Culinary advice needed - making cinder toffee

['chelle]

Can anyone tell me how to make cinder toffee?

Since its the school holidays I did some baking with my daughter this afternoon. We made a chocolate orange cake, and some cinder toffee.
The cake was yummy, but the cinder toffee hasnt turned out as it should.

I followed a Nigella recipe, which roughly translated was: Mix golden syrup with sugar, heat it until bubbling and a golden colour, take off the heat and whisk in the Bicarbonate of soda. Pour onto a well greased tray, and cool for several hours.

Well, I did all that, and the result is disappointing. Its very bendy and chewy like actual toffee, not brittle and crunchy like it should be. If you actually manage to bite a bit off, its soft and chewy at first, but then disintegrates leaving the sugary grit in your mouth, its not very nice.

I'd like to have another go but I dont know where I went wrong. I always thought cinder toffee was really easy to make!!

Does anyone have any suggestions???

 

[rouge]

I found this on google Domestic Goddess in Training: Crumpets & Cinder Toffee

A nice easy recipe, plus if you read down through the comments, there are some tips for making it crunchy.

 

[Peter Pan]

MY nana always made this every weekend and she used brown sugar, golden syrup, vinegar (not much tho - i wish i could ask her, but that would be impossible as she died), and bicard - once the ingredients were boiling then add the bicard - you have to add enough to make it bubble to the top of the pan - then pour out - hope that helped - my nanas always turned out bang on

 

['chelle]

Thats brilliant ladies, thanks.

I'll make more this weekend and if it turns out nice I'll send you some!

 

[dee]

i have done it and used both vinegar and bicarb , 1 tip sift the bicarb or you can end up with little bubbles full of it , blurrgh