As a final installment to my Christmas baking series, I have decided to share the great secret of making English Toffee: pure brute strength. This is a recipe that requires great force. You will stir for what seems like eternity. You will stand at the stove until it seems like you have been there all your life. And you will spend all your time staring into the depths of a swirling, light brown mixture that seems like it is never going to change form. But persevere, because at the end of all this toil the fruits of your labor will be nothing short of miraculous. Ambrosia of the gods. An exercise in sensory ecstasy. English Toffee.
You will begin with a pound of butter. One whole pound. This is the equivalent of four sticks. I like using sticks instead of a one pound block (which, yes, you can actually buy) because it doesn't look like as much butter. You will match this with one pound (or two cups) of brown sugar. These are the only two ingredients you will use. Because there is enough of both of them for that to be all you will need. You will also need a cast iron skillet. It is important to use cast iron because of the way it heats. That is, it gets very, very hot. And stays that way practically forever. I have also seen recipes like this that use earthenware dutch ovens, but I have never tried it. The wooden spoon is also imperative. Metal spoons will ruin the way the sugar sets up because they absorb and maintain heat. Wooden spoons are completely neutral. Like awesome Swedish cooking implements. The one in this picture is slightly dirty because I had already made one batch. Yep. I cooked two pounds of butter and sugar at Christmas. And then I ate it.
A side step, but one that is best completed right at the beginning, is covering a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and then spreading finely chopped nuts over the foil. I used pecans. It is best to do this before you begin, because once you start cooking the sugar you can't do anything else until it is finished, and at the end you will have to work very quickly.
Step One: melt the butter. Heat the skillet over medium. Medium. Not a notch higher or lower. You have to cook this stuff hot and slow. So. Start by throwing all the butter in the skillet. Don't hesitate, or you might realize how much butter you are actually using, and then all will be lost. Just toss it in. You might even want to avert your eyes while you do it. You will know if you have heated your skillet properly, because the butter should start to melt right away.
The butter will continue to melt. This is not the time to lose your mettle. You are staring fat in the face and winning at this point. But you have only come part of the way. The journey to toffee is much longer than just a few sticks of melted butter, and the worst is yet to come.
Once the butter is completely melted it is time to add the sugar. Making candy is all about finesse, so don't try to rush things. You should be looking at a pool of swirling, yellow butter, just right for dipping crab meat in before you even think about adding any other ingredients. But once it is just right, dump that sugar on in there.
Stir slowly but constantly to combine the sugar and butter. This will take some time. Butter, as a fat, is stubborn, and does not like to blend with the sugar. You have to slowly cajole and manipulate it to get it to do what you want. Eventually you will get to the point shown in this picture, which is the most disgusting part of making this candy. The sugar melts a little and settles to the bottom, leaving a nasty layer of melted butter on top that just won't seem to mix. But don't worry, if you just keep stirring, it will.
Just keep stirring, just keep stirring, stiiirrrring, stirrrrinnngg....
Eventually, the butter will bend to your will and will finally blend fully with the sugar. This is what it will look like. It will start to bubble, and it will start to look like the sugar is boiling. This is exactly what you want. We are doing chemistry here, people. And what is happening is a reaction. I don't know what kind. I just keep stirring the wooden spoon and avoid asking questions.
It will bubble more and more and you have to keep stirring the whole time. You can get faster as the butter becomes incorporated, because you don't have to worry as much about it sloshing over the sides. But you have to keep stirring, constantly. I can't stress this enough. If you stop for any reason the sugar could scorch and then the whole thing is ruined, and you have just wasted a whole pound of butter. No taking drinks, nothing to eat, no checking to see what is on tv. Your only purpose in the world right now is stirring this sugar. It is for this reason that I like to station helpers around the kitchen, so they can do things like pour diet coke in my mouth and feed me oyster crackers while I stir. I even tried to convince my sister to hold a book for me so I could read, but she didn't go for it.
Eventually the mixture will really start to solidify, and will start to look more like this. It become lighter brown in color, and you will start to think that you must be nearing the end. In reality, you are at about the halfway point. But really, the fun is coming, because from here you can really see changes in the mixture as it slowly cooks.
At this point you have reached the "soft ball" stage. I presume it is called this because it is at this point that you could make soft, chewy candy out of the mixture. i.e. caramel balls. However, this is not your goal. But when the mixture starts to look like this you will want to put in a candy thermometer (did I mention you need a candy thermometer?) to keep track of where you are at. Only a very seasoned hand would be able to tell just by looking. A good candy thermometer will have the stages marked. I find this really encouraging because I can tick off the different stages and mark my progress.
