Baking Woes

On Sunday I started in on my Christmas baking/candy making. I got my ingredients organized, made a couple batches of fudge, and decided I'd finish out the night with a batch or two of Butter Brickle.

Try more like 4 batches...only one of which is edible.

For some reason or another, I was always under the impression that Butter Brickle was difficult to make. So until last year, I never made it. I also don't remember liking it as a kid - crunchy candies weren't my favorites, so I would usually just lick the chocolate off the top and slyly leave the rest on a napkin somewhere. But last year (or the year before?) I decided I would start making my Grandmother's recipe as part of my Christmas confections.

After making it for the first time last year I remember thinking how dumb I was for assuming it was difficult to make. The recipe has 5 ingredients, including the Hershey's bar melted on top! Combine sugar, water, and butter and cook until golden brown (hard crack stage), stirring constantly. Add pecans, put in pan. Rub Hershey bar on top when set but warm. Use wooden spoon and medium heat. So no big deal to make it this year, right?

Wrong.

Everything was going fine until I got to the almost golden brown stage (soft crack stage). Suddenly the butter started separating out and the sugar began to crystallize. By the time I added the pecans and put it in the pan it was a mess! Just a bunch of burnt sugar with butter standing on top. Gross.

So I did what anyone would do. I tossed it and tried again, figuring I'd stirred it too much or not enough or that I'd added something wrong, etc etc. But the same thing happened again.

And again.

At this point, I was in tears because I was so pissed that I'd messed up such an easy recipe. I'd called my Mom and asked for advice, I'd tried adjusting the heat, I'd read like the whole Joy of Cooking, I'd tried everything. I even broke out the candy thermometer, which I never do because I purposely don't make candy that requires one. And still, just burnt sugar with butter on top.

Finally, I started to scour the internet. No way was I going to quit. So I searched and read every candy site I could find. My first problem was that Butter Brickle is really a type of toffee, but once I found that out things were easier to look for and I finally found my answer.

Salt.

I'd picked up butter at the day before, and it was in a cooler with two types: salted and unsalted. I didn't think anything of it...just grabbed the two pounds I needed and went on my way. I'd picked up unsalted butter, which really should make much of a difference in most things....except candy.

Salt, I read, helps to stabilize the mixture, therefore keeping the butter from separating out and the sugar from crystallizing.

Simple chemistry.

I hate chemistry.

Perhaps more now than ever before.

Anyway, my fourth batch finally turned out. I'm certain Joe thought I was insane - crying, growling, yelling out the temp at different crack stages. Total lunatic.

So today I decided I would make another batch before work and a batch of peanut brittle, another easssssssy recipe.

The butter brickle is too soft and the cashew brittle is a watery mess.

I give up. Everyone's getting store bought candy and cookies this year.