Brielle's Avalon

Just in time for Guy Fawkes Day. When I was a kid my Dad used to get treacle toffee imported from Britain. By the time I was in college I think he and I were the only people still buying it in town and it became impossible to find. I did find it once in Seattle and again in Florida years ago, but now I can’t find it even on the internet so I’m trying my hand at reproducing it. So far I’ve made three batches. The first had the right consistency and almost had the taste but was brown instead of black. The second was black but not quite the right taste and a very hard candy. This time it’s almost right, but I cooked it to hard crack stage instead of hard ball, so I guess I’ll just have to keep trying (darn!). So here it is:

4 oz. Butter or Margarine

2 Tbsp. Strong Coffee

1 Tbsp. Vinegar (I used Malt Vinegar)

3/4 c Dark Brown Sugar 

1/4 c Molasses (or Treacle if you can get it)

Melt butter in a saucepan, add coffee, vinegar, sugar and molasses, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Boil till it reaches the hard ball stage (260 F). You can use a modern thermometer or, if you don’t have one, do it the old fashioned way. Take a cup, fill with water and (after a bit of boiling) drop a small amount of syrup in the water. Push it around with your finger. If it’s a soft ball it’s not ready yet. If you can make a hard ball and pick it up it’s ready. If it forms a ball and cracks, that’s the hard crack stage and it’s over-done. Be REALLY careful! Boiling candy can cause super bad burns!

Take from heat, allow bubbles to subside and pour onto a well-buttered sheet of waxed paper on a cookie sheet. Spread into a roughly square shape with he back of a spoon. In just a few minutes (by the time I’d taken a couple of pictures) it should be cool enough to score into squares with a sharp knife. Don’t drag the knife through, just push down, lift, and move to the next area. This will create the pillow-shaped candies I remember.

When it is fully cooled it will be hard enough to break the squares apart. If the waxed paper sticks to the back of some of the pieces don’t worry, it won’t hurt you…just keep those pieces back for yourself. Store in a tin lined with waxed paper, separating each layer with waxed paper or you can cut waxed paper into squares and wrap each piece…but that takes longer to do than it did to make it!

And of course:

Remember, remember!
The fifth of November,
The Gunpowder treason and plot;
I know of no reason
Why the Gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot!