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Fantastic Microwave Oven Toffee

I have followed food blogger Jaclyn of Cooking Classy for many years. Visit her site and click Microwave Caramels for her mother-in-law’s recipe. I have adapted the recipe to suit my needs. I incorporate this toffee into Butterscotchies and Crater Cookies. The story of my inspiration for developing the recipe for my Crater Cookies is featured in the 2022 spring issue of Prairies North Magazine. I hope Jaclyn discovers this post so she knows how much I love this toffee and how often I incorporate it into other recipes. 

My old family recipe for making toffee is similar to this microwaved version. It contains 2 cups brown sugar, ½ pound butter, ¾ cup golden syrup, and 1 tin of Eagle Brand Condensed Milk. It suggests boiling this mixture for about 20 minutes or until the toffee forms threads when dropped into cold water. Pour the resulting toffee onto a buttered baking sheet. Once cool, break the toffee into shards. Although this old recipe is simple enough, I now prefer making Microwave Oven Toffee.  

Microwave Oven Toffee

If you have a candy thermometer, use it for this recipe.

Ingredients:

½ cup butter

½ cup Rogers Golden Syrup

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup packed light brown sugar

½ cup sweetened condensed milk 

A pinch of salt

¾ teaspoon vanilla extract 

Sea salt

Method:

Butter an 8 by 8-inch baking dish. I use my silicone folding pan. Set aside.

Place the ½ cup of butter into an 8-cup microwave-safe batter-bowl and heat until melted. 

Add Rogers Golden Syrup, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, sweetened condensed milk, and a pinch of salt to the melted butter and whisk until well-mixed. 

Microwave mixture on HIGH power for 6 minutes. After 6 minutes, remove from microwave and test the temperature with a candy thermometer. If you don’t have a thermometer, drop a small amount of toffee into ice water and remove it. It should still be pliable, not too soft, or too hard. The thermometer should read between 238°F and 242°F. 

Add cooking time in 20-second intervals, if required. The wattage of your microwave makes a difference but so does altitude. I usually find 6 minutes is perfect. 

Once you feel the toffee is cooked, add vanilla extract, and mix well using a whisk.   

Pour the toffee into the buttered pan and sprinkle with sea salt. Place in the refrigerator for 30 to 45 minutes or until set. 

Cut toffee into rows of under ½ an inch in width and then cut the rows into 2 or 3 pieces. Wrap the thin rectangles in wax paper and twist the ends. 

I prepare one cup of toffee chips to use in my Crater Cookies, and I set aside 130 grams of toffee to make gluten-free Butterscotchies for my grandson.

I am allergic to soy, and this toffee recipe is soy-free and has paved the way for me to enjoy several new treats. I plan to make Gluten-Free Applescotch Muffins next. Stay tuned for that recipe. 

I store the toffee in the refrigerator. Five minutes on the counter makes it ready for serving. It remains soft and chewy, and my husband enjoys it often. I have now made this recipe over a dozen times.

I hope you try it and that you check out Jaclyn’s Cooking Classy site for other great recipes.  

A Modern Take on Vintage Butterscotchies

Awe, the ever-popular cornflake - Kellogg’s is a name synonymous with pressed, toasted corn, but there are other brands, including some that are gluten-free.  

Butterscotchies are a delicious treat made by coating cornflakes in a toffee mixture. They are easy to make. I am allergic to soy lecithin, an ingredient in most purchased toffee. I found a soy-free recipe for Fantastic Microwave Oven Toffee so that I can partake in this treat too. 

My vintage recipe for Butterscotchies originally called for 2 boxes of Mackintosh Toffee. Over the years, packaging sizes changed. Some years ago, I determined a weight measure for the toffee required in this recipe. 

Recipe Ingredients:

130 grams of the toffee of your choice. I make microwave oven toffee and love the results. 

