Why is my toffee grainy in cracker-toffee "Crack"?
I have made this recipe to good results (creamy, chewy toffee), and more often, to disappointing results texturally (grainy toffee).
It is :
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
Cook for 2-3 minutes stirring constantly. pour over saltine crackers on a greased foil lined cookie sheet, and bake at 350 for 10 minutes. top with chocolate chips, spread when melted.
I have read many versions of this recipe with more cooking time and more baking time (and people with burnt results from the longer baking). I know traditional toffee made with white sugar is not to be stirred, the whole pastry brush thing, but this one is different. I wonder if I am not cooking the toffee on the stove long enough, eg to soft ball stage.
Also wonder if using ordinary brown sugar is ok.
It tastes good no matter the texture, but I would like to be able to nail it more consistently re the texture! Thanks.
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I've been there!! This is what I do: first melt butter (on medium heat, but don't let it turn brown), then add the sugar and stir constantly until it's completely dissolved, but stop stirring as soon as it boils!! (I think both of these help prevent the crystallizing). I am not familiar with baking toffee, though. I keep cooking it for 10-15 minutes until it reaches the hard crack stage (one of those candy thermometers that attaches to your pan is ideal; if you have a thermometer, 300 degrees is the temp for a similar toffee I make). I imagine you could put it into the oven as you've done after it boils, and bake instead of stovetop cooking. I've also never put it on crackers, so I suppose when it's done you pour it onto crackers to cool. I hope this helps!! :)
P.S. cooking time could also be a factor. I would not stop at soft ball stage, but keep cooking until hard crack stage.
I just made three trays of these and they turned out grainy and not set-up. I followed the recipe I was using and boiled for 3 minutes at a rolling boil before pouring on crackers and baking.
Since I was going to toss them anyway, I put them back in the oven (with chocolate, nuts and sprinkles on them). I used an oven thermometer and waited until the temperature of the toffee was 280 degrees before pulling them out.
This took about twenty minutes (because they were cooled). They boiled for about 6-7 minutes while in the oven, which they hadn't the first time through. I kept a sharp eye on them.
They looked alright and I ran a spoon through the toffee and put it in the freezer. The stuff on the spoon is the right toffee crunchy texture once cooled, so I think re-baking them to a higher temp/boiling for a few minutes in the oven did the trick and saved the batch!
I think next time I make these I'll make sure they come back up to a boil in the oven and give them a few minutes boiling in there.
Brown sugar can be used to good effect in candy making.
With the texture issue, something is crystallizing the sugar. Try using your ingredients with the more classic method.
I make this stuff all the time. I find the trick is to bring it to the boil and let it boi lfor 3 minutes. then pour it on the crackers and let it boil in the oven for 7 to 8 minutes. then let put the chocolate chips on. let it stand for 5 minutes. spread the chocolate chips and let it cool in the fridge. If you don't let it boil (a rolling boil) for 3 minutes it will go grainy
Pam
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