Special Chewy Toffee Recipes

CHEWY TOFFEES

Steps:

• Neatly line the base and sides of a 20x30cm baking tin with baking parchment. Tip the sugars, cream and butter into a large heavy-based deep saucepan and heat gently, stirring occasionally until all the ingredients have come together and the sugars and butter have melted. Place a sugar thermometer or digital cooking thermometer in the pan, turn up the heat and boil everything together vigorously without stirring until the temperature reaches 125C. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Leave for a moment for any bubbles to settle, then carefully pour the molten toffee into the prepared tin, swirling the tin until the toffee covers the base. Leave the toffee for at least 2hrs to set - overnight is ideal.
• Use the parchment to lift the set toffee out of the tin and cut into squares or fingers. If the toffee is sticking to the knife, lightly oil the blade. Wrap the toffees in waxed paper and store in a jar for up to two weeks at room temperature or a month in the fridge.

"SPECIAL" CHEWY TOFFEE

Steps:

• Have a container of ice water and a greased (buttered) shallow 12" X 24" cookie sheet or baking pan ready. ** Lyle's Golden Syrup is the "secret" ingredient. You might find it in the syrup aisle at your local grocery store, or, if there's a World Market near you, they carry it. Lyle's is probably England's favorite syrup. In a large sauce pan, bring the sugar, syrup, butter, 1 cup of the cream, and the salt to a slow boil. Then, very gradually stir in the other cup of cream, a little at a time. It is important not to interrupt the boiling while adding the rest of the cream. Stir constantly. You will notice the mixture darken during the cooking process. Most recipes call for heating to a temperature of 254o F on a candy thermometer. Or, you can test the level of "chewiness" by putting a small amount of the mixture in the ice water. It will harden to a chewy consistency that varies depending on how long you cook it. I used that method and it took about 40 minutes of cooking time to achieve the consistency I was looking for. When the mixture has reached your preferred hardness, remove the pan from the burner and stir in the vanilla. Pour the hot mixture onto the baking pan and level it evenly. Put it in the refrigerator and let it completely cool. I didn't fuss with cutting it up into individual pieces and wrapping each piece in wax paper. I turned the pan over on the countertop and the toffee came out in one sheet. While it was still cold, I just broke it up in random pieces, put it in a zip-lock back and popped it back into the fridge. Enjoy!

OLD FASHIONED MACINTOSH TOFFEE

Steps:

• Grease an 8" cake pan.
• In a large heavy saucepan, soften the butter.
• Stir in remaining ingredients.
• Stirring constantly, bring to a boil over medium high heat.
• Candy thermometer should reach 260 degrees or hard ball.
• Stir constantly as it will stick to the pan easily.
• Pour into pan quickly and cool.
• You may make a softer toffee by decreasing cooking time slightly.

BEST TOFFEE EVER - SUPER EASY

Steps:

• In a large heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the butter, sugar and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring until the butter is melted. Allow to come to a boil, and cook until the mixture becomes a dark amber color, and the temperature has reached 285 degrees F (137 degrees C). Stir occasionally.
• While the toffee is cooking, cover a large baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
• As soon as the toffee reaches the proper temperature, pour it out onto the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the chocolate over the top, and let it set for a minute or two to soften. Spread the chocolate into a thin even layer once it is melted. Sprinkle the nuts over the chocolate, and press in slightly. Putting a plastic bag over your hand will minimize the mess.
• Place the toffee in the refrigerator to chill until set. Break into pieces, and store in an airtight container.

HARD TOFFEE RECIPE

Steps:

• Spray rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray; cover with parchment.
• Bring sugar, butter, water, corn syrup and salt to boil in large saucepan on medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Boil gently, without stirring, 10 to 12 min. or mixture is thickened and reaches 300°F when tested with candy thermometer. (Mixture will be done when 1/2 tsp. of the cooked sugar mixture will form a hard brittle thread when dropped into 1 cup cold water.) Remove from heat.
• Stir in vanilla and baking soda. Immediately pour onto prepared baking sheet; spread to 1/4-inch thickness. Sprinkle with nuts; cool.
• Melt chocolate as directed on package; drizzle over toffee layer. Let stand at room temperature until chocolate is firm. Break into small pieces to serve.