1 tablespoon of butter or margarine

1 tablespoon milk or milk alternative

2 cups Kellogg’s Corn Flakes or corn flakes of your choice

Melt the toffee, milk, and butter in a double boiler. No cooking is required. 

If you don’t have a double boiler, try to buy or borrow one, but as an alternative, you can melt ingredients in a heat-proof bowl over a pot containing boiling water. You could also melt the ingredients on medium-low in your microwave oven. A Staybowlizer makes one vessel fit another perfectly.

When the toffee mixture has melted, add the cornflakes to the pot.

Stir gently until the cornflakes are entirely coated, then drop small mounds of the mixture by teaspoon onto waxed paper and place in the fridge to harden. One can use a mini-muffin pan to make portions even. If you are using home-made toffee and gluten-free corn flakes, adding the mixture to mini-muffin cups helps hold these treats together. 

These melt-in-your-mouth treats are easy to make and delicious to eat. I often double this recipe. Put them in a tin and hide them because they disappear faster than you can make them. 

Time to Tea Off - on Hunger Pangs

Women have known for centuries that a meal takes longer to prepare than to consume. It seems only fitting to extend the social experience of eating by lingering over a beverage with thousands of years of history and ritual. Sharing tea with others is always fun; when everyone relaxes, people talk easily.

For me, taking tea is a perfect way to signal the end of a meal, because I often don’t realize when I am full. Waiting a few moments after finishing the food on my plate allows my mind to comprehend the feeling of satiation. I often fill this wait-time by making tea. Boiling the water, warming the teapot, inhaling the scent of the loose tea leaves, and selecting a perfect cup takes just enough time for my brain to realize the meal is over. 

My husband, during the isolation of the spring of 2020, has been diligent about maintaining the weight loss he worked hard to achieve. I have been baking more than usual, so I applaud him for his efforts. When he has consumed his allotted number of cookies, he makes a cup of herbal tea. He knows his meal is complete. 

If he is experiencing hunger later in the afternoon, he makes another cup of tea. He chooses peppermint tea; it soothes and fills his tummy. He often prepares me a cup and delivers it to my workspace. This little gesture makes me smile right until dinner time.  

A few days ago, we received two parcels in the mail. One contained a package of exceptional tea that I can’t buy here in Saskatchewan. The other was a care package filled with a variety of treats; these treats were selected with our personalities in mind. Both gifts arrived with handwritten notes signed with love. Amid this pandemic isolation, we were suddenly feeling connected and celebratory. We made tea and thought about how grateful we were to have such special people in our lives. 

I just read one of my articles from 2017 titled Lessons from a Leaky Teapot. It made me feel a little nostalgic. If you are sipping tea while reading today’s blog, click HERE to learn about an extraordinary pot.  

Rickety Uncle, Oat Snacking Cake, or British Flapjack

My daughter recently bought me a folding silicone cake pan. My new pan is a perfect eight-inch square and is reinforced with metal, so it won’t collapse on the way to the oven.  

I wanted to test this new pan, so I decided to compare several oat square recipes. My Rickety Uncle recipe dates back to the 1940s. In the 70s, we were raising our family in a small town. I often popped a pan of this treat into the oven when a friend or family member phoned, unexpectedly, to say they were coming for coffee. These days, I prefer the Oat Snacking Cake recipe, which has only 4 ingredients and calls for half as much sugar. Oat Snacking Cake stays together well and keeps fresh, in a tin, for several days. 

Here are some of the recipes in my collection; perhaps you have a favourite recipe for oat squares too. Maybe you should make a pan today. 

Rickety Uncle

Preheat oven to 350°

½ cup of butter, melted

2 cups of rolled quick oats, not instant

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1 teaspoon of vanilla

Combine ingredients and mix well. Press firmly into a small pan which measures 8” by 8” by 2.”

Bake for 15 minutes. The square will be soft when removed from the oven. Mark into squares and leave to cool completely. Keep squares in a tin, if any remain. 

