This week the Sweet Melissa Sundays group made its second attempt at candy-making with Butter Toffee Crunch. I had initially planned on making a quarter recipe, as the original yields three pounds and it’s a little early to be making Christmas gifts. However, I ended up making three quarters of a recipe, in three different batches, because my first two failed! I have groused about making caramel before, and though I am starting to get a little better at making candy, things just didn’t work out for me yesterday. The first batch burned (I could smell it before the candy thermometer was close to the requisite 280 degrees), and then I took the second batch off too soon in fear of it scorching. The third and final batch might have been a little underdone as well, but after three attempts I was calling it a day. My mom is a first grade teacher and at Christmas time she always receives lots of gifts from students, including candy. I remember one year there was some highly addictive toffee; the final product reminds me of that toffee and it is actually disappearing pretty fast.
This recipe rated an 8 for Deliciousness and a 3.5 for Effort, giving it an EDR of 2.28. Many thanks to Kaitlin of Kait’s Plate for challenging me in the kitchen this weekend. Like me, Kait also participates in Tuesdays With Dorie, but I wasn’t acquainted with her blog until Sweet Melissa Sundays started and I really enjoy it! You can find the recipe here on Kait’s site and see how the other bakers fared by visiting the SMS blogroll.
I made another delicious chocolate/brown sugar concoction this weekend, and since there is very little chance I will get around to actually writing a full post about it, I thought I’d mention it now. I was browsing through my reader on Friday evening and I saw Thomas Keller’s Chocolate Chip Cookies, from the new Ad Hoc at Home cookbook, on Pink Stripes. I took Wendy’s advice and made the cookies that night! These I don’t know if they surpass the New York Times recipe as my favorite, since it’s been a while (too long) since I’ve made those, but these are excellent cookies! My cookies did not spread as much as I thought they should, so I'm not sure where I went wrong in that regard. They turned out crisp on the outside and soft in the center, almost as if they contain a gooey chocolate filling rather than chips. It had been a while since I’d used molasses sugar, and I’d forgotten what a wonderful depth of flavor it adds to cookies. Unlike the NYT cookies, they do not require a rest in the refrigerator, so you get instant CCC gratification – awesome! I did refrigerate some and bake them today, though, and I think those ones turned out exceptionally good. These cookies scored a 9.5 for Deliciousness and a 2 for Effort, giving them an EDR of 4.75. You can find the recipe here, and I definitely encourage anyone craving chocolate chips cookies to make them.
11 comments:
I don't think I would have had the patience for 3 batches! Glad it worked in the end though. Looks delicious!
Wow, you made it 3 times? I'd like to think I would have kept trying if I failed I probably wouldn't have. Kudos to you! It looks fantastic and sounds like it's a hit!
The cookies look wonderful too. They're definitely going on my to-do list. I'm curious because I've seen mixed reviews from bloggers so I wonder how they'd be received here.
Third time is a charm! You were determined to make it work.
Hi Margot!
It is SO wonderful to hear from you- I've missed you all these weeks that I've been away from SMS :( Your toffee looks absolutely fantastic- and you'd never know it gave you quite a bit of trouble. I admire your perseverance and patience- way to stay positive and keep trying despite facing a number of challenges (and trust me, you were NOT alone). I'm proud of you and thank goodness, in the end, you were rewarded with a delicious batch of candy! Great job!
I hope you're doing well and have a fabulous start to your week. Can't wait to talk to you again soon :)
<3,
Joy
Wow! I am so impressed that you gave this 3 tries. I quit after the first go-round. That's some dedication, and it definitely paid off for you! Those CCC's look delicious, too!
Oh, you made the cookies!! How cool. Glad you liked them.
I can't believe you made the toffee three times. It looks great!
Your toffee looks great and your persistence is impressive! I really think the recipe is a bit flawed and should really be checked at around 240 degrees and pulled off at around 260. Great job!
your toffee looks great!! i didn't have the time *ahem* patience to try this toffee again after my first batch but i'll give it another shot!
and those cookies. oh my, those cookies!
Your toffee looks absolutely perfect, so I suppose the third time is the charm! I just made (and posted) TK's CCCs a couple days ago. I didn't go nuts for them like Wendy did - I still prefer the NYT cookie - but I did enjoy them more the more I ate them. Yours look great.
Oh no, so sorry your first two batches didn't work out! But I'm glad that you persevered, because when it works out, the finished product is fantastic. Glad you enjoyed it.
Is this the toffee recipe connect? If so, I found it! Thanks! If not, let me know, b/c the one you sent is the one they love!
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