I suppose I started to become interested in cooking way back as youngster. The first thing I can remember that I cooked successfully was, Treacle Toffee. Yes treacle toffee. It was during one the long Hot school summer holidays. Usually July and August in England. We really used to get hot summers in England, I think.
You remember, the last week of the school term it was baking hot. That last week of term would last an eternity. You'd sit through a boring History or English lesson, looking longingly out of the window dreaming of what you'd be doing during the holiday.
Then Monday morning would arrive, you'd wake bright and early to start the holiday. Lying in bed you'd wonder, what's that tapping on the window? Up you'd get and open the curtains to see it was pouring with rain. For the next six to eight weeks, that’s the weather we'd get for that dreamed of summer holiday, with maybe a few breaks for a sunny day here and there. So you'd have to find something to do where you'd not get into too much trouble. Well what are boys for?
I remember my Mum would let me help in the kitchen and mess around a little myself. Well I found this recipe, in the library I think, for "Treacle Toffee". That was it I had to a have a go. I managed to persuade my Mum to let me make it. She was a bit concerned because you have to get the cooking toffee mix really hot. Experts have a sweet maker's thermometer. Not a twelve year old boy though.
You can test the temperature of the mixture by dropping a few drops of the boiling mixture into a cup of cold water. If it quickly goes hard it is ready. After a few attempts you'd learn how hard you wanted the toffee. You could have a quite brittle toffee or a nice chewy toffee. This was probably my first successful attempt at proper cooking on my own. During that holiday I also made Coconut ice, traditional pink and white but that wasn't as exciting as "Boiling hot Treacle Toffee".
I learnt in later years that making treacle toffee at home was great for your own children. Put a great lump of chewy toffee in their mouths and it kept them quiet for ages. Just like my sisters and I, my own children loved licking out the saucepan when you finished cooking.
RECIPE FOR TREACLE TOFFEE
INGREDIENTS
900 Grms Dark Brown Sugar 300 ml Water
Half a teaspoon of Cream of Tarter 150 gms unsalted butter
250 Grms Black Treacle 150 Grms Golden Syrup
(My original recipe used all black treacle)
METHOD
Grease (with butter) and line an 18 cm sandwich tin with greaseproof paper. Paper may not be necessary if you have a good non-stick pan.
In a large heavy saucepan, (I used a pressure cooker pan). This also could be made in your Wok, if it cooks to a high enough temperature.
Add the sugar and water, heat on medium until sugar is dissolved, but do not stir. Add the remaining ingredients all at once, stirring once and bring to the boil.
Whilst boiling, brush the inside edge of the pan with water to avoid crystals forming (which could ruin the entire batch!) If you have one, using a sugar (sweet) thermometer, boil to a soft crack stage (132-143C or 270f - 290f). Or much simpler, have a cup of Cold water at hand. Drop a few drops of the mixture into the water. If it hardens quickly it's ready. If you boil it too much it will be very brittle, or. If you don't boil it enough it will be too soft and may not set. When you've made it few times you'll work out how you like it.
Once your treacle toffee mix is at the soft crack stage, remove from the heat and carefully pour into the prepared tin. Allow to cool slightly then mark squares into the toffee with a buttered knife. Allow to cool completely at room temperature, then break into squares and store in an airtight container, if it lasts that long.
Warning. If you burn the Treacle or even the toffee mixture, you've made a great laxative. I mean it, it will really get you going. I did it once softening the treacle on the stove. We were fighting to get in the Loo.