Oat Snacking Cake

Preheat oven to 350°

½ cup of butter, melted

1 cup rolled quick oats, not instant

1 cup large flake rolled oats

½ cup of brown sugar, packed

1 teaspoon of vanilla

In a medium-sized glass bowl, melt butter in the microwave for 30 seconds on High. Stir in the sugar and vanilla. Add oats to the butter mixture and press into an 8” square pan. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

Alternately, this recipe, which is from the 80s, says to microwave the square at high power for 5 minutes. I use power 8 or medium-high in my 1200-watt microwave oven. When cooked in the microwave oven, the texture of this square seems crispier and more like candy. Remember to use a microwave-safe pan. 

Either way, let the square cool for 10 minutes but cut it while it is still warm. For your silicone pan, use a knife that won’t cut the surface. 

British Flapjack

Preheat oven to 350°F

½ cup of butter, melted

½ cup of golden brown sugar, packed

¼ cup of Rogers Golden Syrup (My British friends use Lyles Golden Syrup)

Pinch of salt

2 ½ cups of quick-cooking flaked oats, not instant 

In a small saucepan, whisk the butter, sugar, syrup, and salt over medium-high heat, until melted and smooth. Pour this caramel mixture over the oats and stir. 

Spread the oat mixture into a 9” square pan, lined with parchment paper. Press flat. This recipe is stickier so do remember the parchment paper. 

Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into squares while still warm. 

Delicious Date Bites

I recommend having a box of Medjool dates in your pantry or refrigerator. They make a satisfying dessert with a cup of tea. They are sweet, chewy, and jam-packed with vitamins and minerals. Take time to read the package because they have an expiry date. The average Medjool date has 66 calories and more food value than you will find in most other small snacks. You can usually find them in the produce department in a plastic cube box. 

My friend Sakina was born in Morocco and makes delicious, exotic treats. She often incorporates walnuts, ground almonds, dates, and spices. I learn something new from her at each visit. She introduced me to orange blossom water, which I was able to buy at Super Store. Sakina prepares a tray of 18 or more dates by washing them, splitting them with a paring knife, and removing the pits. She then dips them in orange flower water and places them on a tray to dry. You can also use a squeeze of fresh lemon juice if you prefer. She stuffs a half walnut into each date and pinches the sides together. These delights will keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks. 

A tea party at Sakina’s involves a tray of small bites, much like my mother used to serve for breakfast; for more small bite ideas read Breakfast Tea.  

Visit HERE for even more recipe ideas as well as stories about production and quality.

Merry Cherry Chocolates - A Tradition

In the early 1960s, my mother visited a friend’s home and tasted a decadent, homemade chocolate. It left her in a state of euphoria! She was surprised to learn that it was a tradition in her friend’s home for the man of the house to make the chocolates.  Soon my father and mother, having received the recipe, began their own tradition of creating delicious hand-dipped treats every Christmas. 

During my first Christmas season as a married woman, I was dismayed to learn that my husband didn’t enjoy making these delicious sweets. He did, however, enjoy eating them. Although my mother usually created 125 chocolates from one recipe, I only made 60 huge, misshapen blobs. I cheerfully distributed them to my fellow teachers, placing one on each of their desks. They loved them, but I knew I could do better. 

As my chocolate making skills improved, I developed my own tradition, based on the concept that sharing recipes is better than hoarding them. I began the annual pre-Christmas tradition of inviting someone I wanted to know better to visit my home for chocolate making. We mixed the fondant, wrapped each cherry, and enjoyed a quick lunch while the fondant covered chocolates rested in the freezer. The chocolate mixture had time to melt in a double boiler. After dipping and packaging the chocolates, it was time for my friend to go home. She took with her over 100 handmade masterpieces, the recipe, and one obligation; I asked my guest to invite a friend to her house, the next year, to make chocolates.

