Christmas Toffee Food

ENGLISH TOFFEE

Steps:

• In heavy saucepan, combine butter, sugar, water, and salt.
• Cook to hard-crack stage (300°F) stirring with a WOODEN SPOON constantly and watching carefully. Do not try a plastic spoon, it will melt into your delicious candy!
• Immediately pour into ungreased 13"x9" pan.
• Cool until hard.
• Melt chocolate over hot, but not boiling water.
• Spread over toffee; sprinkle with nuts, pressing them into chocolate.
• Let stand 2-3 hours or chill 30 minutes.
• Break into bite-size pieces.

CHRISTMAS ALMOND TOFFEE

Steps:

• Grease a 15x10x1-in. pan with 1 tablespoon butter; set aside. In a large heavy saucepan, melt remaining butter. Add sugar, slivered almonds, water and salt; cook and stir over medium heat until a candy thermometer reads 295° (approaching hard-crack stage). Remove from heat; stir in vanilla., Quickly pour into prepared pan. Let stand at room temperature until cool, about 1 hour., In a microwave, melt 1 cup chocolate chips; spread over toffee. Refrigerate 45 minutes or until set. Invert onto an ungreased large baking sheet. Melt remaining chips; spread over toffee. Sprinkle with chopped almonds. Let stand 1 hour. Break into bite-size pieces. Store in an airtight container.

STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING

Steps:

• For the sauce: In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, combine 1 1/4 cups of the heavy cream, the sugar, corn syrup and butter. Cook, stirring often, until a dark amber color, about 40 minutes. Carefully add the remaining 1 1/4 cups heavy cream. IT WILL BUBBLE UP AND IT IS HOT!
• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease seven 1/2 cup ramekins and set aside.
• Combine the dates and 3/4 cup water in a small saucepan and cook until the dates are softened, about 15 minutes. Puree in a blender and cool. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the brown sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla, egg, zest and date puree. Stir in the dry ingredients. Divide into the prepared ramekins and bake about 20 minutes. Cool slightly and remove the cakes from the ramekins. Slice the cakes in half horizontally. Rinse out the ramekins. Pour a little toffee sauce in the bottom of the ramekins and top with the bottom layer of the cake. Add more toffee sauce, place the top cake layer on top and cover with more sauce. Heat slightly before serving invert onto plate and yes ...cover with more sauce. Serve with whipped cream.

CHRISTMAS WALNUT TOFFEE

Steps:

• Butter a 9 inch square baking dishand set aside.
• Melt butter in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat.
• Stir in sugar, corn syrup and water until smooth.
• Heat to 290°F (145°C) using a candy thermometer.
• Stir in 1 cup walnuts and cook 3 more minutes stirring constantly.
• Pour into prepared pan and allow to cool.
• Remove from pan and place on waxed paper.
• Melt chocolate chips in double boiler or in the microwave stirring frequently until smooth.
• Spread half of the melted chocolate onto one side of the toffee slab and sprinkle with half the remaining nuts.
• Allow to cool until set, then repeat with the other side.
• Break into bite size pieces when set.

WHITE CHOCOLATE TOFFEE

Steps:

• Generously grease a 9-by-12-inch metal cake pan with butter, making sure all the sides and corners are greased. Combine the butter, sugar, vanilla and kosher salt in a medium (10- to 11-inch) pot or Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter melts. Continue cooking for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the mixture turns a pale golden color. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture turns a deep caramel color. (Be careful, it will be extremely hot!) Immediately pour the mixture into the prepared pan, tilting the pan to distribute it evenly. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes, then use a paring knife to score lines in large irregular serving pieces. Allow the toffee to cool for 5 minutes, then retrace the lines you drew with the paring knife.
• Meanwhile, melt the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (see Cook's Note). Pour the chocolate over the toffee, using a spatula to spread it evenly. Immediately sprinkle on the cashews, pistachios, ginger and cranberries so they're evenly distributed. Sprinkle with fleur de sel and set aside at room temperature for at least 2 hours, until the chocolate is completely set. Break into pieces along the scored lines and serve at room temperature.

CHRISTMAS STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING

Steps:

• Put the dates, raisins, rum and 100ml water in a small saucepan and set over a low heat until steaming, about 5 mins (or do this in the microwave). Leave to cool.
• Meanwhile, make the toffee sauce. Put all the ingredients except the cream in a small pan and bring to a simmer. Cook until the sugar has dissolved and the sauce is glossy, about 5 mins. Pour in the cream and cook for 2 mins more, stirring continuously, then remove from the heat and set aside. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.
• Generously butter a 1.5-litre pudding basin. Beat the butter and sugar until well combined in a large bowl using an electric whisk, or in a stand mixer. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition. Fold in the flour, spices and the soaked fruit until evenly incorporated, then stir in the milk.
• Pour a quarter of the toffee sauce into the base of the prepared basin, then spoon in the sponge batter. Place a sheet of baking parchment over a sheet of foil, then make a pleat in the centre. Use this to cover the pudding, parchment-side down, and tie securely under the lip of the basin using kitchen string.
• Transfer the basin to a steamer. Alternatively, put an upturned plate in the base of a large pan, sit the basin on top, and half-fill the pan with water from the kettle so it goes halfway up the side of the basin. Cover and cook over a low heat for 2 hrs 35 mins, checking the water level every so often and topping up when needed.
• Check the sponge is ready by inserting a skewer into the middle. If it comes out clean, the sponge is cooked. If any uncooked batter clings to the skewer, continue steaming, then check again after about 20 mins.
• To serve, warm the remaining toffee sauce over a low heat, invert the sponge onto a serving plate, and pour over the warmed sauce. Serve with custard or ice cream.

CHRISTMAS CHEESECAKE WITH ENGLISH TOFFEE FILLING

Steps:

• For crust:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix first 5 ingredients in medium bowl. Add butter; stir until moist clumps form. Press mixture over bottom and 1 inch up sides of 10-inch-diameter springform pan. Bake crust until just set, about 5 minutes. Set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
• For filling:
• Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until blended. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, blending well after each addition. Beat in both extracts. Pour half of mixture into prepared crust; sprinkle with toffee pieces. Pour remaining mixture over. Bake until edges are puffed but center is barely set, about 55 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare topping:
• Mix sour cream, sugar and vanilla in medium bowl until smooth. Pour topping over hot cheesecake. Bake cake until topping is just set, about 5 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool 10 minutes. Run knife between cake and pan sides. Chill cake uncovered overnight.
• Remove pan sides and place cake on platter. Garnish top with candies.

BLITZ-&-BAKE STICKY TOFFEE CHRISTMAS PUD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Blitz the dates in a food processor until chopped a little, then add the walnuts, carrot, apple, golden syrup and brandy. Pulse a few times until coarsely chopped, but still chunky. Tip in the butter, eggs and sugar and pulse a few times to combine. Finally, add the flour and bicarbonate soda, and keep tapping the pulse button just until everything comes together. Butter and line the base of a 1.5-litre pudding basin with greaseproof paper. Tip the mix in, smooth the top and bake for 1 hr 20 mins -1 hr 30 mins or until a skewer inserted into the pudding comes out almost clean.
• To make the sauce, tip the sugar into a frying pan and put over a medium heat. Cook until bubbling and golden. Swirl in the walnuts and, when completely coated, use a slotted spoon to lift them out onto a tray lined with greaseproof paper. Leave to harden; this is the praline. Carefully add the butter and cream to the caramel residue in the pan, return to the heat, bring to a simmer and stir together to make a toffee sauce.
• To serve, break the praline into shards. Turn out the pudding, spoon over some sauce and decorate with the praline. Serve with the remaining sauce.