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Toffee Recipe
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A good piece of Toffee should be savored. Savor its smooth
and buttery caramel flavor, its crunchy texture, and its lovely coating of chocolate and toasted
almonds. You may know this Toffee as Butter Toffee,
or Buttercrunch Toffee, or even as English Toffee. This Toffee is highly
addictive and it is almost impossible to eat just one piece. It makes a
wonderful gift, packed in pretty gift tins or party bags tied with decorative
ribbons.
So let's talk about the problems that often occur with candy making. One
problem is humidity so do not make toffee on a humid day. Second, use
a heavy bottomed saucepan so the sugar syrup will not scorch under high
temperatures. Also, buy
a good mercury candy thermometer with a metal clip so you can fasten it to the
side of the pan. When using a candy thermometer make sure the bulb of the
thermometer does not rest on the bottom of the pan as this can cause an
inaccurate
temperature reading. It is also important to read the temperature at
eye level and you may have to wipe the steam off the thermometer first in order
to read the numbers. If you think your candy thermometer may be inaccurate, you
can test its' accuracy by placing it
in a saucepan of boiling water. The temperature should read 212 degrees F (100
degrees C). If you find your thermometer is off by a degree or two, simply
adjust your recipe to take this into account. Another thing about candy
thermometers are that they are fragile so after each use place in hot water (not
cold) to dissolve the sugar coating. Never place a hot thermometer into cold
water as this can cause it to break. And be
sure to store your thermometer away from other kitchen utensils so it won't
get banged around. Lastly, cleaning the saucepan can be a problem. The best way
to remove all that hard caramelized sugar is to fill the saucepan with water and
bring it to a boil. Turn off the heat and let it sit until the sugar dissolves.
Now let's talk about how to
prevent your toffee from becoming grainy. Sugar crystallization is the biggest
problem in candy making as it will turn a smooth sugar syrup into a grainy mess.
This is caused by the formation of sugar crystals which can start a chain
reaction of crystallization (the process of sugar particles clinging together)
that makes the mixture grainy. So, to prevent this from happening, stir the
butter, sugar, water, and corn syrup until they start to boil as this ensures
that the sugar has completely melted. Then, stop stirring.
Brush down any sugar crystals clinging to the sides of the saucepan with a
pastry brush dipped in water. Then clamp
a candy thermometer to the side of the saucepan, and do not stir the
mixture as it cooks, as introducing a wooden spoon to the mixture as it boils
can cause crystallization. Once the toffee reaches the hard crack stage
(300 degrees F) (149 degrees C),
remove it from the heat, and immediately stir in the vanilla extract and chopped
almonds. Then quickly and evenly pour the toffee into your prepared pan.
Place the coarsely chopped chocolate, either semi sweet or milk, over the hot
toffee. After a few minutes the chocolate will be soft enough to spread with an
offset spatula in an even layer over the toffee. Sprinkle the remaining finely
chopped almonds over the melted chocolate.
Toffee will keep for
about 7 to 10 days at room temperature, but make sure to store
it in an airtight container to prevent softening. This toffee can also be frozen
for about a month. |
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Toffee: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177
degrees C). Place almonds on a baking sheet and bake them for 8-10 minutes, or
until lightly browned and fragrant. Once the nuts
have cooled to
room temperature, roughly chop one cup of the almonds. Set aside. Take the remaining cup of
almonds and place in a food processor, fitted with a metal blade. Pulse
the almonds until they are finely chopped. Set aside.
Butter an
11 x 17 inch (28 x 43 cm) baking sheet. Place the prepared baking sheet on a
cooling rack.
Melt the
butter in a large heavy
saucepan over medium to medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted (do not let it brown),
stir in the sugar, water and corn syrup. Stir until the sugar has
completely dissolved. Once the mixture boils, immediately stop stirring. Brush
down any sugar crystals clinging to the sides of the saucepan with a pastry
brush dipped in water. Clamp a candy thermometer to the side of the saucepan and
cook, without stirring, until the mixture reaches the hard crack stage
(300 degrees F) (149 degrees C). This will take about 15 minutes. (If you find
the sugar syrup browning unevenly, swirl the saucepan from time to time.)
Immediately
remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract and the one
cup (85 grams) of roughly chopped almonds. Quickly pour the toffee in an even layer on
the prepared baking sheet. Carefully place the chopped chocolate
over the hot toffee. After a few minutes the chocolate will be soft enough
to spread with an offset spatula in an even layer over the toffee. Sprinkle
the remaining one cup (85 grams) of finely chopped almonds over the melted chocolate.
Cool completely,
either at room temperature or in the refrigerator, and then
cut or break into irregular pieces.
Store
the toffee, in an airtight container at room temperature, for about 7-10 days.
It can also be frozen for about a month,.
Makes about
2 - 2 1/2
pounds (900 - 1025 grams).
Source:
Scharffenberger, John & Steinberg, Robert. The Essence
of Chocolate. Hyperion. New York: 2006.
Weinstein, Bruce. The Ultimate Candy Book. William
Morrow. New York: 2000.
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Toffee:
2 cups (170 grams)
slivered almonds
1
1/2 cups (3 sticks) (340 grams) unsalted butter
2 cups (400
grams) granulated white sugar
1/4 cup
(60 ml) water
3
tablespoons light corn syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
6 ounces
(170 grams) milk or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
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