Thursday, December 18, 2008

Toffee House



I am pretty sure it's Christmas now. I made the Toffee. I know there is a recipe in every family where this is true. Now, mind you, this toffee may not last until Christmas day actually arrives but we will be laughing all the way!! The packages are optional but I think they look so festive all wrapped up in red! Don't you? My husband gets these from me every year and it's as close as he gets to house made of toffee, which he would take if it wouldn't get bugs. So this one is for Ace, my Dear Hunny who would do just about anything for toffee. He's getting these before Christmas.

My Favorite English Toffee recipe

2 cups butter (1 lb)
2 cups sugar
1T light corn syrup
1 cup high quality milk chocolate chips
1 cup toasted pecans (omit nuts if they are a problem for ya)

Grease a 15 inch by 10 inch by 1 inch baking pan with non-stick coating. In a heavy 3 quart sauce pan, melt the butter. Add the sugar and corn syrup. stir over medium heat until a candy thermometer reads 295 degrees, hard crack stage. Quickly pour into the prepared pan. Let stand at room temperature about 30 minutes and then top with chocolate chips and smooth them out over the candy when melted. Sprinkle with pecans. Let stand 2 hours. Break into bite size pieces. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. yield --about 2 lbs toffee.

Yea, 2 lbs. Mind you it will put more than 2 lbs on your bum should you eat all the toffee yourself!

Note: Test your candy thermometer before use by bringing water to a rolling boil. It should read 212 degrees . Adjust your recipe according to the number on your thermometer, as water boils at a lower temperature at higher altitudes.

4 comments:

Jeri said...

I've never had much luck with candy thermometers - (my kids have the magical breaking touch) I need a new one even as we speak... but I can still make toffee thanks to a trick my gram taught me....

Keep the jar of peanut butter next to the pan you are cooking the toffee in. When the toffee is the same color as the peanut butter - it is done. (unless you cook it at too high of a temp - then it turns brown before it is actually done, but I wouldn't know anything about that now, would I???)

YUM YUM - I think I might need to make some toffee tonight.

Chef Tess said...

Jeri! I love you!!!

Julie Kroske said...

Tess, This sounds SO good. I will have to try it this weekend. Will it matter if it's snowing? I know that rain affects fudge, but what about toffee?

Chef Tess said...

This is why I use the corn syrup. It seems to help with the low moisture in the air and the toffee emulsifying correctly.