Sunday, February 7, 2010

Snowy Weekend Candy Making

My first venture into candy making was with my Aunt Joycee on a wintry Saturday morning about 45 years ago. We made mosies and when the sugar scorched, we dumped it in the snow and started a new batch. This time we were more careful and stirred continuously for a sweet treat. Joycee and I didn't have a candy thermometer but tested more than a couple spoonfuls of the hot syrup in ice water to see if it was to the hard crack stage. I remember her pouring the gooey goodness into Grammy's well greased muffin tins. I can still see those tins in my mind's eye. I wish I could remember if we set the tins on the snow to cool. My guess is that we did. I was always in a hurry to consume more sugar. Sadly, that's a weakness I expect will be with me until my dying day.

Knowing the big snow would keep us home, I planned to make some candy this weekend. Stopping for groceries on my way home Friday, I got ingredients to make either peanut brittle or my new favorite candy recipe - Toffee Brittle with Chocolate and Sea Salt. It's sinfully delicious. I found the recipe at Culinate.com. There aren't many ingredients.
I boiled butter, sugar and salt from a soft yellow color to 300 degrees.
Then I added the walnuts and poured it onto a well buttered cookie sheet.
Then I sprinkled chocolate bits over the hot toffee. It takes them only a few minutes to melt. Then they are ready to spread over the toffee.
Now is the hard part. Allow the chocolate to cool a bit so that when you sprinkle the coarsely ground sea salt over the chocolate the salt doesn't disappear. Sprinkle a wee bit to see if it melts. If it doesn't you can put the rest of the salt on it. If it melts, allow the chocolate to cool a bit longer. It's not adding the salt that's difficult, it's keeping your mitts off the candy that's tough.
Since the chocolate didn't firm up fast enough for my liking, the kid in me had to carry it out to set on the snow. Gus couldn't imagine what I was doing outside. This recipe makes about 2 pounds of candy. You have to share it. Your belly won't feel good if you don't share it. Enjoy. M-M-M-M Good!

5 comments:

  1. Looks yummy! Well except for the walnuts and an allergy reaction. ;-)

    Lots of snow!!!

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  2. THAT looks great! I want to make some! :-)

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  3. yummy-licious indeed makes me wanna have some hehehe :)

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  4. Oh my gosh I haven't thought about mosies in years!!!! Gee does that bring back the memories.

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  5. OMG, I am into baking myself and looking at this candy is like... whoa!!!!

    PS: Just dropping by and reading random blogs! ;)

    Love from Singapore
    Dee

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