Best Toffee Ever - Super Easy (2024)

FAQs

Best Toffee Ever - Super Easy? ›

It's important while the toffee cooks to only stir it occasionally. Constant stirring can cause the toffee to crystallize and separate.

It's important while the toffee cooks to only stir it occasionally. Constant stirring can cause the toffee to crystallize and separate.

Don't hurry this gradual transformation; syrup that doesn't reach 300°F, or close to it, will make candy with timid flavor and chewy (not crunchy) texture. Think you can save time by bringing the syrup to a full rolling, popping boil in order for it to darken more quickly? Think again.

This usually happens when the toffee mixture is heated too quickly or at too high of a temperature. Make sure to use medium heat (or medium-low) and go SLOW!

Toffee Making Tips + Troubleshooting

Undercooked toffee won't be anything more than a caramel sauce. But overcooked toffee will be just slightly crunchier (almost unrecognizably). So, always err on the side of over-cooking!

This recipe includes a dash of vinegar which will help keep the colour of the toffee clear and bright and banish any cloudiness.

A common problem when making toffee is crystallisation. The sugar clumps together into a white and grainy syrup that turns into a messy solid mass. To avoid starting again, try these tips. Dissolve the sugar completely before increasing the heat and bringing the mixture to the boil.

In cooking brittle, the baking soda is added right before the candy is poured, while toffee is cooked longer after the soda is added. This lets much of the carbon dioxide escape, leaving the toffee less brittle. In the end, they are cooked in much the same way, but with a few key differences.

Last, keep temping toffee until thermometer says 285-295...at 285 do the ice water test by dropping a dot of toffee into some ice water...it should be brittle. If so, it's done. It will be a very dark amber color. Pour into foil lined pan, put on chocolate and nuts and, VOILA!

Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the butter has melted. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has melted and the mixture has turned golden brown. The toffee is ready when it reaches 295°F to 305°F (hard crack stage) on the candy thermometer.

What is the difference between English toffee and regular toffee? ›

English Toffee is a nationwide favorite that is easily made with only a few ingredients. The difference between regular toffee and English Toffee is one important ingredient – butter! I make English Toffee throughout the year for special occasions and it's always a big hit.

The cream of tartar crystals bind to sugar crystals preventing them from crystallizing. This means that the candy will have the sugar molecules evenly spread across the candy as opposed to forming unattractive lumps of sugar crystal in various places.

This toffee was popular with war veterans, giving this toffee its 'invalid' name. It has a delicious, buttery flavour.

Sometimes separated toffee or caramel can be saved by removing the saucepan from the heat and stirring constantly until it comes back together into a smooth mixture. Gradually return it to the heat, stirring constantly. You can also try adding a spoonful or two of very hot water to the toffee to help it come together.

300° F–310° F

The hard-crack stage is the highest temperature you are likely to see specified in a candy recipe. At these temperatures, there is almost no water left in the syrup. Drop a little of the molten syrup in cold water and it will form hard, brittle threads that break when bent.

Some is, but there are several types - all delicious ! One sort of toffee is fudge. This is quite soft and chewy (and would be no problem for someone with swallowing difficulties). Another is known variously as Bonfire Toffee or winter toffee.

When the sugar is fully dissolved, which may take about 10 minutes, you can turn up the heat to medium-high. During cooking, the mixture will darken to a golden brown. This is the point where it could separate. If it does, try adding a tablespoon or two of water and keep stirring, Kendrick advised.

If your toffee doesn't have a hard texture (where you can snap it in half) you did not cook it long enough. Again, the 5-minutes is just a guide. Cook it until it is the color of a brown bag.

To help prevent crystallisation, an acid/fructose such as lemon juice or cream of tartar can be added before boiling, or a glucose solution. This makes the molecules odd shapes and harder to form geometrical solid blocks. So it helps keep them separate, enabling a clear toffee.

Common Causes

One of the most common triggers is when the candy has undergone an abrupt temperature shift, either becoming too cold or too hot in a very short period of time.