my kids had eaten all my chocolate chips, so I had to quickly grab my cocoa powder, adding a pat of butter, a couple tablespoons of milk and some sugar, with a quick zap in the micro, and whalaa!~spreadable chocolate!)...I then sprinkled finely chopped almonds on top! It turned out so perfect with the right soft crunch! It was easy to cut apart into tiny rectangles, too! I took the time to read every single post before making! Thanks to you all!
For a delicious twist, you can line a cookie sheet with saltine crackers, and when the sugar mixture has boiled 3 minutes, remove from the heat and pour over the crackers, then put this into a preheated 400 oven for about 5 mins (WATCH IT CAREFULLY - BURNS SO FAST!). Remove and then proceed with chocolate melting on top and garnish with nuts, cooling & setting up, then break into bite size pieces.
The crackers get saturated with the sugar mixture and what you have at the end is remarkably like a home-made HEATH BAR. Yum!
I love toffee and this recipe tastes great! Definitely a keeper.
New problem for me t his time around: I make the toffee, in low humidity circumstances (I now check the weather report to see what my local humidity is), pull the pot off the stove when the thermometer says 300-310. I pour the toffee into buttered pan and hold my breath. More often than not this year, the edges will harden but the center is grainy and soft.
Any suggestions?
WATER CONTENT IS IMPORTANT
European butter has very low water content. If you use it, add water to your recipe. American butter can be up to 16% water, and you should not add water when using American. The texture of your candy will never be right if you have too much water. The butter will separate if you do not have enough water...i.e. with European.
DO NOT melt your butter first. Put sugar and butter in cold pot together and melt together slowly. If you melt butter first, you are cooking it and losing water. See the bubbles it makes when melting? That is water escaping. Stir butter/sugar while heating on low until all sugar is dissolved. Leave it alone until it comes to a simmer. Put a lid on the pot and continue to cook covered for 3 minutes. The steam formed will clear the sugar crystals off the sides of the pot. Remove lid and hang a thermometer on the side and stir occasionally. As it approaches target temp, stir more often to keep from burning.
TEMPERATURE IS VERY IMPORTANT
Test your thermometer. Place the thermometer in a small pan of water, deep enough for the bulb to be fully immersed but not touching the bottom. Make a note of the temp 3 minutes after the water comes to a boil. At sea level, your reading should be 212 degrees. Subtract your actual reading from 212 to get the amount of adjustment. I am at 2700' above sea level, and my reading is 207 at boiling, so my adjustment is minus 5 degrees. Toffee should be cooked to 300 at sea level, so my toffee should only be cooked to 295--300 minus my adjustment of 5 degrees.
I add 1/2 C very finely chopped toasted pecans (personal pref) to the syrup after it has reached temp and immediately remove and pour onto a Silpat mat (other surfaces work just fine) and spread as thinly as possible. If some of the oil seeps out, I blot it with a paper towel. I then immediately spread melted chocolate over it and then top with another 1/2 cup of finely chopped pecans and gently press into the chocolate with an offset spatula. I use Hershey bars melted in a double boiler so the choc is very thin. I move it to a cooler place (out of the kitchen) and let it set at room temp. I might put in fridge 20 min. or so if I'm in a hurry.
When choc has set, I break it into large pieces and then cut with a large chef's knife into smaller pieces. I'll have to try the rotary pizza cutter suggested in an earlier post--sounds like a great idea.
I use salted butter and do not add salt. I do not add water, vinegar, corn syrup, or baking soda. I use store brand butter and sugar.
I immediately put the cut candy pieces in Gladware-type plastic containers, put the lid on and put in the freezer until time to serve. It will keep a year or more--perfectly--in the freezer. NEVER store it in the fridge, and put unused portions back into the freezer. It can be eaten straight out of the freezer but its better to set it out a while before serving.
This is not a difficult candy. If you have suffered a failure, try again. I have actually made this candy without stirring at all from beginning to end. I put the sugar and butter on very low and stepped outside to do something, got carried away and forgot the candy. When I came back in, the syrup was just at temp and turned out perfect.
Toffee must be cooked all the way to temp. It will get quite dark when done--almost burned. That's what gives it the signature toffee taste, and that's what makes it brittle--cooking all the way to the hard crack stage. If your toffee is light colored and the texture is chewy or grainy, you have not cooked it enough. If you are serious about making this seriously great candy, invest in a really good thermometer. I have a Polder digital, but I made it many years using cheap grocery store thermometers. BUT I tested them each season.
I always double this recipe and have no problems. I use a stainless steel pot with tall straight sides. No need to have a particularly oversized pot. If you don't add water, you will not have the foamy boil at all.
I got my pot on Amazon. I'll try to find it and post a link. It cost ~$30. Gave one to each of my kids, too. They love to make candy. We make many batches in December and give as Christmas gifts. We make ahead and keep in freezer until ready to put into prettier containers. Needless to say, we make many people very happy.
G'luck. Don't give up.
Please send responses to bradmcgill@mchsi.com
Thanks again,
Brad
Nougat or fudge?
New problem for me t his time around: I make the toffee, in low humidity circumstances (I now check the weather report to see what my local humidity is), pull the pot off the stove when the thermometer says 300-310. I pour the toffee into buttered pan and hold my breath. More often than not this year, the edges will harden but the center is grainy and soft.
Any suggestions?
Number one make sure you are using pure cane sugar. Sugar made with beets seems to have this problem. Next make sure your thermometer is correct by placing it in boiling water. It should read 212 degrees. I did this and my thermometer was off by ten degrees, I bought a new one that's right on the money. Another thing go buy some parchment paper and quit using the buttered pan method. No stick, quick easy clean up.