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A different take on toffee
http://www.cookaholics.org/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=3010		 Page 2 of 2
Author:  Da Bull Man [ Thu Mar 07, 2013 3:35 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: A different take on toffee
Amy wrote:
Todd,

I'm only posting the changes I made to the toffee...make the chocolate and nut topping according to Marilyn's recipe.

2 cups granulated sugar
water to cover sugar
1/3 cup corn syrup
3/4 lb. unsalted butter (this is less than Marilyn's)
1 cup slivered almonds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Toast almonds in a 350 degree oven until golden.

Put sugar and water into a saucepan. When sugar is melted and just boiling add corn syrup. (Corn syrup is optional, but aids in preventing crystalization...imperative at my altitude.) Then add room temperature butter in pieces. Bring to amber color and add toasted almonds, salt and baking soda. Stir, then pour out into your prepared pan.

I've not written this from scratch, as I'm sure you're familiar with the basic steps of prepping and preparing toffee.

The baking soda makes a big difference. It lightens the toffee dramatically.

Amy



Any thoughts on what temp. "amber colored" might be. OCD I know... :cry:
Author:  Amy [ Thu Mar 07, 2013 3:57 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: A different take on toffee
240ish? I don't use a thermometer.

Amy
Author:  pepperhead212 [ Thu Mar 07, 2013 5:54 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: A different take on toffee
Toffee is usually taken to 300-310°.
Author:  Amy [ Thu Mar 07, 2013 8:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: A different take on toffee
My fever has been getting to me...Dave's correct.

Amy
Author:  jim262 [ Thu Mar 07, 2013 9:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: A different take on toffee
The addition of baking soda may make it a relative of peanut brittle where 250º-260º hard ball stage is adequate for good texture and mouth feel of the finished candy.

Caramelizing sugar before adding other ingredients requires temperatures in the range of 340º and 360º depending on how aromatic one wants the finished product. A thermometer is not generally needed for this stage. Color and aroma are a much more reliable method of getting it right. Taking the sugar to these temperatures before adding the butter and nuts would make the flavor more like traditional English toffee that is cooked to the crazed crack head stage of 300º.
Author:  pepperhead212 [ Fri Mar 08, 2013 12:31 am ]
Post subject:  Re: A different take on toffee
jim262 wrote:
The addition of baking soda may make it a relative of peanut brittle where 250º-260º hard ball stage is adequate for good texture and mouth feel of the finished candy.

Caramelizing sugar before adding other ingredients requires temperatures in the range of 340º and 360º depending on how aromatic one wants the finished product. A thermometer is not generally needed for this stage. Color and aroma are a much more reliable method of getting it right. Taking the sugar to these temperatures before adding the butter and nuts would make the flavor more like traditional English toffee that is cooked to the crazed crack head stage of 300º.

While I haven't done this, I would be afraid that the butter would burn (or at least some of it would) before the temp. would be brought down enough, plus it would be messy. This is probably why we never see this in toffee recipes. I have seen recipes that take the toffee up to 330º, but the 310º seems to create plenty of flavor, and the hotter it gets, the harder it is to spread thin, I have found. But then, there's only one way to test those ideas!

250-260º wouldn't really create much color or flavor, in my opinion. I know nut brittles are often a little lighter than toffee, but I like the darker versions.
Author:  Cubangirl [ Fri Mar 08, 2013 4:22 am ]
Post subject:  Re: A different take on toffee
Dave I'll be waiting for your test results. I goofed when I did it the first time and added the water to the butter and salt about half-way into the butter melting process, not with the sugar. When I added the sugar, I left it medium for 5 minutes before bring the temp up. The result was that the sugar melted without any on the sides and it was beautiful at 310°, it sat on an unused burner while I cleaned the thermapen before I poured, so the temp had dropped before it went onto the preheated pan. I am thinking of doing it this way with the addition of the baking soda with the almonds, after I bring the temp up, and it is closer to the end to avoid burning the almonds.

I am so tempted to go and make some now (about 2:20 am), but look what happened when I started at 2:00 last Friday. So maybe daytime Sat. since housekeeper is here tomorrow and I want to make sure any remnants of last Friday's mess are completely gone.

PS, Really wanted to have something sweet for tonight, so I went ahead and made my adapted version of Medrich's chocolate chips cookies, except I browned the butter this time to see what that would bring to the party, (wantedsomething that I could make without the mixer). In the fridge resting now.
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