Cyflaith (Welsh Treacle Toffee)
Cyflaith is a rich, buttery Welsh treacle toffee boiled to soft crack stage and traditionally pulled into glossy golden ribbons.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Servings
- 12
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 285 kcal
Equipment
- •Heavy-based saucepan
- •Sugar thermometer
- •Baking tray
- •Baking parchment
- •Kitchen scissors
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 285 kcal
- fat
- 11 g
- carbs
- 49 g
- fibre
- 0.2 g
- protein
- 0.5 g
- calories
- 285 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Lightly grease a 20cm square baking tin and line with greaseproof paper.
- 2
Combine butter, black treacle, golden syrup, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and water in a heavy-based saucepan.
- 3
Warm gently on the hob over low heat, stirring occasionally until all sugar crystals dissolve completely.
- 4
Increase the heat to medium and bring the mixture to a steady, rolling boil without stirring.
- 5
Boil until the mixture reaches 138°C on a sugar thermometer, known as the soft crack stage.
- 6
Remove the pan from the heat immediately and carefully stir in the vinegar, ginger, and sea salt.
- 7
Pour the hot toffee into the prepared tin and allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes until pliable.
- 8
Coat your clean hands thoroughly with softened butter, then lift the warm toffee from the tin.
- 9
Pull and fold the toffee repeatedly between your hands until it turns glossy, fibrous, and pale golden.
- 10
Stretch the pulled toffee into long ropes on greaseproof paper and cut into bite-sized pieces with buttered scissors.
Chef's tips
Test doneness without a thermometer by dropping a spoonful into cold water; it should form hard but pliable threads. Work quickly when pulling before the sugar sets solid.
Ingredient substitutions
- black treacle → dark molasses in equal measure
- cider vinegar → lemon juice or white wine vinegar
Storage
Store in an airtight tin layered between sheets of greaseproof paper for up to two weeks.
Reheating
Not suitable for reheating; enjoy at room temperature.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Stirring while boiling, which causes the sugar to crystallise and turn grainy.
- •Handling the toffee too early before it has cooled sufficiently to touch safely.
- •Letting the toffee cool too long before pulling, which makes it brittle and impossible to stretch.
Serving suggestions
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