Golden English Toffee Food

ENGLISH TOFFEE

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. (Use a pot larger than you think you need, because the caramel will eventually expand quite a bit.) While the butter is melting, crush unsalted peanuts in a bowl with the end of a rolling pin. Once the butter has melted, stir in sugar and water with a heat-resistant spatula. Add a pinch of salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, then add corn syrup. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pot and continue cooking until it reads 310 degrees F.
• When the caramel is golden and the thermometer registers 310 degrees F, remove the thermometer, add the baking soda, and stir in peanuts. Cook until temperature reads 320 degrees F, then pour the mixture onto a Silpat baking liner and lay another Silpat on top. Use a rolling pin to roll the mixture out to desired thickness and then transfer to a baking sheet. Let cool for 45 minutes.
• Melt 2/3 of the chocolate over a saucepan of simmering water. If it begins to feel too thick, add a few drops of canola oil to loosen it up. Check the temperature of the chocolate by testing it on your bottom lip; it should feel warm, but not too hot. Once the chocolate is melted, stir in the remaining 1/3 of chocolate to cool it down. Wipe toffee with a paper towel to remove any excess fat. Pour about half of the melted chocolate over the toffee and spread with an offset spatula. It doesn't have to be perfectly smooth; you want it to have a bit of a rustic look. Before the chocolate sets, sprinkle with chopped peanuts and transfer to the fridge just until the chocolate has crystallized, 2-3 minutes. Remove from the fridge. Lay another Silpat and baking tray on top of the toffee and flip in one quick motion. Peel off the Silpat and repeat with chocolate and peanuts. Return to the fridge for another 2-3 minutes.
• Remove toffee from the fridge and transfer to a cutting board. Break into large or small pieces, pack in a bag, and finish with a bow.

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.

ENGLISH TOFFEE

Steps:

• Butter a 10x15 inch jellyroll pan.
• Melt butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Stir in sugar and water. Bring to a boil and add almonds. Cook, stirring constantly until nuts are toasted and the sugar is golden. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan; do not spread.
• Immediately sprinkle the chocolate chips on top. Let stand for a minute, then spread the chocolate over the top. Let cool completely, then break into pieces.

TRADITIONAL ENGLISH TOFFEE

Steps:

• Melt butter in a heavy based sauce pan over a gentle heat.
• Once melted add all other ingredients and stir while dissolving all together and bring to a boil.
• Turn the heat down to a simmer and keep stirring until the molten lava like mixture turns a darker golden brown. Test your toffee by dropping some in a glass of iced water - You'll know it's ready if it sets when it hits the water. Once you're happy with the toffee, pour out the mixture in to a greased baking tray and leave to cool

GOLDEN ENGLISH TOFFEE

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in large saucepan.
• Bring to a boil, stirring until all dissolved, then boil without stirring until the mixture is dark golden.
• Test by spooning a few drops into a cup of cold water.
• The toffee is done when it hardens at once into a crisp ball.
• Take off heat and pour into a flat oiled pan to make a layer about 1/2 inch thick.
• When toffee is tepid, score into squares, and when cool break with a hammer and store in an airtight container.

ENGLISH TOFFEE

Steps:

• Place a piece of foil that is big enough to cover a 9 X 13 jelly roll pan (like a cookie sheet with sides).
• Spray the foil with cooking spray.
• Sprinkle pecan pieces evenly on foil.
• Melt butter, sugar (both the two cups and 1 tablespoon of sugar), Karo syrup, and water in pan on stovetop.
• Bring the mixture to a boil.
• Turn to medium heat and stir continuously until a candy thermometer says between 290 and 300 degrees or caramel in color.
• Pour mixture over the pecans.
• Spread evenly over the pecans.
• Evenly distribute chocolate chips over toffee.
• Let the chocolate chips melt on toffee for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Use fork or spoon to spread melted chocolate chips over toffee.
• Sprinkle 1 cup chopped walnuts on top of chocolate mixture.
• Refrigerate until chocolate is firm.
• Break toffee into pieces.
• Store in an airtight container.
• 30 minutes preparation and cooking time does not include the time it takes to cool and the chocolate to harden on top.

