But that changed thanks to my Lil' Sis Susanne. She sent me out a goodie basket one year with delicious buttery toffee. She shared the recipe she found on http://www.allrecipes.com - it was called "Best Toffee Ever - Super Easy. How true of a name was that. I modified the recipe a little bit, which I even think makes the recipe easier yet.
Drum Rollllllll Please!!!!
Here is the recipe for this great Buttery Toffee (the photos are of the double batch I made this year).
Ingredients:
2 cups unsalted butter
2 cups white granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup finely chopped walnuts (I am going to try Hazelnuts with my next batches)
Directions
In a large heavy bottomed saucepan, melt the butter.
Add sugar and salt to the melted butter.
Cook over medium heat, stirring until all ingredients are incorporated.
Allow to come to a boil, and cook until the mixture becomes a dark amber color, and the temperature has reached 285 degrees F (137 degrees C). Stir occasionally.
**Personal note - as the temperature increases the mixture will raise towards the top of the pot - so make sure you keep an eye on it and stir as necessary to bring the mixture back down.**
While the toffee is cooking, cover a large baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
As soon as the toffee reaches the proper temperature, pour it out onto the prepared baking sheet.
***Another Personal note - once poured out the toffee will look "terrible" but don't fear - it will set up and turn out - it will look separated - some of the butter will pool around the edges that did not incorporate and that is normal. My trick is to use a turkey baster to suck up and dispose of the extra melted butter.***
Sprinkle the chocolate over the top, and let it set for a minute or two to soften.
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| You can also make it more interesting by adding white chips to make a swirl effect on the finished product. When I do this I do not add the nuts - as I don't want to cover up the beautiful designs. |
Spread the chocolate into a thin even layer once it is melted.
Sprinkle the nuts over the chocolate, and press in slightly. Putting a plastic bag over your hand will minimize the mess.
Place the toffee in the refrigerator to chill until set. Break into pieces, and store in an airtight container.
When I made this recipe this year my littlest son Gabriel was so cute. As I was breaking it into bite size pieces - he keep coming over and saying "candy, candy". I would than share a little piece with him. When I was all done. I put the extra nuts and chocolate onto a plate to eat later (which by the way it one of my favorite parts of this recipe). I left the room for a minute - when I can back in Gabriel was busy putting as much of the nut/chocolate crumbs into his mouth as fast as he could. I guess he agrees the scraps are a tasty treat.