The making of these chocolates has accompanied my family through the worst of times and the best of times. The Christmas before my mother passed away, I invited her to participate in the tradition she started. I had no idea it would be her last Christmas. We took a picture. I cherish it. In January 2005, my daughter and I made several batches for her wedding. Heart-shaped platters filled with chocolates replaced the traditional wedding cake for the reception. We love the picture of the bride and groom dropping chocolates into each other's mouths. 

Everyone who has ever consumed one of these chocolates remembers the moment their taste buds awakened to the flavour.

I am happy to share the recipe with you and a video showing my improved techniques.

Making Cherry Chocolates

 A single recipe is as follows:

You will need 4 to 6 jars (250 ml) of maraschino cherries with stems. At Christmas, huge jars of cherries are available. If you buy a large jar, you will require approximately 125 cherries for one batch. Share the jar with a friend.

The Chocolate Mixture:

1 (225 gram) box of Baker’s Unsweetened Chocolate

3 (36 gram) bars of Jersey Milk Chocolate; over the years, bar sizes have changed, so use about 108 grams.

1/3 of a cup of paraffin wax pellets; if you find paraffin wax blocks, use a piece 2” by 2 ½.”

The Fondant:

1 kg bag of icing sugar

1 cup of butter, softened

¾ of a cup of Eagle Brand Condensed Milk (no more)

2 tablespoons of Rodgers Golden Syrup

1 teaspoon of almond extract

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

The Instructions:

1. Open and drain the cherries in a colander first. Finish drying them on a paper towel covered cookie sheet. It is easier to roll fondant onto dry cherries.

2. In a large mixing bowl, blend the softened butter with the icing sugar. Once this is somewhat mixed, add the carefully measured condensed milk (not a drop extra).

Stir until the ingredients begin to stick together. Add the syrup and flavorings. Now, work into a moist paste with your hands. The fondant will look shiny and be soft when it is ready, a bit like uncooked shortbread.

3. Place wax paper on a cookie sheet and place it beside the bowl of fondant. Pick up one teaspoon of fondant (not too much), form a ball, press a cherry into the ball, and roll between your palms, until the fondant covers the cherry; watch the video. Sit the fondant-covered cherry on the wax papered pan and proceed. Once a sheet is covered, place the tray in a freezer and continue with another tray.  

4. Once all the cherries have been wrapped in fondant and are in the freezer, place a double boiler on the stove with water in the lower pot. Place the wax in the bottom of the top pot first, followed by the Baker’s chocolate and then the Jersey Milk chocolate. Stir, often, until the mixture is smooth. Once the chocolate mixture is completely melted, turn the element down to medium-low, and bring a tray of fondant-covered cherries to the side of the stove. Holding each cherry by its stem, dip into the chocolate. You will need to lift your chocolate cherries out quickly and allow them to drip for a second. This is demonstrated in the video titled Making Cherry Chocolates. Once the chocolate stops dripping, place the chocolate covered treat back onto the wax paper-covered tray. The cold cherries cool the chocolate almost instantly. Put the chocolates back in the freezer until you are ready to package them.

NOTE: I save clear plastic egg cartons all year. I wash them and fill each dip with tiny paper candy cups. These are like petite muffin liners. I place one chocolate in each cup, bring the two egg carton covers over them, and tie a beautiful ribbon around the package.

Your recipe should provide you with about 120 chocolates. A gift of 12 is a major gift!       

I Like Popcorn for Breakfast

Recent research indicates that plain popcorn provides the goodness of whole grains, including fiber and antioxidants. One cup of plain popcorn provides 30 calories. If you Google the vitamin and mineral content, you will be impressed. To benefit from popcorn, just pop your corn, with no added ingredients. Then, use your imagination to create healthy, interesting toppings.  

I have been popping corn for decades in my old, and slightly tired, hot air popper. Rumour has it that newer hot air poppers aren’t as good as the old ones. This morning, I tested a new microwave corn popper, which doesn’t require oil. I placed ⅓ cup of popping corn into the special bowl and cooked it on high for 2 ½ minutes. Every kernel popped and the crunch was wonderful. The magic is in the perfectly vented lid. My mind flooded with creative ideas.

