Sponge Toffee

When I was younger, I went to a lovely church in Ottawa that had the best annual Bazaar on the planet. On the candy and sweets table, there would always be bags huge hunks of sponge toffee on sale for 50 cents. I would inevitably buy several and gorge myself on the burnt sugary goodness.

You know what I mean by sponge toffee, right?

If not, you definitely know it as the sweet honeycomb filling of a Crunchie Bar.

The real question is did you know how insanely easy it is to make it yourself?

No?

Well, it's insanely easy. You do need a thermometer for this, but I promise you, it's money well spent.


Canadian Living's Sponge Toffee

Ingredients

2-1/2 2-1/2cups cups(625 mL) (625 mL) granulated sugar 2/3 2/3cup cup(150 mL) (150 mL) white corn syrup 1/3 1/3cup cup(75 mL) (75 mL) water 4 4tsp tsp(18 mL) (18 mL) baking soda 2 2tsp tsp(10 mL) (10 mL) vanilla

Preparation:

In 12-cup (3 L) saucepan, stir together sugar, corn syrup and water over medium heat just until sugar dissolves. 

Bring to boil; cook, without stirring but brushing down side of pan occasionally with pastry brush dipped in cold water, until candy thermometer reaches hard-crack stage of 300°F (149°C), or when 1 tsp (5 mL) hot syrup dropped into cold water forms hard brittle threads, about 10 minutes. 

Remove from heat. Standing back and averting face, whisk in baking soda. (Caramel will bubble and sputter and increase in volume.) Whisk in vanilla.
 

This is why you need a very large pot!

Pour into greased foil-lined 13- x 9-inch (3.5 L) metal cake pan. Let cool in pan on rack without disturbing, about 2 hours. Break into 1-1/2-inch (4 cm) pieces. (Make-ahead: Store layered between waxed paper in airtight container for up to 1 month.)

Now you could just stop there, but like most candies, this one really benefits from a good dunking in tempered chocolate (another occasion to use your thermometer!). Tempered chocolate is chocolate that has been melted, cooled and reheated to specific temperatures. By going through this process, when the chocolate cools it develops that crisp snap that we associate with chocolate bars.

Or, if you only have a little chocolate, do a half dunk.

 

 

The recipe makes 48 pieces (or so), but really that depends on how you break them up. However many you make, do try to restrain yourself from eating them all!

Mystery Revealed!

Remember that post I did this week with the apples and berries? Wanna see how that turned out?

I thought so.

See, I have an obsession. I love candy. Chocolate. Jujubes. Wine Gums. Fruit Pastilles.

Did someone say fruit pastilles? Homemade fruit pastilles?

Let the angels sing!

Why, yes! Yes, they did.

Yep, it took 4 days to complete the recipe, but that's only because the pastilles had to dry out on the counter for most of that time.

They're delicious! Bursting with fruity goodness and waaaaaaay better than any packaged fruit pastilles... except maybe M&S ones. I do love those.

Berry Gelées (Canadian Living)

Ingredients

2 2large Granny Smith appleGranny Smith apples, (12 oz/375 g)  

3 3cups cups(750 mL) (750 mL) frozen mixed berries 

1/2 1/2cup cup(125 mL) (125 mL) water  

2 2cups cups(500 mL) (500 mL) granulated sugar  

1 1pouch pouch(85 g) liquid pectin  

Topping: 1/3 1/3cup cup(75 mL) (75 mL) granulated sugar

Preparation:

Line bottom and sides of 8-inch (2 L) square metal cake pan with parchment paper; set aside.

Coarsely chop apples, including peels and cores but discarding seeds. In saucepan, cook apples, berries and water over medium heat, until apples are very soft, about 20 minutes.

In processor, purée apple mixture until almost smooth. Press through fine sieve to make 2 cups (500 mL) purée.

In clean saucepan, bring purée with sugar to boil over medium heat; boil, stirring often, until candy thermometer reaches gel point stage of 218°F (103°C), or when spoonful cooled on cold plate wrinkles and does not run together when separated with finger, 20 to 30 minutes.

Remove from heat. Immediately whisk in pectin. Pour into prepared pan. Let stand at room temperature, without disturbing, until set, 18 to 24 hours.

Turn out onto parchment paper–lined cutting board. Using greased sharp knife, trim edges to straighten. Cut into 42 cubes, cleaning and greasing knife after each cut.

All ready to sit and dry out!

Topping: Place sugar in dish. Coat jellies in sugar. Let dry on rack for 3 days. (Make ahead: Store layered between waxed paper in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.)