Let It Grow
By Tammy Thornton
Homemade holiday gifts show the recipients that you put extra thought and time into making them something special from the heart. Culinary treats are usually the most appreciated DIY gifts, and it’s hard to pass up a tray of chocolate covered toffee. This dessert looks festive and checks all of the boxes for a delicious treat by balancing sweet and salty, coupled with a gratifying crunch. You may be intimidated by the thought of making your own toffee, but once you dive in, you will find yourself in a state of chocolate and toffee bliss.
You may choose to use a candy thermometer until you become comfortable making toffee. But I have found that after making it a few times, I have gotten a feel for when the toffee has reached the best temperature. The most important tool you need is a non-stick pot. You will also want to line a cookie sheet (preferably rimmed) with parchment paper.
Let’s begin: add 2 cups of butter and two cups of sugar plus a pinch of salt to a medium-sized non-stick saucepan. Use a heat-resistant whisk and stir while the pot is on medium to medium-high heat. Stir slowly; you want to minimize having the mixture splashing onto the sides of the pot. From start to finish, cooking time can vary between ten and twenty minutes. As the butter melts, continue to mix with the whisk. Don’t rush things–allow your toffee to cook slowly but keep stirring. You want to make sure the sugar dissolves into the butter before it gets too hot. Turn the heat down a bit if the sugar is not fully incorporated into the butter. You may notice a separation of the oil in the butter; just keep whisking until it’s blended together. At this point, everything should look frothy and start to bubble. Continue whisking, keeping the temperature to a low boil. Eventually, you will see the toffee change color. This is the critical time, because things can quickly turn from undercooked to burnt. Once you see a hint of darker color, you are less than minutes away from the finish line. You can’t walk away from the stove, pay close attention and, if using a candy thermometer, this is the time to watch the temperature. You want your toffee to reach between 285° to 300°. For me, it’s much easier to judge when the toffee is ready based on color. When you see hints that the mixture is beginning to change, keep a close eye on things. At this point, you want your toffee to look like the color of peanut butter. I tend to push the limits a little bit. If your sugar does not reach the correct temperature, the toffee will not harden. It’s better to go a little darker than a little lighter, but be careful you do not burn your toffee. You can always try the water test. Use a spoon to drip a couple drops of your toffee into a cold glass of water. Pinch the toffee between your fingers, if it’s soft and pliable, your toffee will not be hard enough. Once you reach the proper temperature (or peanut butter color), remove the pot from heat. Stir in one teaspoon of vanilla extract. Your toffee will bubble angrily, but whisk madly until the vanilla is completely mixed into your toffee. At this point, you don’t want to waste time, or your toffee will cool too much before the next step.
Now it is time to pour your toffee onto the parchment lined cookie sheet. Be careful, because it will be very hot. Pour into the middle of the cookie sheet and move outward, tilting the pan, and try to form a rectangle. Your toffee will probably not go to the edges. It doesn’t need to be a perfect rectangle. Sprinkle a little bit of salt on your toffee, and this will help the chocolate to adhere to the toffee. Now, gently sprinkle two cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips over your toffee. Allow it to sit for a minute or two so that the chips can begin to mel After a few minutes, gently spread the chocolate with a butter knife until all the chips are melted and the chocolate is nice and smooth. If they aren’t melting, pop the tray in the oven for a few minutes. Once your chocolate is smooth, sprinkle chopped nuts over the chocolate. I used chopped, salted peanuts, but you may prefer almonds, pecans, or pistachios. Now here comes the hardest part of the entire recipe: wait. That’s right, I know you want to dig in, but you need to let your toffee and chocolate set and harden. Sometimes, I place the entire tray in my freezer to speed things up, but I have had my chocolate and toffee separate. Sprinkling salt between the toffee and chocolate seems to keep them from separating, but the drastic change in temperature in the freezer can also contribute towards separation of the two layers. It’s best to allow your toffee and chocolate to cool at room temperature. Once it has mostly cooled, you can store your toffee in the freezer. When everything has completely hardened, break your toffee into bite-sized pieces and enjoy. After breaking up the toffee, place the pieces into a ziplock bag and store in your refrigerator or freezer. Remove just before serving.
Try your hand at making toffee, and you won’t be disappointed. Sugar, butter, and chocolate–what’s not to love? Just don’t give up too quickly. I hear stories of people trying to make toffee, but then getting frustrated and throwing out the whole batch because it didn’t harden, or it separated while cooking. If your toffee starts to separate, stay the course, keep it on the heat and stir like crazy. It will give you a good workout before consuming all that sugar! If you really think your toffee didn’t come out just right, crumble it over a bowl of ice cream, and research ways to improve your method. We would love to hear from our readers, was your toffee a success or a flop? Send your questions, comments, and pictures to: shorelocalgardener@gmail.com.
Tammy Thornton lives with her husband, children, and crazy pets while enjoying a life of gardening, cooking, and going to the beach.
