A Sticky Situation

Damn the crystallizing characteristics of sugar!!!

In addition to making truffles, my plan was to make toffee and peanut brittle. My thought was that the toffee and brittle would be easy compared to the multiple steps required for the truffles. Ha!

I should have known after I broke the thermometer. I bought one especially for my candy making project. As I peeled the plastic away from the paper backing, the thermometer slipped from the packaging and in slow motion, I watched it plummet towards the ground and shatter into bits and pieces. That was my sign. Stop! Turn back!

I didn't heed the warning.

I went through all the steps of making the toffee: melting the sugar, cooking until it reached soft ball stage, pouring in the greased pans, tempering chocolate, chopping pecans. Yesterday, I went to break it into pieces. Ha! Break!! Instead of crispy and crunchy toffee, I had a mess, topped with chocolate and nuts. The sugar failed to solidify because it crystallized, leaving me with clumpy sugar floating in butter. Tell me that doesn't sound delicious!