What's your best hard toffee recipe?

[Sebastian]

My 5 year old daughter and I have begun to make a lot of candy at home (i'm in the chocolate mfr industry, she just likes to get elbow deep in chocolate - who doesn't!). We're on a toffee binge this month - what's the best toffee recipe you've come across? Regardless of the recipe, I think our next attempt will have about 8% small cocoa nibs added to the toffee instead of nuts, coated in chocolate (of course!) and rolled in almonds.

[Ladybug]

I like Rose Levy Beranbaum's Mahogany Buttercrunch Toffee. I've made that recipe so many times and have gotten rave reviews every time.

Oops, I wanted to add that I add a bit of corn syrup to her recipe to prevent the sugar from crystallizing. I read all about that in Shirley Corriher's CookWise and although I can't remember how it works, it really does make a difference. Before, the toffee was still delicious, but a bit grainy instead of brittle and smooth.

Edited October 20, 2004 by Ladybug (log)

[Fernwood]

I like Rose Levy Beranbaum's Mahogany Buttercrunch Toffee. 

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Where can I find this recipe?

Thanks, Fern

[Ladybug]

Clickety.

[Redsugar]

Years ago, a taffy party was one of the highlights of the Holiday season for young people (such as Noson Gyflaith, the Welsh toffee evening). Obviously, the cooking stage is not a task for small children, as the mixtures are very hot – but the stretching phase is a delight to share with others.

Molasses Toffee (or “Taffy”)

1 quart molasses; 1 cup light-brown sugar; ½ cup water; 3 Tbsp butter; ½ tsp baking soda

Combine first 3 ingredients in heavy saucepan. Over low heat cook until mixture reaches 272°. Remove from heat; add butter & baking soda. Pour onto oiled marble slab and allow to cool.

Since the syrup cools quickly, it should be folded over onto itself so that the edges do not cool before the center. As soon as it is cool enough to handle, oil hands and push mixture into a roll and stretch it. The mixture will be very soft and sag in the center. Gather it back together and pull again. Repeat until it begins to harden and hold its shape when pushed.

Now, more than two hands are needed! Two persons stretch the rope of toffee as far as they can without breaking it; fold it in two and twist the two pieces together and pull to make a long, even rope about ½-inch in diameter. Repeat this process for a as long as the candy remains supple. It is somewhat laborious, but with other people it will be entertaining. The more it is pulled, the lighter the texture of the finished candy. When the rope can no longer be pulled, snip with oiled scissors into serving pieces.

To store, keep candies from sticking together by wrapping each in a twist of waxed paper or cellophane. Do not use plastic wrap: it’s too finicky to remove.

[jgarner53]

Oops, I wanted to add that I add a bit of corn syrup to her recipe to prevent the sugar from crystallizing. I read all about that in Shirley Corriher's CookWise and although I can't remember how it works, it really does make a difference. Before, the toffee was still delicious, but a bit grainy instead of brittle and smooth.

The corn syrup interferes with the bonding of the sugar molecules. There's just enough difference between the molecules that the sugar crystals can't form. I can picture her depiction of it on Good Eats, using tinkertoys, but can't articulate it very well.

"Sucrose is a doublee sugar, consisting of two simple sugars, glucose and fructose, joined together. So, to make caramel [or toffee] making easy, just add a little corn syrup (mostly glucose) to the mixture. Although glucose is one of the two sugars in table sugar, it is not exactly the same. Glucose acts as an "impurity"; when crystals try to form, glucose molecules get in the way."

And this is why Shirley Corriher is my hero!

[bakerboy]

years ago i purchased a book by Carol Bloom called "Truffles, Candies,& Confections. I liked it alot for home use. the recipes are scaled down nicely. Its been extremely helpful when my neices and nephews come over and want to make something.

[achevres]

I like Rose Levy Beranbaum's Mahogany Buttercrunch Toffee.  I've made that recipe so many times and have gotten rave reviews every time.

Oops, I wanted to add that I add a bit of corn syrup to her recipe to prevent the sugar from crystallizing.  I read all about that in Shirley Corriher's CookWise and although I can't remember how it works, it really does make a difference. Before, the toffee was still delicious, but a bit grainy instead of brittle and smooth.

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I also have made this toffee to rave reviews. And one awful time it was more humid than I thought and it crystallized . It's really good and looks and tastes totally professional.

Ladybug, how much corn syrup for one batch? 1 ts? 1 tb? Thanks in advance.

[artisanbaker]

15% corn syrup by weight of sugar prevents cooked sugar crystalisation

[Sebastian]

Thanks LB - I'm going to try this either tomorrow or next Monday with my daughter!

