Break the Toffee into?Pieces
(c) 2008 Elizabeth LaBau, licensed to About.com, Inc.
Once the toffee is cool, carefully break it apart on the scored lines into small squares. At this point, the toffee is finished and can be served plain. If you wish to dip it in chocolate, proceed to the next step.
(c) 2008 Elizabeth LaBau, licensed to About.com, Inc.
This easy Saltine Toffee recipe uses saltine crackers and a few common ingredients to make an uncommonly good candy that’s sweet, salty, crunchy, and chocolatey. You can make it more gourmet by adding chopped nuts or dried fruit to the top, or adding swirls of white or milk chocolate.
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil and spraying the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Arrange the crackers in a single layer on the baking sheet so that there are no empty spaces in between them. Crush any remaining crackers into small crumbs and set aside for now.
3. Place the butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir while the butter melts, and bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Once boiling, carefully pour the sugar-butter mixture over the crackers on the baking sheet in an even layer, trying to cover most of the crackers. If you miss some spots, don’t worry as the toffee will spread in the oven.
4. Bake the toffee crackers at 350 degrees for five minutes, until the toffee is bubbling all over. Carefully remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool for one minute.
5. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the hot toffee, and allow them to sit for one minute to soften and melt. Once softened, use an offset spatula or knife to spread the melted chocolate over the entire surface of the toffee in an even layer. While the chocolate is still sticky, sprinkle the top with the reserved crushed crackers.
6. Refrigerate the pan to set the toffee and chocolate for about 30 minutes. Once set, break into small uneven pieces by hand, and enjoy! Store uneaten saltine toffee in an airtight container for up to a week.
(c) 2008 Elizabeth LaBau, licensed to About.com, Inc.
I like my bark to have a modest number of marshmallows, so that the bark isn't too chewy for my taste. You can always increase the amount of marshmallows--even covering the whole surface!--if you like. You can also try heating the marshmallow-topped toffee in the oven for a true S'mores experience.
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil and spraying the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Arrange the graham crackers in a single layer on the baking sheet so that there are no empty spaces in between them.
3. Place the butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir while the butter melts, and bring the mixture to a rolling boil, stirring often so that it does not separate. Once boiling, carefully pour the sugar-butter mixture over the crackers on the baking sheet in an even layer. Use a knife or spatula to spread the toffee, trying to cover most of the crackers. If you miss some spots, don’t worry as the toffee will spread in the oven.
4. Bake the toffee crackers at 350 degrees for five minutes, until the toffee is bubbling all over. Carefully remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool for one minute.
5. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the hot toffee, and allow them to sit for one minute to soften and melt. Once softened, use an offset spatula or knife to spread the melted chocolate over the entire surface of the toffee in an even layer. While the chocolate is still sticky, sprinkle the top with the miniature marshmallows.
6. Refrigerate the pan to set the toffee and chocolate for about 30 minutes. Once set, break into small uneven pieces by hand, and enjoy! Store uneaten S’mores Toffee Bark in an airtight container for up to a week.
One of the best parts of this job is that no one tells me what to do. (The VERY best part of this job is that I get paid to make and eat candy, obviously, but I don't want to rub it in too much.) People sometimes ask me where I get ideas from, or how I decide what candies I want to make next, and the answer is pretty simple: I make whatever sounds good to me. Of course I try to make sure there's a variety of recipe types, and fun ingredients, and not too much repetition, but at the end of the day, my taste buds pretty much set the agenda, and for the past 5 years that's worked out surprisingly well.But living in my own little candy world can have its drawbacks, and sometimes I wonder if the things that appeal to me appeal to anyone else. (Besides my husband. He loves everything I make. But then again, he once ate a moldy truffle and didn't even notice the fuzzy green mold, so he's not exactly a discerning palate.) So, a few times a year, I poll the readers and ask what kinds of recipes they want to see. Most recently, I asked my About Candy facebook friends what I should make next. I was a little surprised by the results-- I expected my beloved chocolate to sweep the polls, but "Brown Sugar Toffee" was the overwhelming favorite. Who knew?!
Of course I bow to the people's demands, so may I present a brand-new recipe for Brown Sugar Toffee!
