VegetarianNorth West English cuisine Desserts

Everton Toffee

Name: Everton Toffee
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: North West English
Ingredients: 250 g demerara sugar; 100 g light soft brown sugar; 150 g golden syrup; 50 g black treacle; 125 g salted butter; 75 ml cold water; 1 tbsp Lemon juice; 1 tsp Vanilla extract; 0.5 tsp flaky sea salt

A glossy, historic British sweetmeat with a crisp snap, rich buttery sweetness, and subtle hints of dark molasses.

🇬🇧United Kingdom· North West England

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 25 min
Total: 35 min
Servings: 12
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 210 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 9 gathered

Servings

250 g demerara sugar — for deep caramel flavour
100 g light soft brown sugar — firmly packed
150 g golden syrup — measured with a warmed spoon
50 g black treacle — adds traditional dark colour
125 g salted butter — diced into cubes
75 ml cold water — tap water
1 tbsp Lemon juice — freshly squeezed, prevents sugar crystallisation
1 tsp Vanilla extract — pure extract
½ tsp flaky sea salt — finely crushed

Equipment

•Heavy-based saucepan
•Sugar thermometer
•20cm square baking tin
•Greaseproof paper
•Silicone spatula

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 210 kcal
fat: 8 g
carbs: 36 g
fibre: 0 g
protein: 0.5 g
calories: 210 kcal

Instructions

1
Line a 20cm square baking tin with greaseproof paper and grease lightly with butter.
2
Combine the demerara sugar, brown sugar, golden syrup, black treacle, and water in a heavy-based saucepan.
3
Warm gently on the hob over low heat, stirring until the sugars dissolve completely.
4
Add the diced salted butter and lemon juice to the pan and stir until melted.
5
Clip a sugar thermometer inside the pan and bring the liquid to a rolling boil.
6
Boil steadily without stirring until the thermometer reaches 145°C (soft crack stage).
7
Remove the pan from the heat immediately and stir in the vanilla extract and salt.
8
Pour the hot syrup quickly and evenly into the prepared baking tin.
9
Leave the toffee to settle at room temperature for 15 minutes until set on top.
10
Score the warm surface deeply into neat squares using a sharp, oiled knife.
11
Allow the toffee to cool completely for 2 hours until brittle and solid.
12
Snap along the scored lines into individual pieces and wrap in greaseproof paper.

Chef's tips

Never stir the mixture once it begins boiling, as agitation causes sugar crystals to form and makes the toffee grainy. Keep a bowl of iced water nearby to safely test a drop of syrup if you lack a thermometer.

Ingredient substitutions

golden syrup → light corn syrup
salted butter → unsalted butter plus an extra pinch of salt
black treacle → dark molasses

Storage

Store the wrapped toffee squares in an airtight tin at cool room temperature for up to one month.

Reheating

This confectionery is eaten cold and must not be reheated.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Stirring during the boil, which turns the glossy toffee into sugary fudge.
•Removing from the heat too early, leaving the sweet sticky instead of crisp and brittle.
•Failing to line the tin properly, making the cooled toffee impossible to lift out.

Serving suggestions

Serve alongside a strong mug of builders' tea.Hand out in small paper bags as traditional match-day confectionery.Crush roughly and scatter over bowls of vanilla dairy ice cream.