(Bit late but oh well) Bonfire Toffee!!!!!

Hullo,

So this is a little late as it was the 5th yesterday but there are still loads of bonfires going on so here goes.

I love toffee. Especially Thorntons Special Toffee but in November only that dark treacle based toffee will do. When I moved I found it hard to find a shop to buy it from so I decided to try and make it myself. Who would have known it'd be so easy...or so I thought when I saw the ingredients list.

All you need is:

450g dark brown sugar
125ml hot water
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
115g black treacle
115g golden syrup

I use this BBC Good Food Recipe! It is really straight forward but be very careful when boiling the mixture as boiling sugar will severely burn you if spilt.

Here are a few tips for making bonfire toffee:

• Use a VERY deep pan. Whilst boiling the mixture froths up ridiculously and may escape if you use shallow pan leaving a lovely mess all over your cooker that will be a nightmare to clean.

• Use a sugar thermometer. This is the only way you'll be able to guarantee you have boiled the mixture to the correct temperature (known as soft crack). A meat thermometer is no good, it does not go high enough on the temperature scale and you risk damaging it as the mixture boils.
• As mentioned in the BBC recipe grease your jug you use to measure out the treacles and cream of tartar, this really does help when you pour this out into the sugar and water.
• Have a very hot (use boiled water from the kettle), soapy sink ready to soak your pan in once you have poured the mixture out. It saves a lot of work later. I soak it for a bout an hour before I attempt to clean it.
• If your pan does become caked in a sticky mess (or any other mess when cooking/baking) you can use bicarbonate of soda, vinegar and hot water to remove tough dirt/stains. Soak over night and clean normally the next day.
• To break into small pieces keep the toffee in the baking tray and cover with a layer of baking parchment then bash with a rolling pin. The first year I did this I made the mistake of not covering it with baking parchment and bonfire toffee was showered all over my kitchen, doh!
• When eating it do not try to chew it! It will weld your teeth together (as bonfire toffee should!).

Enjoy

xoxo