Christmas Toffee
(I call this “Crack Cocaine Toffee”- it is highly, highly addictive! I swear I could eat an entire pan!) This is my mother’s recipe with my “notes” added to it.
This stuff is SOOO good. It’s kind of a scientific, very time-sensitive sort of process with things melting and softening and hardening, etc. so you have to “stay on top of it” as you’re cooking. But SO worth it! Come on, anything with equal parts butter, sugar, and chocolate is going to be amazing no matter what, right? Ahem...
-1 c. butter
-1 c. sugar
-3 tbs. water
-1 tbs. light corn syrup
-1 cup chopped nuts of your choice (I like slivered almonds- they’re purtty!)
-1 c. chocolate chips
-Candy thermometer
Butter a 9x13 pan. Sprinkle with the nuts. Set aside. In a heavy saucepan (my Mom uses a Le Creuset pot- sturdy, cleans easily, etc. They are over $100 but will last a lifetime.) Combine the butter, sugar, water, and corn syrup. Cook over medium high heat, stirring frequently (we like to use on of those “high heat” spatulas to stir and “spread the hot toffee”) Once it starts turning brown, stick the candy thermometer in there, to keep an eye on the temperature, and keep stirring. It will become kind of viscous and pull away from the sides of the pan. As soon as it reaches the “hard crack” stage (300 degrees), take it off the heat and pour it over the nuts in the pan, spreading as needed to cover nuts. Let cool for maybe a minute (not much longer) then sprinkle the chocolate chips on top and let them soften, just enough to be able to spread them over the toffee. Let cool completely, like overnight or in the fridge for a few hours, whatever it takes. Break apart to serve (I stab at them with a butter knife- 1-year-old Adelyn had fun helping me with this part.) If you are going to give some away as gifts, I highly recommend immediately wrapping them in little gift bags, and giving them away as soon as possible, so that you are less likely to just ingest all of it.
P.S. I'm admitting that I steal photos from the internet for some of my posts. This blog doesn't "bring in any money" or anything, it's mostly just for personal use and pleasure, and I'm not sure how to do the whole link/credit thing. So, I'm sorry, People with wonderful pictures on the internet!
