Yorkshire Bonfire Toffee

Name: Yorkshire Bonfire Toffee
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Yorkshire
Ingredients: 450 g dark brown soft sugar; 150 g black treacle; 150 g golden syrup; 125 g Unsalted butter; 150 ml cold water; 1 tsp distilled white vinegar; 0.5 tsp Fine sea salt; 1 tbsp Vegetable oil

Glossy, pitch-black treacle toffee with a rich, bittersweet caramel crunch, traditionally shattered into shards for Bonfire Night.

🇬🇧United Kingdom· Yorkshire and the Humber

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 30 min
Total: 45 min
Servings: 8
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 280 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

450 g dark brown soft sugar — or dark muscovado sugar
150 g black treacle — warm the spoon first for easy pouring
150 g golden syrup — adds shine and pliability
125 g Unsalted butter — diced into small cubes
150 ml cold water — tap water
1 tsp distilled white vinegar — prevents sugar crystallisation (forming grainy crystals)
½ tsp Fine sea salt — balances the deep molasses bitterness
1 tbsp Vegetable oil — for greasing the tin and paper

Equipment

•20cm square baking tin
•greaseproof paper
•heavy-based saucepan
•sugar thermometer
•toffee hammer or rolling pin

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 280 kcal
fat: 8 g
carbs: 52 g
fibre: 0 g
protein: 0.5 g
calories: 280 kcal

Instructions

1
Brush a 20cm square baking tin with vegetable oil and line securely with greaseproof paper.
2
Add the butter, dark brown sugar, black treacle, golden syrup, and water into a deep heavy-based saucepan.
3
Heat gently on the hob over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter melts and sugar granules dissolve completely.
4
Stir in the distilled white vinegar and fine sea salt once the mixture turns liquid and smooth.
5
Bring the mixture to a steady rolling boil over medium heat without stirring to prevent graininess.
6
Boil steadily until the sugar thermometer reads 140°C to 149°C, known as the hard-crack stage.
7
Test readiness by dropping a teaspoon of hot syrup into cold water; it should instantly form brittle threads.
8
Remove the pan carefully from the hob and pour the hot molten toffee into the prepared tin.
9
Leave the toffee to cool undisturbed at room temperature for around two hours until completely hard and cold.
10
Turn out onto a clean board and strike firmly with a rolling pin to shatter into bite-sized shards.

Chef's tips

Do not stir the toffee once it begins boiling, as agitation causes the sugar to crystallise and turn grainy. Warm your measuring spoons under hot running water before measuring the black treacle so it slides off easily. Store the cracked pieces immediately, as treacle naturally attracts ambient moisture and becomes sticky if left exposed.

Ingredient substitutions

distilled white vinegar → cream of tartar (1/4 tsp)
unsalted butter → salted butter (omit the extra fine sea salt)

Storage

Keep the shattered shards in an airtight tin layered between greaseproof paper at room temperature for up to three weeks.

Reheating

This confectionery is served crisp and cold at room temperature and must not be reheated.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Stirring the boiling syrup, which triggers crystallisation and results in a gritty texture.
•Taking the pan off the heat before reaching the hard-crack stage, leaving the toffee unpleasantly chewy instead of brittle.
•Putting the setting toffee in the fridge, which introduces moisture and creates a tacky surface.

Serving suggestions

Serve in brown paper bags alongside warm Yorkshire parkin on Bonfire Night.Wrap individual shards in small squares of greaseproof paper for party favours.Enjoy with a mug of hot spiced apple cider or black tea.