Toffee making and butter

[Darienne]

In Canada, confectionery partner, Barbara, and I have made an Enstrom Copycat toffee many times. Toffee full of almond slivers, coated on both sides with chocolate, sprinkled with finely chopped almonds. Yummm... We always wipe the toffee with a paper towel and sprinkle it with cocoa (thanks Kerry) before pouring on the chocolate. Good job. No problems.

Now I am in Moab making toffee again. The first batch I used City Market butter, $2,79, a Kroger product. The pan of toffee was SWIMMING in oil. I actually poured some of it off before finishing the chocolate part.

So I thought. Have I done something wrong this time? Unfamiliar stove, 4,000 feet elevation, American cane sugar, etc, etc.

Today I made the toffee again, this time using Challenger butter which costs much more, $4.49, with NO problems at all. Almost no oil surface at all. Lovely toffee.

So...there is a difference in butters which makes a difference in toffee. Am I correct?

[CaliPoutine]

I love Challenge Butter. Do you have a Sprouts by you? They have an organic butter( I think its called Harvest something or other). Its great, very yellow. Its on sale this week for 3.99lb.

[Darienne]

We have a Village Market (Western Family) and a City Market (Kroger). The next place with a grocery store is two hours away. I'll look in the organic section in the City Market and see what they have.

[Kerry Beal]

Sometimes the oil separates - fixes are to stir harder, add a drizzle of water - can't recall others but i think it was discussed under buttercrunch in the confectionery course.

[Darienne]

Sometimes the oil separates - fixes are to stir harder, add a drizzle of water - can't recall others but i think it was discussed under buttercrunch in the confectionery course.

In other words, you are saying that the quality of butter has nothing to do with my earlier problem.

The mixture did not separate while I was cooking it. And it went down into the pan just fine. It was only upon hardening that I found this layer of oily stuff on top of the toffee. Once it was removed, the toffee was fine.

I shall try to find the section referred to.

[Kerry Beal]

I suspect it's not the butter. Poor quality butter just has more water in it - that will boil out to get it up to temperature.

[Darienne]

Thanks. I needed that piece of information.

[annachan]

I have a recipe that use equal amounts of butter and margarine. I have notice that some brands do give me that oily problem. Since I use both oils, I'm not sure which one is the issue.

[Darienne]

Twice since returning home I have had troubles with the butter separating in my toffee. Now I have settled down and done the research properly I should have done after the first problem. Shame on me.

However, I have over a cup of what looks like ghee from today's minor disaster. (The finished toffee tastes fine and I'll never tell.) What can I do with it? I have never used ghee before in non-Indian cooking. Can I use it in a non-exotic fashion, say substituting it completely or partly for butter in something or other?

Thanks. And I hope I've learned my lesson.

[annachan]

However, I have over a cup of what looks like ghee from today's minor disaster. (The finished toffee tastes fine and I'll never tell.) What can I do with it? I have never used ghee before in non-Indian cooking. Can I use it in a non-exotic fashion, say substituting it completely or partly for butter in something or other?

My friend used to save it for toast.

[Pierogi]

Twice since returning home I have had troubles with the butter separating in my toffee. Now I have settled down and done the research properly I should have done after the first problem. Shame on me.

...

So, what was the final solution? I'm thinking seriously about dipping my toe into the pool of candy making by starting with making toffee. I'd flat freak-out and quit candy forever if I had an oil slick on my first batch...

[Darienne]

Thia was not an oil slick...this was a great pool. Over one cup. I really blew it. I did about four things incorrectly. Live and learn, learn, learn...

There are a number of places to look for useful information. Kerry Beal's eG course, Confectionery 101, down in the "Toffee" section, Baking 911.com- about not having the butter separate out. There's another topic...English Toffee. They'll all give your tips on the butter aspect of the task and also so as the chocolate does not flake off the finished toffee.

Edited December 8, 2010 by Darienne (log)