Perfect Pumpkin Toffee For Halloween

  

Just in time for the season too! Pumpkin seems to be in everything these days, from your favorite coffee to main courses.  But here's a simple, delicious and easy way to bring out the Pumpkin and enjoy Halloween.  Sally McKenney, who wrote the new cookbook Sally's Candy Addiction stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about her recipe for Pumpkin Spice Toffee.  It can easily be done on a stovetop, and the ingredients are simple. Despite that, it'll make Halloween party guests think you have your own candy making machine! Find out more on Sally's website

Ingredients

1½ cups (149g) raw unsalted pecan halves, coarsely chopped

1 cup (2 sticks; 227g) unsalted butter, cubed, plus more if using for greasing

½ cup (120ml) warm water

1 cup plus 2 tbsp (225g) sugar, divided

1 tsp salt

1 tsp light corn syrup

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

6oz (170g) white chocolate, broken into small pieces

½ tsp ground cinnamon

Special Equipment

large baking sheet

12 x 17-in (30 x 43cm) jelly roll pan or a similar-sized rimmed baking sheet

silicone baking mat (recommended)

3-qt (2.8L) heavy-duty saucepan

pastry brush

candy thermometer

1 Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and a 12 x 17-in (30 x 43cm) jelly roll pan with a silicone baking mat or lightly butter or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Spread the chopped pecans onto the baking sheet and toast for 7–8 minutes, or until very lightly browned. Set aside.

2 Melt the cubed butter over medium heat in a 3-qt (2.8L) heavy-duty saucepan, stirring occasionally (about every 2 minutes) with a wooden spoon. Once melted, add the water, 1 cup (200g) of sugar, salt, and corn syrup. Stir constantly until the sugar dissolves, then brush down the sides of the pan with a water-moistened pastry brush. Attach a candy thermometer to the pan, making sure not to let it touch the bottom.

3 Once the sugar has dissolved, bring the mixture to a boil. Rapid bubbles, a thicker consistency, and a slightly darker color form around 235°F (113°C). Stir lightly once every minute until the candy reaches 290°F (143°C; soft crack stage).

4 Remove pan from the heat and stir in the pumpkin pie spice and 1 cup of the toasted pecans. Pour the toffee out onto the prepared jelly roll pan. Smooth into an even layer with a wooden spoon. The toffee should be thick and not spread all the way to the edges of the pan. Allow the toffee to cool for 5 minutes, then sprinkle the top with white chocolate. Allow the white chocolate to soften and melt from the heat of the toffee, then spread the melted white chocolate into an even layer using a rubber spatula or the back of a spoon. Sprinkle the top with remaining toasted pecans.

5 Quickly mix the cinnamon and remaining 2 tablespoons (25g) of sugar together in a small bowl. Sprinkle on top. Refrigerate for 20 minutes, or until white chocolate has set.

6 Once set, remove toffee from the refrigerator. Cut, using a sharp knife, or break into pieces as large or small as you want.

MAKE-AHEAD TIP: Store toffee in an airtight container at room temperature in a cool, dry place for up to 2 weeks. For longer storage, freeze up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

Like a Pudding AND a Cake

 

You can have both actually! Amy Traverso, the Senior Food Editor at Yankee Magazine, came by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about her Pear Sticky Toffee Pudding. She told Tonia it's a very simple dessert to make and is really more of a cross between a pudding and cake.  And to be exact, the cake part is really more of an upside-down cake, with the pear part bringing up the upside-down part. It's a delicious recipe for the fall!

Ingredients

2 medium unripe pears, peeled
¾ cup chopped pitted dates (about 7 large dates)
½ teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup boiling water
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large egg
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (80 grams) all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon baking powder

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F and set a rack to the middle position. Take a standard 12-cup muffin tin and spray 8 wells with nonstick baking spray (you won’t be using the rest). If you don’t have baking spray, you can grease them with butter and then dust with flour.

