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Hello there.
How are things?
Sure wish you talked louder.
I can barely hear you, ya know.
Are you enjoying the holiday season…
and have you seen the funny Christmas Commercials from Target?
You know, with the hilarious blond lady all dressed up in Christmas red, sporting a gigantic strand of pearls.
The girl cracks me up.
Just take a look!
Try to remember to come back so we can chat about toffee.
I’ve been chuckling about the funny Target lady all week.
“Rum tummy tummy…Ho Ho Ho”
Who thinks this kind of stuff up?
They deserve a pat on the back and a thumbs up,
if you know what I mean.
Love a little bit of hardy-har-har this time of year.
Thought you might like to see it too, if you hadn’t already. Also, wanted to let you know that I am guest posting today over at
Adventures in Mommyland, if you would like to hop over.
Adventures in Mommyland, if you would like to hop over.
Let’s talk English Toffee shall we?
This English Toffee recipe comes from our Aunt Delsa. It’s the best toffee recipe I have ever tried. (And I’ve tried a bunch)
The texture is perfect, and the flavor divine.
Don’t be nervous about making toffee.
I’ll walk you through it, alright?
Let’s do it.
Don’t be nervous about making toffee.
I’ll walk you through it, alright?
Let’s do it.
English Toffee
Time: 30 minutes
Yield: one large jelly roll pan full
Recipe from the lovely Desla Feil
2 C butter (I use salted)
2 C sugar
3 T corn syrup
6 T hot water
1/2 C sliced almonds (optional, but wonderful)
2 C chocolate chips (semi or milk…whatever you prefer)
*Tempered chocolate works as well, but is more expensive and hard to come by.
1/2 t shortening (I use butter flavored Crisco)
1/2 C finely chopped nuts (I like pecans or almonds best)
1. Place the butter in a large heavy pot. Turn the heat to medium high.
2. Once the butter is almost melted add the sugar and stir it well to incorporate.
3. Keep stirring. When the mixture has come to a boil add the corn syrup and stir it well.
4. Add the water a few tablespoon or two at a time, in different spots of the pan. (For some reason I couldn’t get a good picture while I was trying to stir, drip the hot water into the pot and and hold the camera. Picture the water being added in your minds eye, will ya? Thanks for your participation. You are such a kind reader.)
5. Keep stirring and add the the almonds.
6. Now it’s just you, the wooden spoon and the candy, my friend. Stir it and stir it and stir it over medium heat. You want to continue cooking it until it until it reaches 275-280 degrees. This should only take about 8-10 minutes. It will start to become kind of frothy and light brown in color. If you are worried about your candy thermometer showing inaccurate numbers try this easy test.
SIMPLE TEST: Dip a spoon into the candy. Run cold tap water over the top of it. If the candy turns hard and brittle…it’s done. It’s as simple as that.
7. Remove it from the heat and pour it into a large jelly roll pan. My pan is 11 1/2 by 16 inches. Let it cool completely. Overnight is best.
8. Pour the chocolate chips into a medium sized bowl and heat them in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir and return to the microwave to heat for another 30 seconds. Stir and repeat until the chocolate is smooth and melted.
9. Add the shortening and allow it to sit in the chocolate for about 30 seconds. Then stir it around until it melts completely.
10. Pour the chocolate over the top of the cooled candy.
11. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup finely chopped nuts.
12. Allow the chocolate to cool and set up completely. Then break it into pieces. Store in an air tight container for up to three weeks.
For a complete list of Holiday Treats
click HERE.
The Target Lady is hilarious!
Do you have to have a candy thermometer or can you just use the water test? I've used the water test for years making caramel popcorn.
I've always wanted to make English toffee, but have been intimidated and nervous to try it. I think you may have inspired me to give it a go! This looks divine. Thanks for all the great recipes.
shortening…butter? crisco? oleo?
what size cookie sheet do you use and have you ever used a larger one making a thinner toffee. Any problems with doing that?
Oh, I really want to make this! Think it will be good without the nuts? I bet it will.
I've never used a thermometer before with toffee. I always stir stir stir until its the same color as a brown paper sack. Works every time. Yum!
Michelle,
I bet the water test would work well. Also, as another reader (and my mother in law) has pointed out if you cook it until it's the color of a paper sack it's done.
Terri,
The shortening that goes in the melted chocolate is butter flavored Crisco.
Annonymous,
My cookie sheet is 11 1/2 by 16. The toffee is pretty thin at this size. You could try a larger pan and see how you liked it, but I wouldn't go much bigger than this…might bet too thin.
Jane Anne,
It would still be wonderful even without the nuts.
Good luck everyone! Crossing my fingers it turns out wonderfully for you all.
~Jamie
I just made some toffee on Monday, and then you posted this. I made mine with out nuts (it was for a party and there could have been nut allergies). I like the thickness of your chocolate I only used 1 cup. I'll have to try this one too. However that means I have to buy more corn syrup. I'm all out. Thanks for the recipe!
I love to make toffee too. Hard Crack stage using my thermometer was easy – harder to get accurate was making homemade caramels. I tried over and over and adjusted temp for elevation etc. Then I learned to calibrate my thermometer by testing what temperature it read in just simple boiling water and learned it was off by 10 degrees! Now that I know that I adjust everything by how much my thermometer is off and it turns out perfect.
Here is a link on how to run the test on our own thermometer.
https://candy.about.com/od/candybasics/ht/How-To-Test-Your-Candy-Thermometer.htm
Would love to make this now, it looks so good, but it is 1am! My mother always put nuts, chocolate slivers on the bottom of the pan, then put the toffee on top with the slivers and nuts. The heat from the toffee melted the chocolate. Gives you extra chocolatey goodness! Thanks for posting your recipe!