Saltine Toffee Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why is my saltine toffee chewy? ›

If your saltine toffee, or Christmas crack, is chewy, it's because the chocolate hasn't fully set yet. Try popping it in the fridge for 15 minutes to firm it up. Do not store it in the fridge for any longer than 15 minutes, however.

There are a few ways to beat the Saltine cracker challenge. The first way is to eat them one at a time and take small sips of water in between each cracker. The second way is to put a little bit of peanut butter on each cracker before eating them.

This toffee is cooked initially to 310°F (154°C), then the salt and baking soda are added, creating carbon dioxide. The foaming and bubbling aerate the candy somewhat, making the texture lighter and the candy easier to bite into.

Don't hurry this gradual transformation; syrup that doesn't reach 300°F, or close to it, will make candy with timid flavor and chewy (not crunchy) texture. Think you can save time by bringing the syrup to a full rolling, popping boil in order for it to darken more quickly? Think again.

You can try adding in 1 tablespoon of water at a time and slowly stirring to recombine. Separating (and/or crystallizing where the toffee turns sugary and grainy) can happen with sudden drops or spikes in the temperature or with constant, vigorous stirring.

Try the 3,2,1 strategy.

This strategy is done by eating your crackers in sets of three, then two, and eating the last cracker on it's own. Your saliva is absorbed after eating two saltines separately, so when you use this strategy it is said to be easier since half of the challenge is over with in the first go.

In actuality, without these holes, crackers wouldn't bake correctly. These holes allow steam to escape during cooking. This keeps the crackers flat, instead of rising a bit like a normal biscuit as the steam tries to escape; these holes also help to properly crisp the crackers.

NOTE:[i] Most recipes recommend constant stirring from start to finish to prevent butter and sugar separation. Constant stirring will not hurt the mixture, but I have found it is unnecessary. You will stir the mixture a little as it cooks.

Made with just sugar and a little water, toffee is easy to make and is an easy introduction to the world of confectionary. This recipe includes a dash of vinegar which will help keep the colour of the toffee clear and bright and banish any cloudiness.

For cooking: cook the toffee until it turns nutty brown. Don't stop cooking it until it's brown. Stop cooking it immediately as soon as it's brown.

What to do with too many saltine crackers? ›

Saltine crackers are low in calories, fat and dietary fiber. It does provide a small amount of folate and Vitamin B which helps in the development of a fetus. When it comes to weight gain there is research that shows if someone consumes a high amount of high processed foods and sodium that it will lead to weight gain.

As the toffee cools and the molten sugar crystals become solid again, they are attracted to the 'seed' forming new lumps of tiny crystals – hence the grainy texture. This can also happen if the toffee is stirred, or agitated, after it has begun to boil or on cooling (as happened with this pink-tinted toffee).

If the sugar mixture is not cooked to the proper temperature (the hard-crack stage 300-310° F {149-154° C.} or if you are working in a kitchen with high humidity, chances are your candy is retaining too much moisture.

The staling of dry, crisp foods such as crackers, tortilla chips, and crunchy cookies occurs because moisture from the atmosphere gets absorbed by the item's starches, which soften and rob it of its crisp texture. Luckily, this process is reversible.

a hard, chewy, often brown sweet that is made from sugar boiled with butter.