October 29, 2015 – Simple-to-Make, English Toffee

In This Issue:

RECIPE: Handmade English Toffee
Pro Tips for Making Toffee Change It Up!
<Key Essentials for Making Toffee>
Kitchen Alchemy with Sugar

INTRO   

“Simple-to-Make English Toffee”

INTRO TEXT   

Crunchy, buttery handmade toffee is one of our favorite little indulgences. The rich caramel flavors are especially nice to enjoy in the autumn. If you’ve never made toffee, you’re in for a nice surprise – it’s super simple to make! Try making a batch – it’s perfect for giving and sharing with others.

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MAIN BODY:

Handmade English Toffee

Are you among the many that love toffee? Some cite the buttery flavor as the reason; others like the rich caramel taste, and still others mention the crunchy texture. Whatever the reason, toffee is a big favorite! With just a few ingredients and some kitchen alchemy, delicious toffee can be made. The process is easy and foolproof when a candy thermometer is used. The other secret to great toffee is proper toasting of the nuts. We’ll walk you through the all the steps needed for immediate success!

Pro Tips for Making Toffee:
(1) Prepare the Pan Ahead of Time – When the toffee mixture reaches the magic 300°F temperature, things happen quickly! Have your pan lined with parchment paper and lightly buttered.

(2) Do Toast the Nuts – Amazing flavors happen when nuts are toasted! Once finely chopped, (we use our food processor to uniformly chop the nuts), spread in a single layer on a sheet pan and toast in the oven until fragrant and lightly browned. It’s a process that happens quickly, so keep an eye on things. Transfer the toasted nuts to another sheet to halt the toasting process.

(3) Stir, then Don’t Stir – Initially, while the butter is melting and the sugar dissolving, it is important to stir the mixture to prevent any sticking and burning at the bottom. Once fully dissolved and boiling, stir only occasionally, letting the boiling create the mixing motion.

(4) Use a Thermometer – Sugar changes character at different temperatures. The one key trick to successful toffee is to use a candy thermometer that lets you know precisely when the magic moment is occurring. For best accuracy, place the tip of the thermometer at mid-depth, not touching the bottom or sides of the pan. (Candy thermometers have a broader range than meat thermometers.)

(5) Use the Right Utensils – Choose your stirring and scraping utensils carefully, ones that do not conduct heat. As well, avoid the wooden spoon that you use when sautéing onions – residual flavors may show up in the toffee! We like to use silicone spatulas that are high temperature safe and odor-resistant.

(6) Select a deep pot – The cooking toffee mixture will boil and bubble; choose a deep pot that allows enough room without risking any overflowing. For the recipe here, we used one of our 5.5 qt. enameled cast iron pots.

(7) Practice sugar safety –Take care around hot sugar preparations. Avoid splatters or touching the molten mixture; it can stick to your skin and burn quickly. Needless to say, don’t lick the spoon until it has cooled!

Change it Up!

(1) Use Different Molds – Silicone molds are heat tolerant and magically release hardened toffee pieces. Enjoy the different shapes as is, or dip in your favorite chocolate.

(2) Try pecans or walnuts, or your favorite nut – Classic toffee is typically made with almonds, and that’s our favorite, but there’s no reason it wouldn’t be just as perfect with other nuts. Or, if you’re not as nutty as we are, omit the nuts altogether – still super delicious!

(3) Bag It, and Share – As the holiday season continues, you’ll find that this toffee is the perfect little gift for sharing. The recipes makes  enough to fill 6-7 generous bags, or 10-12 smaller bags or boxes. You’ll have friends asking for the recipe!

Key Essentials for Making Toffee:

CANDY THERMOMETER
Homemade treats turn out every time with the help of a thermometer that captures the exact timing needed.

LE CREUSET 5.5 QT. ROUND OVEN
Toffee-making is another perfect use of this versatile pot! The cast iron transfers heat evenly and steadily.

ATECO OFFSET SPATULA
Such a simple design that makes spreading and frosting a cinch. It’s one of those little tools that makes life easy!

USA PAN QUARTER SHEET
This is the ideal pan for this toffee recipe. The toffee will have the ideal thickness of about a 1/4-inch.	

NIELSEN-MASSEY VANILLA EXTRACT	
Vanilla is an essential flavor for great toffee and in a lot of holiday baking. 

SILICONE SPATULA
Scrape down the sides easily with this spatula that is tolerant to high temperatures and is odor-resistant.

Kitchen Alchemy with Sugar

Toffee, taffy, caramels, whatever your sweet indulgence might be, understanding what’s going at the molecular level helps explain how and when the magic happens. When sugar is heated complex bonds are broken, others are formed. As the sugar and butter heats and boils, evaporation occurs and the mixture concentrates. Once cooled, the changed molecules take on different characteristics based on the temperature it reaches. All of this works to the advantage of the candy maker.

Here are some of the stages that sugar goes through as it heats:
230-235°F – Thread Stage – Sugar concentration = 80%. Sugar cooked to this stage will be syrupy and clear in character.
235-240°F – Soft-Ball Stage – Sugar concentration = 85%. The sugar dropped in a cup of cold water will form a soft, pliable ball. When removed from the water and placed in a spoon, it will spread and flatten.
245-250°F – Firm-Ball Stage – Sugar concentration = 87%. A drop of sugar in a cup of cold water will form a firm ball. When removed from the water, it will keep its shape but can still be squished between the fingers.
250-265°F – Hard-Ball Stage – Sugar concentration = 92%. The sugar dripping from a spoon forms threads. A drop in cold water forms a hard ball that will not flatten between your fingers.
270-290°F – Soft-Crack Stage – Sugar concentration = 95%. Smaller, tightly packed bubbles appear on the surface of the cooking sugar. When dripped into cold water, the sugar forms flexible, bendable threads.
300-310°F – Hard-Crack Stage – Sugar concentration = 99%. Sugar at this stage it is very hot. A drop placed in cold water forms hard, brittle threads that crack when bent.
320 - 338°F – Caramel Stage – Sugar concentration = 100%. Sugar at this stage is caramelizing. There is no water left in the sugar; it is light amber in color at the low end of the range, and a dark amber as it becomes hotter.
350°F – Burnt-Sugar Stage – Sugar concentration = 100%. The sugar begins to burn at this temperature turning bitter in the process.