Old Fashioned Toffee

Just like mum used to make: three humble ingredients boiled into a glassy, golden hard candy that cracks and shatters like the toffees of childhood. Sugar, water, and a splash of vinegar, that’s the whole list.

The vinegar is the clever bit. A little acid stops the sugar from crystallising as it boils, so you get smooth, glassy toffee instead of a grainy, sandy mess. The other golden rule, quite literally, is don’t stir once it’s boiling, since stirring encourages those same crystals to form.

You don’t need a thermometer. Just watch the colour: boil it until it turns a deep golden amber, which is when the sugar has caramelised to that classic toffee flavour and will set rock-hard. Pull it off the heat the moment it’s there, let the bubbles settle, and spoon it into little cases to cool.

A word of caution: boiling sugar is ferociously hot and will burn badly, so keep children and distractions away and never leave it unattended.

Pro Tips

• Don’t stir once it boils. Stirring triggers crystallisation and grainy toffee.
• Watch the colour closely near the end, as it goes from golden to burnt in seconds.
• Work quickly spooning it out, since it sets fast as it cools.

Variations

• Stir a pinch of bicarbonate of soda in off the heat for an airy honeycomb-style toffee.
• Add a few drops of peppermint or a little butter at the end for flavour and richness.
• Pour onto a lined tray and crack into shards instead of using cases.