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| My all-time favorite Holiday treat! |
So many folks love that buttery candy flavor with that perfect crunch to it! I don't blame them. There's nothing NOT to like about it! It's butter & sugar...with chocolate! YES!!!
I remember my first 'toffee' experience. It was with a Heath bar. I think I was 11 or 12 years old. (Mid 1970's) A friend told me I should try it. We were in a little mini-market and we each bought something and took it outside. We sat on the curbside with our feet in the gutter. There were three of us. I remember opening the Heath bar package and sliding out the two pieces of candy. I remember taking my first bite. I remember after it was gone...wishing there was more in there! I fell in love that day & have never strayed!
Fast forward about 10 years. (Mid '80's) I was now married with children, and my husband & I were visiting one of my Aunts in her home. It was somewhere between Thanksgiving & Christmas. She offered us a tray with a variety of homemade goodies...my eyes locked onto the brown candy with a layer of chocolate...could it be my long-lost love? Dare I hope?! She didn't have to offer twice. I snatched a piece of the dark, odd-shaped confection she was calling 'toffee'. I popped it in my mouth. Was I going to be disappointed again? I had tried many so-called 'toffees' over the years, but they were never quite right. Would today be different? It was! It was perfection!...in candy form, of course!
I don't actually remember the next few moments or how I asked, but I remember leaving with that recipe in my hand & I don't think I've ever been more pleased with myself! I can't describe what I felt, but maybe it should have clued me in to the fact that I love candy-making & I love finding candy recipes that satisfy!
Fast forward to the present. It's been over a quarter of a century since I got that recipe from my Aunt and I've been making it ever since! The same recipe, the same way! I make it every Holiday season for my family to enjoy, and have even sold a few boxes here and there. I must say that this was & still is my personal, all-time greatest find and most favorite candy recipe ever! Today I would like to share it with you!
Ingredients:
2 cups butter
2 cups sugar
1 cup Semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1 cup crushed almonds, raw/unsalted
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| STEP 1: Combine butter & sugar in heavy saucepan, on medium heat. |
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| STEP 2: Allow butter to melt, whisking occasionally. |
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STEP 3: Once the butter finishes melting, whisk completely, fully incorporating the butter & sugar, without the buttery separation as seen in the previous photo of step 2.  |
The toffee will start out pale in color and continue to darken as it reaches the proper temperature.
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| ....and darker still. Notice the little pockets of super dark brown spots? They almost look like syrup? It's getting closer! |
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| Finally done! |
I check my toffee using an old-fashioned method. I use a cup of cold water, and drop some of the hot liquid into it. I fish it out with a fork and immediately taste it. If it's soft, it's going to be soft after it's poured and has set. If it's chewy, it will be chewy when it's poured and has set. If it's brittle and crunchy, it will be brittle and crunchy when it's poured and has set. So you get the picture, right? The cold water will instantly set your sample dripping of candy, making it possible for you to know exactly whether or not it's ready to turn off the heat and pour it into your pan! I love this method, and have used it exclusively for my candy testing. Of course, you can use a candy thermometer if you like. (300* -310*)
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| STEP 4: I prepared a large cookie sheet ahead by coating it with butter, so the candy doesn't stick. I quickly pour the hot candy into the pan, going back and forth as I pour, in order to spread the candy out before it sets. I scrape the pan with a heat resistant rubber spatula to get out all the last bits of candy, then I use the spatula to spread out the candy, easing it into the corners, etc. |
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| I also had placed the almonds in a ziploc bag for crushing, when the candy was cooking....  I crush the almonds with my rolling pin, while they're in the baggie... careful not to crack your counter!  STEP 5: A couple of minutes after the candy has been poured, sprinkle the chocolate chips over the surface area.  Here's a closeup of the chips as they start to melt....  STEP 6: After about 3 minutes, use a rubber spatula and spread the melted chips around until completely melted... 
....Spread the chocolate over the entire surface....
 ...sprinkle on the crushed almonds.. All done! Allow the chocolate time to set up, then break into pieces. Store in an airtight container. |
