Saltine Toffee Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why is my saltine toffee grainy? ›

Why is my saltine toffee grainy? The graininess you taste in toffee is always whole sugar crystals that did not fully dissolve when heated.

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.

Cook until the toffee registers 285-290 degrees on an instant-read or candy thermometer and is deep amber brown in color, about 20-25 minutes. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and pour the toffee evenly over the nuts on the prepared baking sheet – don't scrape the sides of the pan.

UNBLEACHED ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE {VITAMIN B1}, RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2), FOLIC ACID), CANOLA OIL, PALM OIL, SEA SALT, SALT, MALTED BARLEY FLOUR, BAKING SODA, YEAST.

Why is my cracker toffee chewy? For firm toffee, the caramel needs to cook to what's known as "hard crack" stage. If you pull the toffee out of the oven and it isn't bubbling all over, leave it in for additional time. If using a thermometer, the temperature of the caramel should reach about 300°F.

Toffee Making Tips + Troubleshooting

Your toffee is better off overcooked than undercooked! 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!

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).

You might wonder why the toffee recipe includes baking soda. It is added at the end of the boiling stage and creates lots and lots of bubbles. These bubbles help to lighten the texture of the finished toffee, resulting in an easier-to-bite candy.

For cooking: cook the toffee until it turns nutty brown. Don't stop cooking it until it's brown. Stop cooking it immediately as soon as it's brown.

What texture should toffee be? ›

Ideally toffee has a nice snap when you bite into it, but then it gives way to a tender texture that immedietly crumbles and dissolves in your mouth. Even though I add a tremendous amount of butter to my recipe, the texture I end up with is more like a hard candy that ultimately sticks to your teeth.

The holes are called docking holes to preclude the formation of large pockets of air while baking.

Saltine crackers may improve symptoms of upset stomach in people with gastroparesis or nausea and vomiting induced by pregnancy or chemotherapy treatments.

Saltine crackers have been the family prescription for upset stomach and nausea for many years as they soak up the acid that sits in an empty stomach, which is often the source of the irritation. Additionally, saltine crackers prevent acid from being released in the stomach.

The problem is that crystals of sugar were re-introduced into the liquid candy. This will cause your candy to crystallize and become grainy. To prevent this, (stove-top method only) wipe down the inner sides of your pan a few times with a wet pastry brush while your candy is boiling.

Graininess occurs when the sugar in caramel sauce hasn't completely dissolved before adding in butter and heavy cream or if the caramel is cooled too quickly. Luckily, you can bring grainy caramel sauce back to a smooth, creamy consistency with an easy fix. Simply reheat it on the stovetop and add more liquid.

If your caramel is still coming out grainy, try adding half a teaspoon of lemon juice. Your candy will be slightly gummier, but the acid in the lemon will inhibit crystallization and reduce the graininess. Your thermometer should be fine, the graininess probably has more to do with technique than temperature.

If too many bits of sugar get stuck to the side of the pan, they will harden and can cause the caramel to seize or become gritty or grainy when you add in the butter and/or the cream. Prevent this by gently swirling the sugar around as it melts, while holding the pan's handle, instead of using a utensil to stir it.