Everyone Remembers This Stuff

Remember this stuff?  You might have to think back a little, to when you were a youngin'.  It's Sponge Toffee!  At first I thought this would be a difficult task that would take a few trials before I came out with a success.  But that was NOT the case.  I got it on the first try and I must say it is the BEST sponge toffee I have ever had.  The first night I made the sponge toffee then the next night I coated broken up pieces with milk chocolate and dark chocolate.

To coat I melted about 1 cup of desired chocolate over a water bath.  I add a tablespoon of shortening because it gives the coating a nice shine once it sets. Dip broken up sponge toffee and cool to set on trays lined with parchment.  I tried both milk and dark chocolate and much preferred the dark chocolate.  The hubby loves milk chocolate and insisted it would taste better so I humored him and dipped half of the toffee with milk chocolate.  After trying my half with dark chocolate he agreed that dark chocolate tasted much better.  I think it is because the sponge toffee is so sweet that it overpowers the milk chocolate.

The other tip I will mention is to be very careful with the hot sugar when you pour it into the prepared pan.  Mine bubbled up and started going over the edges...it made a mess!  Make sure that the parchment paper goes up nice and high on the edges. 

One last thing, you can use 2/3 cup of light corn syrup or you can sub in 1/3 cup of golden syrup.  If you don't know what this is you MUST track it down.  Golden Syrup is made from refined sugar cane juice and is sometimes referred to as treacle.  Lyle's Golden Syrup is what you'll want to look for in the grocery store.  It took me a few store's to find it so start looking and grab a jar or two when you see it.  I think I found it in the isle with honey, peanut butter and jams. 

Sponge Toffee Recipe

Ingredients

·       Vegetable oil for greasing pan

·       2 ½  cups granulated sugar

·       1/3 cup golden syrup (or light corn syrup)

·       1/3 cup light corn syrup

·       6 tablespoons water

·       2 tablespoons baking soda

·       2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions

1. Liberally grease a 10-inch round spring form cake pan with vegetable oil. Trace the bottom of the pan on a piece of parchment paper. Line the bottom of the pan with the parchment paper circle. Line the sides of the pan with a parchment paper so that the parchment paper creates a collar that rises above the sides of the pan. Liberally grease the parchment paper.
2. In a deep medium saucepan add sugar, corn syrup, water, and vanilla. Over medium-high heat bring the mixture to a boil, without stirring. Cook until hard crack stage, temperature reads 300F on a candy thermometer, about 10 minutes. If sugar crystals form on the sides of the pan during the cooking process, brush the sides of the pan with a clean pastry brush dipped in water.
3. Remove from heat. Working quickly, add the baking soda and quickly blend to incorporate the soda into the sugar mixture, about 5 seconds. The mixture will bubble up when you add the baking soda. Be very careful not to touch the hot mixture.
4. Immediately pour the hot toffee into the prepared pan.
5. Let cool and set completely before touching.  Cut into pieces.

ENJOY!