Recipes for boiled sweets require an accurate sugar thermometer, as variations in temperature will affect the texture and appearance of the sweet. Follow the instructions for heating the sugar carefully: never leave it unattended and make sure you’re heating the sugar to the correct stage for the recipe. For example, at 112-115C/234-240F, the sugar is at the ‘soft ball’ stage and is suitable for making fudge or other soft sweets; at 146-154C/295-310F the sugar has reached the ‘hard crack’ stage, when it can be used for firmer confections such as toffee. Some experienced cooks judge the stage of their sugar syrup by dropping a small spoonful of the syrup into a glass of ice-cold water – the texture the sugar acquires when it sets indicates which stage it’s reached.
In confectionery recipes, chocolate often needs to be melted. Try not to overheat it as you melt it or it will split and become grainy – use a thermometer to make sure the chocolate’s temperature does not exceed 115C/239F and remove it from the heat as soon as it’s melted.
