What is causing my butter toffee to separate?
Each year at this time, I make 4-6 batches of Butter Toffee (2c sugar, 2 c butter, 2 tsp vanilla, 6 tbsp water), but only about half usually turn out ok. About half way through the heating process, the unsuccessful batch starts to separate. Once, I saved it by doing something magical to the temperature and stirring vigorously, but I don't know what I did. Every other time, Once it starts separating, it is a lost cause.
I use the same pan, same stove, same wooden spoon to stir, and I think I am either using heat that is too high, or too low and too long. Help!
Best Answer
If you are using an electric stove you might have heat fluctuations enough to make it separate.
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Why does my toffee keep separating?
A psychologist might just chalk it up to "separation anxiety." Some candy experts theorize that it's due to an abrupt temperature shift, or from not stirring the mixture enough during cooking, or from using a too-thin saucepan that doesn't conduct heat evenly, or too much humidity in your kitchen.How do you fix separated toffee?
If your toffee separates, there still is hope! Remove it from the heat and stir constantly until the mixture comes back together, and then gradually return it to the heat while continuing to stir. You can also add a tablespoon or two of very hot water and whisk it into the toffee to try to get it back together.What to do if butter separates?
Add 1/2 tsp. of salt per cup of butter. Whisk the butter vigorously until it emulsifies, approximately one minute.How do you keep butter from separating when making caramel?
Problem 1 \u2013 Butter and sugar melting unevenly. If they melt unevenly, separation might occur. Solution: Don't put the butter right from the refrigerator into the pan. Soften it slightly, either by leaving it on the counter for an hour or so before making the candy, or by placing it in the microwave.Old English Toffee - Oma’s Best Recipes - Easy Step-by-Step Instructions
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Answer 2
Try using an emusifier, like Lecithin; a quantity of 0.1-0.2% of your batch size. You can buy it at health stores.
Answer 3
The fat that you see on the toffee, usually comes from the components cooling at different speeds.
As with anything that you are making using melted butter, like a hollandaise sauce, adding a spoon or two of very hot water and stirring will help to bring these components back together, it helps with the dispersion of both the fats and the heat. Stirring is an important component to ensure the heat is equally distributed throughout the mixture, which ensures it cools evenly.
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