I have spent this evening experimenting with vegan toffee, so that I have something to eat at the fireworks display
Vegan toffee is not as dark as the toffee you see in the shops, but you can use brown sugar or molasses to get the distinctive brown colour. The margarine I used is a sunflower spread: some margarines have more water in, and may not work as well.
DISCLAIMER: This is the sort of toffee that can break your teeth or dislodge fillings
eat with care!
Glossy Toffee
I used to make this with my Dad
This type of toffee is good for making toffee apples too. There is a really good explanation of toffee here: http://www.cookingforengineers.com/reci ... ish-Toffee
Ingredients
1 cup (200 g) sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup (225 g) margarine
Method
1. Line a 15cm square tin with greaseproof or parchment paper.
2. Put the sugar, margarine and water into a large heavy-bottomed pan set over a medium heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved, before turning up the heat and bringing to the boil.
3. Once the water has boiled off, the mixture will collapse and thicken. The temperature will also start to rise again. The goal is to remove the pan from the heat once the mixture passes 300°F (150°C) - the "hard crack temperature" of the sugar - and before it reaches 320°F (160°C) - at which point the toffee may not retain its shape. I just heat it until it changes consistency.
4. Pour immediately into the lined tin and leave on one side for at least 25 minutes.
Toffee Apples
Get some eating apples, and place them on some greased baking parchment. Put a skewer or fork in each apple, so that you can eat it like a lollipop. Pour hot toffee over each apple and leave to cool. The above recipe should coat four apples.
Some people put red food dye in the toffee, but remember that cochineal is not vegan
More recently, I've seen people make chocolate coated apples, and/or sprinkle them with nuts or cake decorations. You can also get toffee bananas and pears 
Cinder (Bonfire) Toffee
I'm told that this is a northern recipe, but the vegan version works really well. I got the recipe here: http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/534217
Ingredients
100g golden syrup
200g caster sugar
40g vegan margarine
0.5 tsp vinegar
1 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
2 tbsp water
Method
1. Line a 15cm square tin with greaseproof or parchment paper.
2. Put the syrup, sugar, margarine and water into a large heavy-bottomed pan set over a medium heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved, before turning up the heat and bringing to the boil.
3. Cook, without stirring until a teaspoon of the hot toffee mixture becomes a hard ball when dropped into a jug of cold water. If you have a sugar thermometer, it should register 138C. Remove the pan from the heat. (Actually, I didn't bother with this bit - I just cooked it until it looked gooey)
4. Add the vinegar and bicarbonate of soda to the pan - take care as the toffee mixture will bubble up and rise in the pan. Pour immediately into the lined tin and leave on one side.
5. After about 15- 20 minutes, when the mixture has begun to set, score the toffee in square shapes, using a sharp knife. Break along the lines when it has completely set. The toffee will keep in an airtight tin for up to two weeks.
