English Toffee

Toffee is so dangerous for me to have around the house. No one should eat as much as I do when it’s available.

But for special occasions, I’m more than happy to bust out the sugar and whip up a batch!

This nutty, chocolate-covered toffee is the quintessential holiday treat, perfect for nibbling at the end of a big meal or gifting to a friend.

I make this classic English toffee with sugar, butter and touch of salt and vanilla. A thin layer of chocolate over the toffee makes it even more of a treat, plus there are nuts in both the toffee itself and sprinkled over top.

I use chopped toasted pecans in my toffee, but feel free to omit the nuts or substitute another nut in its place.

I also opt for dark chocolate chips because toffee is pretty sweet and the dark chocolate helps balance that sweetness. But feel free to use whatever chocolate you like to eat. White, milk or dark chocolate are all good!

Making toffee a isn’t very difficult, but it can feel scary if you don’t do it very often.

My one tip is to get a decent candy thermometer. Yes, you can go by the color of the caramel to gauge when it’s ready, or you can drop a spoonful in a glass of water to see if it forms a ball. But why fuss with either option when a candy thermometer costs $8 and is such a better way to guarantee a successful, delicious batch of toffee?

If you’ve never used a candy thermometer before, this recipe is a good place to start. It’s fairly forgiving and doesn’t require many steps. Just heat the sugar, butter, and corn syrup to between 295F to 305F (hard crack stage), and you’re done.

By the way, the corn syrup in this recipe helps prevent the sugar from crystalizing. This gives you one more layer of insurance when making this toffee.

If you’re still feeling nervous, place a bowl of ice water near the stove. This way, if you do accidentally spill some hot caramel on your hand, you can immediately plunge your hand into the water.

Please don’t let any of this scare you away from making toffee. It’s significantly easier than you might think, and the reward for your bravery will be all the English toffee you can eat!