Old Fashioned Toffee Food

AUNT ROSE'S FANTASTIC BUTTER TOFFEE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a shallow baking pan, toast almonds until golden brown, 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool. Pulse chocolate in a food processor until finely ground (do not overprocess); transfer to a bowl. Pulse almonds in food processor until coarsely chopped. Sprinkle 1 cup almonds over bottom of a greased 15x10x1-in. pan. Sprinkle with 1 cup chocolate., In a heavy saucepan, combine butter, sugar and water. Cook over medium heat until a candy thermometer reads 290° (soft-crack stage), stirring occasionally., Immediately pour mixture over almonds and chocolate in pan. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate and almonds. Refrigerate until set; break into pieces.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

TOFFEE ANGEL FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Place egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes., Meanwhile, place oven rack in the lowest position and remove upper rack if needed. Preheat oven to 325°. Sift confectioners' sugar and cake flour together twice., Add cream of tartar, vanilla and salt to egg whites; beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add superfine sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high after each addition until sugar is dissolved. Continue beating until soft glossy peaks form. Gradually fold in flour mixture, about 1/2 cup at a time., Gently transfer to an ungreased 10-in. tube pan. Cut through batter with a knife to remove air pockets. Bake on lowest rack until top crust is golden brown and cracks feel dry, 50-60 minutes. Immediately invert pan; cool completely in pan, about 1-1/2 hours. , Run a knife around sides and center tube of pan. Remove cake to a serving plate. Using a long serrated knife, cut cake horizontally into 3 layers. In a large bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Gradually add caramel topping and vanilla; beat until soft peaks form., Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate; spread with 1 cup whipped cream mixture. Sprinkle with a third of the chopped candies. Repeat layers. Top with remaining cake layer. Frost top and sides of cake with remaining whipped cream mixture; sprinkle with remaining candy. If desired, sprinkle chocolate curls over top and around bottom of cake.

HONEYCOMB CANDY

Steps:

• Line an 8x8 square casserole dish with non stick foil and set aside.
• In a heavy bottom saucepan, combine sugar, vinegar and corn syrup.
• Cook over medium heat stirring until the sugar dissolves.
• Continue cooking without stirring until digital candy thermometer reads 300*F (hard crack stage)
• Remove from heat.
• QUICKLY stir in baking soda - mixture will foam and double in size.
• Pour mixture into prepared casserole dish. DO NOT SCRAPE MIXTURE OUT. Just pour it.
• DO NOT BUMP, SHAKE, STIR, or MOVE pan. You want it to keep all those air bubbles in the mixture undisturbed as it cools.
• After 2 hours, once mixture has naturally cooled to room temperature, pull hard candy slab out of pan.
• Place slab on a cutting board and with a sharp knife, carefully start to crack the candy into chunks. Generally chunks should be around 1" pieces.
• Eat candy, storing extras or dip in chocolate.
• To dip candy, melt chocolate according to package directions.
• Place a chunk of candy into chocolate, submerge and lift with a fork. Tap excess chocolate off candy and place on wax paper to dry.
• Once cooled, enjoy.

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 TREACLE TOFFEE

Steps:

• Place the butter, water, and vinegar into a heavy bottomed suacepan, heat gently until the butter has melted.
• Add the sugar and molasses and allow to dissolve (takes about 20 minutes).
• Boil the mixture to a temp.
• of 280 degrees on a candy thermometer.
• Remove from the heat, allow bubbling to decrease.
• Pour the mixture into a well greased 8 inch square pan.
• When mixture has cooled, score surface into small squares with an oiled knife.
• When cold break into squares, wrap in cellophane and store in an airtight container.