I added low fat mozzarella cheese over a small bowl of popcorn and ate it for breakfast. I have often served popcorn and cheese with wine before dinner. Today, I discovered it goes well with coffee, too.

Mid-morning, I added blueberries and a bit of yogurt to another bowl. I tasted it, loved it, and ate that, too. I had some Italian Seasoned Olive Oil on hand and splashed a little over some popcorn and decided that would be delicious as an appetizer, later in the day. In case you think I have become a serious popcorn addict, let me assure you, I was experimenting for this blog.

If you are craving crunch, there is no need to grab chips or cookies. Popcorn can be ready in 2 ½ minutes. I bought my microwave popper at my local specialty kitchen shop. I love it! I will be giving these poppers as hostess gifts this summer, filled with popped corn, of course.

I like seasoned popcorn floating on soup; imagine…basil-sprinkled popcorn on tomato soup. Remove the popcorn from the popper and heat your soup in the same big bowl. The instructions say this popper is great for heating soups and stews in the microwave, and that is true.  

Of course, if you want a fast dessert or a great gift idea, make my Popcorn in Caramel Sauce. As 95 year old Marjorie Haddock says, while helping herself to a little bag of this delicious snack, "Everything in moderation, Maureen." 

Popcorn in Caramel Sauce

This crisp delicious popcorn treat is created, in minutes, in a microwave oven. I use the eight-cup measuring-bowl to measure the popcorn. I cook the sauce in a large pyrex mixing bowl so I have room to stir the sauce over the popcorn. I try to have a jar of this on the sideboard at most family gatherings.  

Ingredients:

8 cups of popped corn

1/3 cup of butter, melted

2/3 cup of brown sugar

1/3 cup of Roger’s Golden Syrup

½ teaspoon of pure vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon of baking soda

Step One:

Mix the melted butter, brown sugar, and syrup in a large bowl and microwave on high for 4 minutes, stirring once or twice during cooking time. (Slower microwaves might require 5 minutes) When using my microwave oven, I stir at 2, 3, and 4 minutes, then remove sauce from the microwave oven.

Step Two:

Add vanilla extract and baking soda to the sauce and stir well.

Add 8 cups of popped corn to the sauce and return the bowl to microwave oven. Cook the mixture for 1½ to 2 minutes, stirring half way through. (Slower microwaves might require 3 minutes) I stir at 30 seconds, at 1 minute, and again at 1½ minutes of cooking, then I remove the caramel popcorn from the microwave oven.

Over cooking results in blackening! Experiment with your cooking times.

Once cooked, spread the caramel popcorn onto a waxed paper or Silpat lined cookie sheet, to cool. When cool and dry, break caramel corn apart and store in a tin or glass jar to keep it crisp and crunchy! Serve popcorn to guests in parchment bags.

Fantastic Microwave Oven Peanut Brittle

I am enthusiastic about microwave ovens, and 8-cup measuring bowls. This easy recipe for peanut brittle uses both, and, if you make it, I am sure it will become a festive favourite at your house.

1 cup of white sugar

½ cup of Roger's Golden Syrup

Mix sugar and syrup, in an eight-cup glass measuring-bowl and cook for 3 minutes on high.

NOTE: I have to reduce the heat in my microwave oven to about power eight.

When the mixture has cooked for three minutes, add 1 cup of salted peanuts

Cook for 3 minutes more. Remove mixture from microwave oven.

Add 1 teaspoon of butter

Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda

Mix and cook 1 minute longer 

Pour the hot peanut brittle mixture from the measuring bowl, carefully, onto a greased cookie sheet, tilting the pan so the mixture spreads. A Silpat-lined pan works very well.  

Let the mixture cool and then break the brittle into chunks. 

Store cooled peanut brittle in tins, or glass jars.