After a little more stirring, you will notice the substance to start to get more creamy. It has reached what we call the "soft crack" stage. I have no idea what this means, but it does indicate that you are almost there! This is the "almost ready" stage, and your stirring must become even more vigorous. At this point I had to keep changing my grip on the spoon because my fingers kept cramping up. But I could see my goal was within reach, and this gave me the strength to continue. Soon I would have sweet toffee to console me.
From this point onward the substance will become creamier and creamier. I can't even think of what to compare the texture to. All I know is that by the time I get to this stage I would almost risk the third degree burns to be able to stick my face directly into this delightful concoction.
You should notice a slight difference between this and the last picture. The mixture has reached the final, "hard crack" stage. I think it is called this because it is a highly addictive substance. It is really creamy, flowy, and lovely. And when your candy thermometer has leveled at exactly the 300 degree line, you must remove the pan from the heat immediately. I have someone stronger than me do this because cast iron is really heavy, and after all that work I wouldn't want it to spill all over the floor.
Congratulate yourself! You stood the test of time and did not get distracted and now you will be rewarded by getting to a. rest your aching arm, and b. eating the most delectable candy on earth.
When you pull the pan off the stove (or have someone else do it), take it immediately to the prepared pan covered in chopped pecans. Pour the liquid over the nuts. You want to try to get it as even as possible, because it will start to cool immediately.
Use your spoon to spread the mixture over the nuts. If it sticks a little and mixes in some nuts, that is okay. Just do your best. You really can't go wrong.
Then take six unwrapped, regular Hershey bars. Set them an even distance apart, dispersed over the toffee. (It's okay to call it toffee now, because it is done cooking.) Don't worry, they will definitely melt. Just let them sit for a few seconds.
Once you have let them melt a little, take the same wooden spoon and spread the chocolate over the toffee. It should spread pretty easily, and cover the whole sheet of toffee, which will be cooling at a rapid rate by now. It will start to look really delish by now, and you will have almost totally forgotten about the amount of butter you melted at the beginning. (But I am here to remind you--ONE POUND.)
At last, we have the completely finished product! All you have to do now is exercise a little patience and wait for it to cool completely. To speed up this process, I put it in the fridge (if there is room) or in the garage (where it is naturally cold because it is December). After and hour or two it will be cooled into a solid, and you can then break it up into pieces and store (or eat) it at your leisure. This is by far the best part of the whole process.
So why do I go through all the pain and toil to create this amalgamation of butter, sugar, sweat, and tears? Because at the end of the day, it is one of the most tasty things I create at the holidays. It gives me sense of accomplishment because I worked so hard for it and then I get to reward myself by eating it piece by piece throughout the rest of the holiday. It brings the family together: pot lifter, drink holder, and in Mom's case, supervisor, and together we create something that we can all eat. And that is what the holidays are really all about.
You will begin with a pound of butter. One whole pound. This is the equivalent of four sticks. I like using sticks instead of a one pound block (which, yes, you can actually buy) because it doesn't look like as much butter. You will match this with one pound (or two cups) of brown sugar. These are the only two ingredients you will use. Because there is enough of both of them for that to be all you will need. You will also need a cast iron skillet. It is important to use cast iron because of the way it heats. That is, it gets very, very hot. And stays that way practically forever. I have also seen recipes like this that use earthenware dutch ovens, but I have never tried it. The wooden spoon is also imperative. Metal spoons will ruin the way the sugar sets up because they absorb and maintain heat. Wooden spoons are completely neutral. Like awesome Swedish cooking implements. The one in this picture is slightly dirty because I had already made one batch. Yep. I cooked two pounds of butter and sugar at Christmas. And then I ate it.
A side step, but one that is best completed right at the beginning, is covering a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and then spreading finely chopped nuts over the foil. I used pecans. It is best to do this before you begin, because once you start cooking the sugar you can't do anything else until it is finished, and at the end you will have to work very quickly.
Step One: melt the butter. Heat the skillet over medium. Medium. Not a notch higher or lower. You have to cook this stuff hot and slow. So. Start by throwing all the butter in the skillet. Don't hesitate, or you might realize how much butter you are actually using, and then all will be lost. Just toss it in. You might even want to avert your eyes while you do it. You will know if you have heated your skillet properly, because the butter should start to melt right away.
The butter will continue to melt. This is not the time to lose your mettle. You are staring fat in the face and winning at this point. But you have only come part of the way. The journey to toffee is much longer than just a few sticks of melted butter, and the worst is yet to come.
Once the butter is completely melted it is time to add the sugar. Making candy is all about finesse, so don't try to rush things. You should be looking at a pool of swirling, yellow butter, just right for dipping crab meat in before you even think about adding any other ingredients. But once it is just right, dump that sugar on in there.
