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Toffee is made by heating butter and sugar to the hard crack stage, pouring it into molds, and allowing it to cool. Variations include added nuts or dried fruit and a layer of melted chocolate. The recipe is simple and can be made at home with a few tools.
Toffee is a sweet that is made by heating butter and sugar to a temperature known as the hard crack stage and then pouring the mixture into molds and allowing it to cool. The resulting candy is hard with a weak chew as it warms; some versions have added ingredients that make them even more chewable. The toffee is a popular candy in many regions of the world, particularly those with large British populations, and there are a number of variations on the basic recipe, reminiscent of toffee, fudge, and other candies made in a similar style.
A common variation on the candy is made with added nuts or dried fruit for additional flavor and texture. It can also be chilled with a layer of melted chocolate for added flavor; this trend is popular with some English styles. The basic recipe is extremely simple and can be easily prepared at home. For people who don’t feel like making candy, candy can be purchased at many markets and candy shops.
To make the candy, a cook will need a large heavy saucepan, a candy thermometer, a silicone spatula, and a mold to cool the candy. Silicone candy molds are ideal, as they won’t warp from the heat of the candy; if the cook wishes to make a thin plate, he can simply use a silicone mat to cool it. Butter, sugar or molasses, water, vanilla and salt will also be needed, as well as chocolate or nuts, if they will be added.
Cooks should measure 1 cup (225 g) sugar and 1 cup (225 g) butter into the saucepan, along with 2 teaspoons (9.8 mL) water and 1/8 teaspoon (0.4 g) salt. Brown sugar can be used for a richer, more complex flavor, or white sugar for simplicity; molasses can also be used for a particularly intense flavor. These ingredients should be cooked over low heat, which will encourage mixing without separation, until they reach the hard crack stage, between 150°C and 160°C.
The candy should be stirred as it is heated to encourage even mixing, but cooks should be careful, as the mixture will be very hot. Once hard crack stage is reached, add 1 teaspoon (4.9 mL) vanilla; nuts can also be added at this point if desired. The hot mixture should then be poured into molds or out onto a baking sheet to cool. If the cook wishes to add a layer of melted chocolate, it should be ready to go as the candy approaches the finishing stage and can be slathered on top once the candy has been poured.
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