Not to be outdone by me and my baking dis-aaaarrrr-sters, Chris decided to have one of his own. I don't think this was the intention as he announced that he was going to make some cinder toffee (or honeycomb, as I know it). He used Nigella's recipe from
How to be a Domestic Goddess and followed it to the letter. The scent of toffee pervaded the whole house. However, when I went in to see the finished creation, my first (and probably not very helpful comment) was "You'll never get it out of the tin!"
He had used (as Nigella said) a square tin that I use for flapjack, and although he had buttered it thoroughly, the thickness of the cinder toffee meant that it stuck very well to the tin. A wooden spatula did managed to dislodge it, but it came off in bits, as you can see from the photos.
It tasted very nice, but as it sat there, it softened and became chewy, when it should have been nice and crunchy. Another attempt may be made, utilising a different recipe and a flat baking tray...nice to know it isn't just me!
In my next post, I'll write down the chocolate cake with chocolate fudge icing recipe for anyone who would like it.
Oh bless, he's not alone, I have tried nigella's several times and it has never worked, cadburys wins every time :)
ReplyDeleteVictoria xx
Dear Victoria
DeleteThank you for commenting. It's good to know that it is probably the recipe rather than anything else (alhough baking parchment may have helped too). We'll research some more recipes on the internet and see whether they are better.
Best wishes
Ellie
Yes, I would definitely use baking parchment for anything involving toffee! We have made this with mixed success - some of the bits were too chewy and not crunchy enough. Still delicious though.
ReplyDeleteGillian x
Dear Gillian
DeleteThank you for your comment. It tasted fine but got too squelchy for even us to eat in the end. Better luck with another recipe, I hope.
Best wishes
Ellie
I use Rachel Allen's recipe for honeycomb and it always work well. You do have to line the tin with baking parchment and you need to store it in a airtight box as it picks up the moisture in the air. If you want me to email the recipe to you let me know.
ReplyDeleteDear Cookie Jar
DeleteThank you for your comment. Baking parchment is definitely the way to go next time, I think. Leaving it out and not putting it in an airtight box was obviously another mistake...we live and learn! Thank you for the recipe offer - we're going to do some research on the internet, but may well need Rachel Allen's recipe too.
Best wishes
Ellie
I used to make this kind of thing but I never used a recipe, just used to put some bi-carb into the toffee that was ready to turn out of the pan. Lots of fun stirring it, I recall.
ReplyDeleteDear Toffeeapple
DeleteThank you for your comment. It did look fun and certainly smelt lovely, but after that, it all went a bit wrong. I am sure Chris will get it right - he won't let one (slightly failed) attempt put him off!
Best wishes
Ellie