What comes to your mind when you think of traditional Halloween treats? For some, it is caramel apples; for others, it’s candy corn. Maybe there is another treat that is special to your family. There are many different treats and traditions around the world associated with Autumn and Halloween.
One such treat that comes from our friends ‘across the pond’ in England is called Bonfire Toffee. Bonfire Toffee is a hard, brittle toffee associated with Halloween and Guy Fawkes Day. Also known as Bonfire Day, Guy Fawkes Day commemorates the failed attempt to blow up the English Parliament in 1605. Today, Bonfire Toffee is appreciated as a symbol of the warmth and camaraderie often shared around a bonfire on cool Autumn evenings.
Bonfire Toffee.
Picture Credit: Adobe Stock photos
Bonfire Toffee is typically made with golden syrup, sugar, black treacle (molasses), and butter. There are variations of this recipe throughout England, each with its own local twist. The ingredients are heated together to create a thick, dark, and very flavorful toffee. Once it reaches the correct temperature, it is poured into molds or greased surfaces to cool and harden. The toffee is then broken into pieces for everyone to enjoy. The flavor is similar to butterscotch, although it is toffee and never a viscous liquid.
Candies such as Bonfire Toffee are a great seasonal addition to any Home-Based Food Production Law operation as it generally has a low water activity, making it non-potentially hazardous.
If you are interested in trying some Bonfire Toffee, try a recipe from Downton Abbey Cooks.
Sources:
- (2018, November 3). Traditional Bonfire Toffee. Downton Abbey Cooks. Retrieved September 15, 2023, from https://downtonabbeycooks.com/traditional-bonfire-toffee/#:~:text=First%20created%20in%20the%20late,Fawkes%20Day%20on%20November%205th.
- (2015, November 3). Kindling Traditions: The Story of Bonfire Toffee. Coeur de Xocolat The Heart of Chocolate. Retrieved September 15, 2023, from https://www.coeurdexocolat.com/bonfire-toffee-vry4qu#:~:text=UK%20From%20about%201830%20to,children%20on%20Guy%20Fawkes%20Night.