[Redsugar]

Try these toffee-almond bars:

Crust:

1 cup EACH flour & quick-cooking oats

1 cup packed light-brown sugar

1 tsp baking soda

2 ounces butter

Topping:

4 fl. oz. corn syrup

½ cup packed light-brown sugar

2 oz. butter

2 fl. oz. heavy cream (or evap. milk)

1½ cups sliced almonds

1½ vanilla extract

CRUST: Combine all ingredients, mixin until crumbly. Press firmly into 13- x 9- x 2-inch pan. Bake at 350° 8-10 min.

FILLING: Combine first 4 ingredients in saucepan; cook & stir over med. heat until mixture boils; remove pan from heat. Stir in almonds & vanilla. Pour over crust, spreading evenly. Bake at 350° for 15-18 minutes, until golden. Cool in pan on rack. Cut into triangles, bars, squares. Store in refrigerator.

[GG Mora]

I make this for my holiday goodie collection each year. Recipients have told me that it's slightly less addictive than crack.

Macadamia Toffee

1 1/4 c. (290 g) heavy cream

2 tbsp (41 g) light corn syrup

1 2/3 c. (334 g) sugar

2 3/4 c. (400 g) macadamia nuts, crushed

METHOD (Don't try this without a candy thermometer)

Line a cookie sheet or 1/2 sheet pan with parchment paper. Better yet, if you have a marble slab, oil it lightly with neutral vegetable oil (peanut or canola) and have it standing by. Also have a rolling pin and a sheet of parchment on call.

Combine the first 3 ingredients in a heavy saucepan large enough to hold 4 times the volume of these ingredients (this should save you having the whole mess boil over). Bring to a boil over slightly hotter than medium heat while stirring to dissolve the sugar. Continue boiling, without stirring, until the mixture starts to turn a pale golden color, and from this point on give it your UNDIVIDED attention. Stick the candy thermometer in the pan and DO NOT be tempted to up the heat (the temperature will rise painfully slowly). Using a wooden utensil with a flat edge, stir occasionally at first and then constantly as the temperature approaches 260°F. Keep boiling and stirring until the mixture reaches 284°F.

Turn off the heat and dump the nuts into the pan, stirring vigorously (the mixture will stiffen very quickly). When the nuts and toffee are well combined (gotta work FAST), dump the whole mass out onto the prepared cookie sheet or marble slab. Place the sheet of parchment over the toffee and roll it out with the rolling pin, using lots of muscle, until it's about 3/8 inch thick. Let cool completely, then break into irregular shapes and store in an airtight container.

Crushing the macadamia nuts is easier if you freeze them first. Put them in a large Ziploc bag and hammer them with a mallet or some such. Try not to hit them more than twice, or you'll end up with something resembling macadamia paste instead of the desired chunks. Let the nuts come back to room temperature before proceeding with the recipe.

Edited October 21, 2004 by GG Mora (log)

[achevres]

15% corn syrup by weight of sugar prevents cooked sugar crystalisation

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Thanks, but this doesn't help me. One batch is made with 1 1/4 cup lt brown sugar. My spring scale is not accurate enough to measure 15% of that. Does someone have a volume amount?

[CanadianBakin']

I have a great recipe for English Toffee from the kitchen of one of our large Universities. However I read through the User Agreement on posting recipes and since I like the recipe just the way it is I'm not sure how to print it here so I'll just give you the ingredients list and a vague description and if you'd like the instructions maybe you could e-mail me.

8 oz ground almonds

16 oz milk chocolate, grated

2-1/2 cups white sugar

2 cups butter

1/4 cup light corn syrup

5-1/2 oz almonds, finely chopped

1 cup water

Basically, in 2-9x9 pans you layer half the ground nuts, half the grated chocolate, the cooked toffee which includes the chopped nuts, then the remaining chocolate and the remaining ground nuts. You let it sit for 5 hours and then break into bite-sized pieces. It's absolutely delicious and I'm in big trouble if there isn't any in the house come Christmas time.

They also suggest using walnuts in place of the almonds but I'm not interested in trying that variation. I've also made it with dark chocolate and that's delicious too.

[Sebastian]

Thanks, but this doesn't help me. One batch is made with 1 1/4 cup lt brown sugar.  My spring scale is not accurate enough to measure 15% of that.  Does someone have a volume amount?

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I'd think you'd be just fine with a 1-2 tbsp amount..

[achevres]

I'd think you'd be just fine with a 1-2 tbsp amount..

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Thanks!

[Ladybug]

Thanks, but this doesn't help me. One batch is made with 1 1/4 cup lt brown sugar.  My spring scale is not accurate enough to measure 15% of that.  Does someone have a volume amount?

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I used one tablespoon, which seemed to do the trick just fine.

[JSkilling]

The easiest way to measure this is to turn the sugar measurement into tablespoons and then multiply by .15 So it's:

20 x.15 = 3 tablespoons

Or cheater math: 10% of 20 is 2. 20% is 4. So 15% is 3.

[fatmat]

I have tasted, but not experimented with salt toffee. It tastes fantastic - does anyone have a recipe??