Bonfire Toffee Recipe

Last year, I whimsically decided I wanted to try my hand at making bonfire toffee. A friend of mine sent me a bonfire toffee recipe, I got my ingredients and I prepared to create a bonfire treat that I would put into cute little bags and share with my family.

It was a disaster, a total unimitigated disaster. That sloppy brown liquid stayed in my fridge for days as I willed it to harden.

It didn't.

I threw it away.

My whimsical dreams dashed!

My disastrous bonfire toffee

I might try again this year and if I do, this is the recipe I will be trying!

Ingredients

• 450g (2¼ cups) dark brown sugar

• 125ml (½ cup) water

• 115g (½ cup) unsalted butter

• ¼ tsp cream of tartar

• 125g (¼ cup) black treacle (molasses)

• 125g (¼ cup) golden syrup (light corn syrup)

Instructions

1. Prepare Your Equipment:

• Line a tin: Use a 20cm x 20cm (8” x 8”) square tin or similar-sized baking tray, and line it with parchment paper. Grease the paper lightly to prevent sticking.

• Test water: Fill a small bowl with cold water to test your toffee later if you don’t have a thermometer.

2. Melt the Ingredients:

• Place the dark brown sugar, water, and butter into a large, heavy-based saucepan.

• Stir gently over low heat until the sugar dissolves and the butter melts. Do not let it boil at this stage.

3. Add Treacle and Syrup:

• Once the sugar and butter are melted, stir in the black treacle and golden syrup. Continue stirring until everything is well combined and smooth.

4. Boil the Mixture:

• Turn up the heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Once it starts bubbling, reduce the heat slightly to maintain a steady boil without it boiling over.

• Add the cream of tartar at this stage. This helps prevent sugar crystals from forming.

5. Cook to Hard Crack Stage:

• Boil the mixture until it reaches the hard crack stage (about 140°C or 285°F). This can take around 15–20 minutes, but watch it carefully.

• If you don’t have a thermometer, test the toffee by dropping a small spoonful into the bowl of cold water. It should harden instantly and snap when bent.

6. Pour and Set:

• Once the toffee reaches the correct temperature, quickly but carefully pour it into your lined tin. Be cautious as the mixture will be extremely hot.

• Leave the toffee to cool and set at room temperature. This can take about 1–2 hours.

7. Break into Pieces:

• Once fully hardened, remove the toffee from the tin and break it into pieces by tapping it with a hammer or rolling pin.

Storage:

• Store the toffee in an airtight container, and it will keep for up to 2 weeks.

Tips:

• For added flavor, you can sprinkle a pinch of sea salt over the toffee before it sets, giving it a salted toffee twist.

• Be cautious when handling hot sugar mixtures as they can cause burns. Use a heatproof spatula and wear oven mitts if necessary.

I'll let you know how it goes!

What's your favourite bonfire recipes?