Candies are produced by boiling a solution of sugar in water.
As the temperatures rises, the sugar solution also goes through different stages.
The higher the temperature the sugar syrup is heated to, the harder the candies are when the syrup cools and solidifies.
Heating sugar syrup to different temperatures produces different types of candies, some are hard while some are soft.
Taffy and toffee are popular candies produced using the same techniques. They could also be homemade using a sauce pan.
These candies sound alike but are very much different when it comes to the their ingredients, the temperature their sugary solution is heated to and often their texture.
In this post, we discuss the differences between taffy and toffee
Table of Contents
Taffy vs. toffee
Ingredients
Toffee is made from sugar, butter, corn syrup and water. Nuts can also be used when making toffee
Taffy is made by heating a mixture of sugar, corn syrup and water. Cornstarch, food coloring, flavoring, and a small amount of butter is also used when making taffy.
Temperature
To make toffee, the sugar syrup is heated to a much higher temperature than when taffy is being made.
The temperature for toffee reaches the hard crack stage(295 to 300 degrees Fahrenheit), while for taffy, the temperature of the sugar syrup reaches the soft crack stage(270 to 290 degrees Fahrenheit)
Taffy is pulled
When taffy is cool enough to handle, it is pulled and folded. This is done to aerate it so that it can be soft and chewy. Toffee is not pulled but left to cool and harden.
Toffee is usually harder than taffy
Taffy has a soft and chewy texture while toffee is usually harder than taffy but also chewy.
What is taffy?
Taffy is candy that made from a sugar syrup that is heated in a saucepan until it reaches a particular temperature.
The base of the taffy is made from sugar, corn syrup and water.
Salt could be added to the taffy, butter, glycerin, citric acid and cornstarch are also used for making taffy
The mixture is heated until it gets to a particular temperature that is the soft crack stage of cooking sugar where it becomes hard and brittle.
Flavor extracts and food colorings are also used when making taffy to create different flavors of taffy.
An essential technique used when making taffy is pulling it, this process mixes air with the taffy and makes the taffy softer.
The resulting candy is soft, chewy, and glossy.
How taffy is made?
Taffy could be made using a sauce pan
The ingredients and poured into a saucepan, and while heating, they are continuously stirring until the taffy get to temperatures of around 270 degrees Fahrenheit.(soft crack stage)
From there it is poured onto a slab and flavored with oils, extracts and food coloring.
When the taffy is cool enough to handle, it is stretched and folded incorporating air into the taffy until it gets to a more silky and chewy texture
What is Toffee?
Toffee is another sugar preparation just like taffy
It is made from, sugar, corn syrup, water, and butter.
Butter makes the toffee full and also lends a rich taste to toffee.
Toffee could also be made with nuts. flavoring and coloring can also be added to toffee being made.
To make toffee, the sugar syrup is heated to the hard crack stage or within the upper limits of the soft crack stage.
Toffee could be wrapped and eaten as a candy.
It could be used in different desert recipes or paired with other snacks.
How toffee is made
Sugar, butter, corn syrup and water are mixed together and heated
The mixture is heated until it gets to a temperature known as the hard crack stage which is within the range of 295 to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
Once it gets to that temperature, it is transferred onto a slab and left to cool
The mixture is cooled until it becomes hard and crunchy.
The final product is a light golden color. It is hard but also chewy.
Toffee could be dipped in chocolates or topped with nuts.
In conclusion
Apart from sounding a bit alike, taffy and toffee are prepared in same manner
Like other candies, taffy and toffee are composed mainly of sugars.
The processes often start out by heating the sugar syrup made by dissolving sugar in water.
These candies could also be flavored in so many exciting ways to give various sweet candy flavors.