Toffee using all-brown sugar is actually much harder to make than regular granulated sugar toffee, because of the moisture and impurities in some brown sugars. I think this recipe does a great job of balancing the darker flavor and crunchier texture of brown sugar with traditional toffee ingredients like butter and toasted nuts. The photograph shows plain toffee, but this is also a great recipe to cover in chocolate, because the deep brown sugar taste goes well with either a sweeter chocolate, like milk or white, or a semi-sweet variety.
Naturally, next week we're back to my candy dictatorship, but for now we can revel in the democratic process at work. And hey, I'm a benevolent candy dictator, so I always welcome suggestions via the comments, over email, or--best of all--on the facebook page. Your wish is my command!
Get the recipe: Brown Sugar Toffee
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Brown Sugar Toffee Photo c2011 Elizabeth LaBau, licensed to About.com, Inc.
Cashew White Chocolate Toffee has a deep, dark burnt sugar taste that complements the salty cashews and sweet white chocolate. The brown sugar and the high cooking temperature give the toffee a smoky, rich flavor that's much deeper than traditional toffees. The nuts add crunch and savor, and the white chocolate ties it all together with a rich sweetness. I never thought I would find myself preferring white chocolate to dark, but I really don't think any other kind of chocolate would work as well with this candy.Get the recipe: Cashew White Chocolate Toffee
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Cashew White Chocolate Toffee Photo c2009 Elizabeth LaBau, licensed to About.com, Inc.
(c) 2011 Elizabeth LaBau, licensed to About.com, Inc.
Brown Sugar Toffee has a deep, rich, caramelized taste from the brown sugar in the recipe. A generous helping of nuts adds toasted flavor and crunch. If you like a little chocolate with your toffee, check out the chocolate variation at the bottom of the recipe.
1. Prepare a baking sheet or 9 x 13 pan by lining it with aluminum foil and spraying the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Coarsely chop the toasted nuts, then scatter them in an even layer all over the foil-covered pan.
3. In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, water, cubed butter, corn syrup, and salt, and place the pan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar and butter dissolve, then wipe down the sides with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming. Insert your candy thermometer.
4. Cook the candy, without stirring, until the thermometer reads 285 degrees F (140 C).
5. Once at 285, immediately remove the pan from the heat and add the vanilla extract and the baking soda. Stir until the baking soda causes the toffee to foam up and become a lighter, opaque color.
6. Pour the toffee in an even layer over the nuts on the prepared pan. Try not to spread it too much with a spatula, as the more you work it, the more you'll eliminate the air bubbles that give it a light and crispy texture.
7. Let the toffee cool completely at room temperature, for at least 1 hour. Once cool and set, break it into small pieces by hand. Store Brown Sugar Toffee in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. If you live in a humid environment, it might get soft and sticky after a few days.
Chocolate variation: If you want to add chocolate to your toffee, have 1 cup of chopped chocolate prepared. Once you have poured the toffee onto the nuts in the pan, let it set for 1 minute, then sprinkle the top of the hot toffee with the chopped chocolate. Allow it to sit for another minute, while the heat of the toffee melts the chocolate, then use a spatula to carefully spread the chocolate into an even layer over the entire surface. If you'd like, you can sprinkle the top of the chocolate with more chopped nuts. Let the toffee and chocolate cool and harden completely before breaking it into pieces as described above.
If you ask me, toffee is best when it's cooked extra dark, so that the toasted nuts and caramelized sugar flavors are really intense. I can't really get behind pale, sticky toffees that are barely colored and cooked. So when I make this Hazelnut Toffee, I cook it to 300 degrees F so that it's near the edge of burnt--but not over!--and has a deliciously dark, smoky, rich taste. To balance these deep notes out, I usually drizzle it with milk chocolate, or if I'm feeling really indulgent, dunk whole squares in milk chocolate to add a little sweetness. If you don't share my desire to live on the edge, you can cook it much less and still have a deliciously buttery, crunchy toffee.Get the recipe: Hazelnut Toffee
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Hazelnut Toffee Photo c2010 Elizabeth LaBau, licensed to About.com, Inc.
Open up for Sesame Toffee! A thin layer of smooth, buttery toffee has a layer of toasted sesame seeds pressed into one side. The other side is covered with smooth dark chocolate and sprinkled with more sesame seeds. The flavor combination of caramelized sugar, chocolate, and sesame is unusual but interesting, and I love how the traditional toffee texture is enlivened by the coating of seeds.Get the recipe: Sesame Toffee
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Sesame Toffee Photo c2010 Elizabeth LaBau, licensed to About.com, Inc.
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