Stir slowly but constantly to combine the sugar and butter. This will take some time. Butter, as a fat, is stubborn, and does not like to blend with the sugar. You have to slowly cajole and manipulate it to get it to do what you want. Eventually you will get to the point shown in this picture, which is the most disgusting part of making this candy. The sugar melts a little and settles to the bottom, leaving a nasty layer of melted butter on top that just won't seem to mix. But don't worry, if you just keep stirring, it will.Just keep stirring, just keep stirring, stiiirrrring, stirrrrinnngg....
Eventually, the butter will bend to your will and will finally blend fully with the sugar. This is what it will look like. It will start to bubble, and it will start to look like the sugar is boiling. This is exactly what you want. We are doing chemistry here, people. And what is happening is a reaction. I don't know what kind. I just keep stirring the wooden spoon and avoid asking questions.
It will bubble more and more and you have to keep stirring the whole time. You can get faster as the butter becomes incorporated, because you don't have to worry as much about it sloshing over the sides. But you have to keep stirring, constantly. I can't stress this enough. If you stop for any reason the sugar could scorch and then the whole thing is ruined, and you have just wasted a whole pound of butter. No taking drinks, nothing to eat, no checking to see what is on tv. Your only purpose in the world right now is stirring this sugar. It is for this reason that I like to station helpers around the kitchen, so they can do things like pour diet coke in my mouth and feed me oyster crackers while I stir. I even tried to convince my sister to hold a book for me so I could read, but she didn't go for it.
Eventually the mixture will really start to solidify, and will start to look more like this. It become lighter brown in color, and you will start to think that you must be nearing the end. In reality, you are at about the halfway point. But really, the fun is coming, because from here you can really see changes in the mixture as it slowly cooks.
At this point you have reached the "soft ball" stage. I presume it is called this because it is at this point that you could make soft, chewy candy out of the mixture. i.e. caramel balls. However, this is not your goal. But when the mixture starts to look like this you will want to put in a candy thermometer (did I mention you need a candy thermometer?) to keep track of where you are at. Only a very seasoned hand would be able to tell just by looking. A good candy thermometer will have the stages marked. I find this really encouraging because I can tick off the different stages and mark my progress.
After a little more stirring, you will notice the substance to start to get more creamy. It has reached what we call the "soft crack" stage. I have no idea what this means, but it does indicate that you are almost there! This is the "almost ready" stage, and your stirring must become even more vigorous. At this point I had to keep changing my grip on the spoon because my fingers kept cramping up. But I could see my goal was within reach, and this gave me the strength to continue. Soon I would have sweet toffee to console me.
From this point onward the substance will become creamier and creamier. I can't even think of what to compare the texture to. All I know is that by the time I get to this stage I would almost risk the third degree burns to be able to stick my face directly into this delightful concoction.
You should notice a slight difference between this and the last picture. The mixture has reached the final, "hard crack" stage. I think it is called this because it is a highly addictive substance. It is really creamy, flowy, and lovely. And when your candy thermometer has leveled at exactly the 300 degree line, you must remove the pan from the heat immediately. I have someone stronger than me do this because cast iron is really heavy, and after all that work I wouldn't want it to spill all over the floor.Congratulate yourself! You stood the test of time and did not get distracted and now you will be rewarded by getting to a. rest your aching arm, and b. eating the most delectable candy on earth.
When you pull the pan off the stove (or have someone else do it), take it immediately to the prepared pan covered in chopped pecans. Pour the liquid over the nuts. You want to try to get it as even as possible, because it will start to cool immediately.
Use your spoon to spread the mixture over the nuts. If it sticks a little and mixes in some nuts, that is okay. Just do your best. You really can't go wrong.
Then take six unwrapped, regular Hershey bars. Set them an even distance apart, dispersed over the toffee. (It's okay to call it toffee now, because it is done cooking.) Don't worry, they will definitely melt. Just let them sit for a few seconds.
Once you have let them melt a little, take the same wooden spoon and spread the chocolate over the toffee. It should spread pretty easily, and cover the whole sheet of toffee, which will be cooling at a rapid rate by now. It will start to look really delish by now, and you will have almost totally forgotten about the amount of butter you melted at the beginning. (But I am here to remind you--ONE POUND.)
At last, we have the completely finished product! All you have to do now is exercise a little patience and wait for it to cool completely. To speed up this process, I put it in the fridge (if there is room) or in the garage (where it is naturally cold because it is December). After and hour or two it will be cooled into a solid, and you can then break it up into pieces and store (or eat) it at your leisure. This is by far the best part of the whole process.So why do I go through all the pain and toil to create this amalgamation of butter, sugar, sweat, and tears? Because at the end of the day, it is one of the most tasty things I create at the holidays. It gives me sense of accomplishment because I worked so hard for it and then I get to reward myself by eating it piece by piece throughout the rest of the holiday. It brings the family together: pot lifter, drink holder, and in Mom's case, supervisor, and together we create something that we can all eat. And that is what the holidays are really all about.
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