Making Toffee

Flavors or colors can be added to your basic sugar syrup to do things such as red toffee apples; or lemon juice and rind for barley sugar; peppermint for mint drops; nuts for peanut brittle.

After a syrup mixture has been cooked (i.e. hot but supple) and poured onto a marble slab or into a greased tin, it can be worked in a variety of ways. For example a brittle barley sugar mix can be cut and twisted. A peppermint soft crack mixture can be stretched, folded and twisted. Repeat this procedure several times for a creamy white satin texture. Two mixtures, (peppermint soft crack with raspberry soft crack) can be mixed by the stretch, fold and twist method to produce "bulls eyes". When stretched and nearly set, use oiled scissors to cut the rope into small pieces.

Making Caramels

Caramels are mixtures enriched with milk or cream. The lactose sugar in milk caramelizes at the firm ball stage, so do not over-cook as the mixture will tend to darken and produce a burnt sugar taste. Soft moist caramels require a temperature of 118°C, harder thick caramels 120°C. Caramel mixtures should be stirred from time to time to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pan and burning.

Basic Caramel Recipe

• 250g (8 oz) White sugar
• 250ml (8 oz) Thickened cream (double cream)
• 30g (1oz) Butter
• 60g (2oz) Honey or glucose

Occasionally stir over a medium heat to the firm ball stage. At the desired temperature arrest to prevent further cooking. Add desired flavor/color, nuts or dried fruit. Mix and pour into a greased tin. Cut or shape when set into a warm block.

Making Fudge

Fudge is a sugar syrup enriched with dairy products cooked to the soft ball stage and then whipped or beaten to make its grain or texture. For finer smoother texture wait until mixture is slightly cooled.

Basic Fudge Recipe

• 400g (14oz) White sugar
• 150ml (1/4 pint) Milk
• 60g (2oz) Butter

Occasionally stir over a medium heat to soft ball stage. Arrest to prevent further cooking. Allow to cool slightly and beat until thick and creamy.

For chocolate fudge add 150g or 5 oz. of buttons at the start of the recipe.

Like caramels, the desired flavor/color or nuts or fruit can be added at the arrest stage.