Help! Toffee didn't set - can it be saved? | Mumsnet (2024)

FAQs

What to do with toffee that didn't harden? ›

It's a treacle toffee, family recipe! Thanks! put it back in the saucepan and reheat it. It usually means it didn't get hot enought the first time.

Toffee is very sensitive to heat changes. If you haven't put the chocolate on it yet, just put it back in the pot and add about 1/2 cup water and recook. It will turn out fine, just maybe a tiny bit chewy because of the added sugar inversion.

If the toffee mixture has not boiled for long enough the toffees will not set. It is very important that you test toffee in a glass of cold water for it to crack or that the toffee has become hard on the spoon.

Stirring too quickly or too often can cause the toffee to separate. Moderate the heat as needed – turn it down if the toffee is boiling or cooking too fast so it doesn't burn.

Sometimes separated toffee or caramel can be saved by removing the saucepan from the heat and stirring constantly until it comes back together into a smooth mixture. Gradually return it to the heat, stirring constantly. You can also try adding a spoonful or two of very hot water to the toffee to help it come together.

If your toffee separates, there still is hope! Remove it from the heat and stir constantly until the mixture comes back together, and then gradually return it to the heat while continuing to stir. You can also add a tablespoon or two of very hot water and whisk it into the toffee to try to get it back together.

If caramels are too soft, that means the temperature didn't get high enough. Again place the caramel back into a sauce pan with a couple of tablespoons of water and heat to 244°F. If you don't have a candy thermometer, you can test with a cold water test.

Low and slow

Simmering the syrup for English toffee to the requisite 300°F temperature can (and should) be a slow process — up to 20 minutes or so. Don't hurry this gradual transformation; syrup that doesn't reach 300°F, or close to it, will make candy with timid flavor and chewy (not crunchy) texture.

Place toffee in the refrigerator until set, about 1 hour. Lift hardened toffee out of the baking dish with the parchment paper. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container.

Separated toffee can sometimes be saved by removing the saucepan from the heat and whisking vigorously until it comes back together into a smooth mixture. A candy thermometer is so helpful in making toffee. This is my favorite candy thermometer.

What does overcooked toffee look like? ›

Toffee Making Tips + Troubleshooting

Undercooked toffee won't be anything more than a caramel sauce. But overcooked toffee will be just slightly crunchier (almost unrecognizably). So, always err on the side of over-cooking!

Toffee is a hard candy made by cooking a sugar syrup with butter to the hard crack stage, 300–310°F (149–154°C), and then pouring it out to cool. It can have inclusions or not, and it can be made either very dense and hard or can be lightened by adding baking soda when the candy is almost done cooking .

NOTE:[i] Most recipes recommend constant stirring from start to finish to prevent butter and sugar separation. Constant stirring will not hurt the mixture, but I have found it is unnecessary. You will stir the mixture a little as it cooks.

According to Blakeslee, if a candy appears extremely sticky or has a grainy texture, then it has most likely expired due to temperature abuse and the crystallization of sugar. As a result, she said, it may develop an off flavor, have a change in color or turn moldy if it contains fruits or nuts.

As an alternative solution, before cooking, add corn syrup or a mild acid like lemon juice, vinegar, or cream of tartar to break up crystallization.

Don't hurry this gradual transformation; syrup that doesn't reach 300°F, or close to it, will make candy with timid flavor and chewy (not crunchy) texture. Think you can save time by bringing the syrup to a full rolling, popping boil in order for it to darken more quickly? Think again.

Fixing crystalline caramel

As little water easily dissolves these crystals since they're sugar crystals. Unfortunately, once your caramel has started to crystallize there is not much you can do without reheating it. Fortunately, crystallized caramel is perfectly fine to eat.

As the toffee cools and the molten sugar crystals become solid again, they are attracted to the 'seed' forming new lumps of tiny crystals – hence the grainy texture. This can also happen if the toffee is stirred, or agitated, after it has begun to boil or on cooling (as happened with this pink-tinted toffee).