Stand a pear upright on a cutting board. Slice down each side so that you have four ¼-inch-thick slices of pear. Repeat with the second pear. Lay each slice, rounded-side down, into the center of a muffin cup. Set aside.

Put the dates in a small bowl with the baking soda. Pour the boiling water on top and stir so that the dates are submerged, then let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes while you make the batter.

Using a stand or handheld mixer, beat the brown sugar and butter on medium-high speed until creamy, about 1 minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl regularly. Add the egg and beat until blended. Sprinkle in the flour, salt, and baking powder and mix on low speed until evenly combined.

Puree the date mixture in a blender or with an immersion blender, then add it to the batter and mix on low speed until evenly combined.

Using a tablespoon, drop the batter into each of the prepared muffin cups, dividing it evenly. It will settle around the pear slices. Bake until the cakes are fragrant and spring back lightly when poked, 18 to 20 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning them out onto a cooling rack (hold the rack against the muffin tin, then flip).

A Perfect Pumpkin Toffee for Halloween

 

Just in time for the season too! Pumpkin seems to be in everything these days, from your favorite coffee to main courses.  But here's a simple, delicious and easy way to bring out the Pumpkin and enjoy Halloween.  Sally McKenney, who wrote the new cookbook Sally's Candy Addiction stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about her recipe for Pumpkin Spice Toffee.  It can easily be done on a stovetop, and the ingredients are simple. Despite that, it'll make Halloween party guests think you have your own candy making machine! Find out more on Sally's website

Ingredients

1½ cups (149g) raw unsalted pecan halves, coarsely chopped

1 cup (2 sticks; 227g) unsalted butter, cubed, plus more if using for greasing

½ cup (120ml) warm water

1 cup plus 2 tbsp (225g) sugar, divided

1 tsp salt

1 tsp light corn syrup

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

6oz (170g) white chocolate, broken into small pieces

½ tsp ground cinnamon

Special Equipment

large baking sheet

12 x 17-in (30 x 43cm) jelly roll pan or a similar-sized rimmed baking sheet

silicone baking mat (recommended)

3-qt (2.8L) heavy-duty saucepan

pastry brush

candy thermometer

1 Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and a 12 x 17-in (30 x 43cm) jelly roll pan with a silicone baking mat or lightly butter or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Spread the chopped pecans onto the baking sheet and toast for 7–8 minutes, or until very lightly browned. Set aside.

2 Melt the cubed butter over medium heat in a 3-qt (2.8L) heavy-duty saucepan, stirring occasionally (about every 2 minutes) with a wooden spoon. Once melted, add the water, 1 cup (200g) of sugar, salt, and corn syrup. Stir constantly until the sugar dissolves, then brush down the sides of the pan with a water-moistened pastry brush. Attach a candy thermometer to the pan, making sure not to let it touch the bottom.

3 Once the sugar has dissolved, bring the mixture to a boil. Rapid bubbles, a thicker consistency, and a slightly darker color form around 235°F (113°C). Stir lightly once every minute until the candy reaches 290°F (143°C; soft crack stage).

4 Remove pan from the heat and stir in the pumpkin pie spice and 1 cup of the toasted pecans. Pour the toffee out onto the prepared jelly roll pan. Smooth into an even layer with a wooden spoon. The toffee should be thick and not spread all the way to the edges of the pan. Allow the toffee to cool for 5 minutes, then sprinkle the top with white chocolate. Allow the white chocolate to soften and melt from the heat of the toffee, then spread the melted white chocolate into an even layer using a rubber spatula or the back of a spoon. Sprinkle the top with remaining toasted pecans.

5 Quickly mix the cinnamon and remaining 2 tablespoons (25g) of sugar together in a small bowl. Sprinkle on top. Refrigerate for 20 minutes, or until white chocolate has set.

6 Once set, remove toffee from the refrigerator. Cut, using a sharp knife, or break into pieces as large or small as you want.

MAKE-AHEAD TIP: Store toffee in an airtight container at room temperature in a cool, dry place for up to 2 weeks. For longer storage, freeze up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.