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| Pin It Every Christmas I make batches ofthis Buttercrunch Toffee to give as gifts. I like to package it in either coollooking canning jars or in pretty party bags tied with colorful ribbon. This is theperfect confection - finely chopped toasted almonds, lots of dark chocolate, andbuttery smooth, crunchy toffee. It is so addictive. I know that many approach candy making with trepidation. You can blame the problem on sugar crystallization but there are a few precautions you can take to prevent this from happening when making Buttercrunch Toffee. First, do not make toffee on a humid day. Second, the equipment. It is important to usea heavy duty saucepan so the candy will not scorch under high temperatures. Be sure to usea wooden spoon to stir the syrup as the sugar crystals will not stick to wood aseasily as they will to metal. And most importantly buya good mercury candy thermometer with a metal clip so you can fasten it to theside of the pan. When using a candy thermometer make sure the bulb of thethermometer does not rest on the bottom of the pan as this can cause an inaccuratetemperature reading. It is also important to read the temperature ateye level and you may have to wipe the steam off the thermometer first in orderto read the numbers. If you think your candy thermometer may be inaccurate, youcan test its' accuracy by placing itin a saucepan of boiling water. The temperature should read 212 degrees F (100degrees C). If you find your thermometer is off by a degree or two, simplyadjust your recipe to take this into account. Another thing about candythermometers are that they are fragile so after each use place in hot water (notcold) to dissolve the sugar coating. Never place a hot thermometer into coldwater as this can cause it to break. And besure to store your thermometer away from other kitchen utensils so it won'tget banged around. Lastly, cleaning the saucepan can be a problem. The best wayto remove all that hard caramelized sugar is to fill the saucepan with water andbring it to a boil. Turn off the heat and let it sit until the sugar dissolves. Before you begin making Buttercrunch Toffee make sure you are familiar with the recipeand have all your ingredients measured and within easy reach. That means havingthe baking soda and vanilla extract at your side so when the toffee reaches the softcrack stage (285 degrees F) (140 degrees C) you can immediately stir these twoingredients into the toffee (vanilla extract adds flavor, while the baking sodahelps with browning and gives the toffeea lighter texture). Also, to preventsugar crystallization, once the sugar mixture boils, do not stir, simply swirlthe pan if you find sugar crystals forming on the sides of the pan. Buttercrunch Toffee will keep forabout 10 days (it never lasts that long in my house) but be sure to storeit in an airtight container to prevent softening. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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