EASY, EASY ENGLISH TOFFEE

Steps:

• In a large skillet, melt SALTED butter on medium heat. Do not burn butter. It needs to stay yellow. (NOTE: I had many batches fail and separate until I figured out, upon investigation, that you MUST use SALTED butter. I think it has to do with a chemical reaction.).
• **Tip** Bring out a jar of peanut butter and turn it upside down near the skillet to use ONLY as a color guide to know when the mixture is done.
• Add sugar and stir until incorporated (sugar does not need to be "melted" into the butter, just no longer dry) Edited to add on 12/25/16, the temperature MUST STAY CONSTANT or the butter and sugar MAY separate during the final stages. Too high and your butter will burn, too low and you'll be stirring forever!
• **At no time can you walk away at this point, you must keep stirring so that the butter will not burn. It's very crucial.
• Add water, pouring it all over the pan. The butter/sugar will get bubbly and frothy -- keep constantly stirring -- stirring low and slow -- I use a rubber spatula. As you stir, angle your spatula down as low (level to the pan) as you can to have few air bubbles.
• I timed it, as you are stirring the yellow, sugary, melted, bubbly butter, at the 4 minute mark add the slivered almonds. Keep stirring.
• Stir continuously and slowly in a small circular motion bringing the outside mixture edges to the center as the sides will tend to cook faster than the middle. It will slowly begin to caramelize and toast up -- about 6 minutes more.
• Cook this mixture until it is the color of the inverted peanut butter jar.
• **Important** It will brown fast in the end, so don't let it get too dark or let the almonds get really burned).
• Pour into a 9 X 13 pan. (you could use disposable aluminum pans also). with your rubber spatula, spread the mixture quickly to the edges before it starts to harden on you.
• Let cool completely, remove from pan and pat off any extra butter from both sides with paper towels.
• Place on wax or parchment paper.
• Topping:.
• Microwave chocolate for 1 minute on high. (be mindful that every microwave is different and you must watch your chocolate closely so that it won't overcook). If a few seconds more are needed to melt completely, do so in small increments. You can also use a double boiler to melt chocolate -- I do prefer to do it this way.
• Coat toffee with chocolate (like frosting) and top with slivered almonds. I only cover one side but you can do both if desired.
• Lightly press down almonds to make sure they stick to the chocolate.
• Cool on the counter for at least 30 minutes, then put the pan into the refrigerator for 2 hours (You can stack multiple batches on top of each other as long as the chocolate is pretty solid).
• Break into pieces after it has hardened and store in a covered container.
• Variations: Use different kinds of chips. (mint, white, dark, milk chocolate).

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.

ENGLISH TOFFEE

Steps:

• Butter a 10 x 15 inch jelly roll pan.
• Melt 1 cup butter in deep, heavy saucepan over medium heat.
• Add sugar, water and salt and cook, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
• Bring to boil, simmer, stirring frequently, until mixture is color of a brown paper bag and temperature registers 300 F on a candy thermometer (about 5- 6 minutes).
• Remove from heat, stir in almonds and pour mixture into prepared pan.
• Smooth the top with a buttered heat proof spatula.
• With a paper towel, carefull blot the top (mixture is hot) to remove any excess butter.
• Immediately scatter chocolate chips on top.
• Let stand until melted, about 1 minute, then spread evenly over top.
• This is when I pressed the ground almonds into the chocolate.
• Cool to room termperature, then chill 20 minutes before breaking into pieces.
• Layer between wax paper in airtight container and store in refrigerator up to 2 wekks.

PECAN ENGLISH TOFFEE

Steps:

• butter a 9x13 baking dish and scatter pecan halves evenly across the bottom.
• in heavy sauce pan, melt butter, add sugar and bring to a boil.
• Boil approximately 12 minutes or until candy reaches 290°.
• Add chopped pecans and stir to mix, then pour over halves in backing dish.
• Place candy bars on top, allow to melt and then smooth over. ( i like to use high quality chocolate, but Hersheys will do).
• Chill thoroughly , turn pan over, dump on counter and break up by whacking with heavy spoon.

BONFIRE TOFFEE

Steps:

• Line the base and sides of an A4 sized tin with non-stick parchment and then grease it really well.
• Put the sugar and hot water in a heavy bottomed pan and heat gently until the sugar is dissolved, do not stir the mixture at any point instead tilt the pan if you need to move it around.
• Weigh out your remaining ingredients, if you put them in a really well greased jug they will be much easier to pour out. Once the sugar has dissolved add all the ingredients and pop the sugar thermometer in, you can use the thermometer to give it a quick swirl but try not to mix it too much.
• Bring to the boil and boil until you reach soft crack on your thermometer (270/140C) This may take up to 30 minutes, be patient and do not leave the pan unattended as it can change quickly. As soon as it reaches the temp, tip it into your tin and leave it to cool.
• Once cool remove it from the tin a break up with a toffee hammer or rolling pin. Store in an airtight tin or wrap up in boxes or cellophane bags to give as gift.