Chocolate Covered Sponge Toffee Food

CHOCOLATE-COVERED TOFFEE

Steps:

• Prepare a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or greased parchment or wax paper.
• In a large sized heavy-bottomed sauce pan, with a candy thermometer attached, bring all the ingredients, excluding the chocolate, to a boil over medium low heat.
• Continue to cook and stir the mixture until it reads 275 degrees F on the candy thermometer.
• The mixture will be much thicker. Stir constantly until it reaches 315 degrees F, which will happen pretty quickly. Remove it from the heat and stir until very smooth, just a few seconds.
• Pour the toffee onto the prepared baking sheet.
• Using a spatula, spread the toffee out, working quickly because the toffee will set fast.
• Using a pastry wheel or pizza cutter, VERY GENTLY (you don't want to cut so deep that it actually reaches the bottom or you may destroy your silpat) score the toffee into bite sized pieces.
• You should get about 72 pieces. Again work quickly so the toffee doesn't set before you are done.
• Allow the toffee to sit until it is room temperature and then break apart the pieces.
• Melt the chocolate over a double boiler until perfectly smooth. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to just above room temperature. If the chocolate is too hot it will run off the toffee and not give you a nice coating, if it is too cold it will be too thick to work with.
• Set up a second baking sheet with a sheet of parchment or wax paper.
• Drop a piece of the toffee into the chocolate. Use a fork to flip the toffee over to coat the other side.
• Lift the covered toffee from the chocolate and shake gently to allow the excess to fall away.
• In order to get a nice smooth bottom, you want to scrape the bottom of the fork on the edge of the bowl, before laying it on the parchment to harden.
• If you want to sprinkle with toasted nuts and sea salt, this is the time.
• Continue dipping until they are all covered in chocolate. Allow them to sit out in a cool spot to set up or you can set them in the refrigerator for a few minutes until they are firm.
• Fill decorative bags as gifts for Valentine's Day.

CHOCOLATE-COVERED SPONGE CANDY

Steps:

• Grease an 8 by 8-inch baking dish with butter. Line it with 2 pieces of parchment paper so that the paper hangs off all 4 sides, and then generously grease the paper with more butter.
• Add the sugar, butter, corn syrup, and salt to a heavy-bottomed, deep-sided, medium-sized saucepan.
• Heat over medium-high heat until the mixture turns amber colored, about 10 to 15 minutes. After cooking a couple minutes, carefully stir to help the sugar dissolve, but try not to get sugar crystals stuck to the sides of the pot. Once the sugar is dissolved, I recommend carefully swirling the pan (not stirring) to avoid sugar crystalizing on the sides. If you want to check the temperature, once the mixture is amber colored it should be 300F on a candy thermometer (hard-crack stage).
• Once amber colored, remove it from the heat and use a wooden spoon to stir in the baking soda and vanilla. (Be careful because the mixture will foam up.) Stir until the ingredients are fully combined, but be don't over-stir or your sponge candy will deflate.
• Pour the candy into the prepared dish and don't move the dish until the candy is fully set, about 1 to 2 hours.
• Once set, break or cut the candy into about 1 to 2-inch-sized pieces. (You will have smaller crumbs and shrapnel; it's still delicious, so don't discard it. Use it to garnish cupcakes, cake, ice cream, pancakes, waffles, yogurt, etc.)
• Melt the chocolate in a microwave or double boiler, and temper it if desired. To coat the candy, gently brush off any small crumbs on the candy and dip it in the chocolate. Place it on a wire rack so any excess chocolate can drip off.
• Let the chocolate set before serving.

CHOCOLATE COVERED SPONGE TOFFEE

Steps:

• Lightly oil a parchment paper lined 9 inch (22 centimeter) cake pan.
• In a medium-large pot over medium heat stir just to combine sugar and syrup, until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and do not stir but brush down sides with a pastry brush dipped in cold water. Insert candy thermometer, when temperature reaches 284° (140° celsius) after approximately 10 minutes, remove from heat and quickly stir in baking soda (mixture will bubble, spit and increase in volume), Pour quickly into lightly oiled prepared cake pan, do not spread (bubbles will disappear). Let cool approximately 2 hours, then dip in chocolate if desired. Keep stored in an airtight container. Enjoy!

SPONGE TOFFEE

Steps:

• Combine the sugar, syrup, and vanilla in a medium-size saucepan. Stir over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved.
• Continue to cook to 300 degrees F, on a candy thermometer or hard crack stage, about 10 minutes. Cook's Note: You can use a candy thermometer or a simple trick: take a spoon and drop a tiny drizzle of the mixture into a bowl of water. If it crystallizes, you've reached the hard crack stage.
• Remove from the heat, using a wooden spoon, stir in the baking soda quickly. It will become frothy. Pour into an 8 by 8-inch/20 by 20-cm pan, lined with parchment paper and buttered.
• Let cool for about 30 minutes and break into pieces.

CHOCOLATE-COVERED BUTTER TOFFEE

Steps:

• In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar, salt, water and butter. Cook until mixture reaches 285° (soft-crack stage). Add 1/2 cup nuts. Pour onto a well-greased jelly roll pan or baking sheet; cool. Melt half of the chocolate chips in a double boiler or microwave. Spread over cooled toffee and sprinkle with 1/4 cup nuts. Cool. Turn over onto another sheet of waxed paper; repeat with remaining chocolate chips and nuts. When cool, break into pieces.

SPONGE TOFFEE

Steps:

• Combine the sugar, syrup, and vanilla in a medium-size saucepan. Stir over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved.
• Continue to cook to 300 degrees F, on a candy thermometer or hard crack stage, about 10 minutes. Cook's Note: You can use a candy thermometer or a simple trick: take a spoon and drop a tiny drizzle of the mixture into a bowl of water. If it crystallizes, you've reached the hard crack stage.
• Remove from the heat, using a wooden spoon, stir in the baking soda quickly. It will become frothy. Pour into an 8 by 8-inch/20 by 20-cm pan, lined with parchment paper and buttered.
• Let cool for about 30 minutes and break into pieces.
• Variations:.
• Chocolate Dipped Sponge Toffee:.
• Dip the sponge toffee in chocolate for a homemade crunchy treat.
• Sponge Toffee Ice Cream:.
• Mix sponge toffee pieces into prepared ice cream.