Merry Christmas!

I hope you are all having a fabulous holiday (if you celebrate Christmas, of course) and you are surrounded by loved ones and good memories.

For this Saturday post, I thought I’d do something special.  And, what better way to do something special than to make homemade toffee?  Right?  I knew you would agree.

I’ve made homemade toffee several times, but I always seem to forget just how easy it is to make.  My guess would be, like me, a lot of you have passed on making toffee because it looked too difficult.  If this is the case, please read further.  I promise: you won’t regret it.

Not only is making your own toffee cheap and easy to do, it’s actually fun and makes great gifts for the holiday season.  Hint.  Hint.

I like my toffee with a little bit of dark chocolate and sliced almonds.  I know, I’m totally alone with this preference.  Heehee.

I think you’ll be amazed at just how simple toffee is.  All you need is a stove, some simple ingredients, a deep pot and a candy thermometer.  You can find a candy thermometer at most stores that sell kitchen equipment.  They cost about $5 and are super helpful when making things like toffee and fudge.  You can certainly make toffee without the thermometer, but it is more tricky that way.

How to Make Toffee…

In a large (tall), heavy-bottomed pan, heat the butter, sugar and salt over medium heat, stirring frequently until the butter is melted and the ingredients combine. Allow the mixture to slowly come to a boil. Stirring occasionally, boil the mixture over medium heat until the color changes to an amber color and the candy thermometer reads 285 degrees.

Meanwhile, cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Once toffee has reached 285 degrees and is amber in color, carefully spread it over the parchment paper using a spatula. Try to spread it as evenly as possible, as this will effect the thickness of the toffee once it has cooled.

Sprinkle the chocolate morsels over the hot toffee and allow to set for a few minutes to melt. You will know they have melted when they lighten in color.

Gently spread the melted chocolate over the toffee as evenly as possible. I use a hard plastic spatula to do this. The chocolate should create a thin layer over the entire toffee.

Sprinkle the almonds over the melted chocolate layer. Using a sheet of clean parchment paper or a large Ziploc bag, carefully and gently press the almonds into the chocolate. This step can get a bit messy, as the chocolate will try to stick to to your parchment paper, Ziploc bag and/or hands as you press down. Try to let this happen as little as possible. Be brave.

Place the toffee into the refrigerator until solid. I usually allow at least an hour to be sure, though it does harden quickly. Once thoroughly chilled, carefully break into pieces by picking up ends of the toffee and bending. The toffee will do most of the work for you.

How to Make Toffee

2 cups unsalted butter
2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1 cup sliced almonds

Directions

In a large (tall), heavy-bottomed pan, heat the butter, sugar and salt over medium heat, stirring frequently until the butter is melted and the ingredients combine. Allow the mixture to slowly come to a boil. Stirring occasionally, boil the mixture over medium heat until the color changes to an amber color and the candy thermometer reads 285 degrees.

While toffee is cooking, cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper and prepare space in your refrigerator for it to be placed. Set aside for now.

Once toffee has reached 285 degrees and is amber in color, carefully spread it over the parchment paper using a spatula. Try to spread it as evenly as possible, as this will effect the thickness of the toffee once it has cooled.

Sprinkle the chocolate morsels over the hot toffee and allow to set for a few minutes to melt. You will know they have melted when they lighten in color. Gently spread the melted chocolate over the toffee as evenly as possible. I use a hard plastic spatula to do this. The chocolate should create a thin layer over the entire toffee.

Sprinkle the almonds over the melted chocolate layer. Using a sheet of clean parchment paper or a large Ziploc bag, carefully and gently press the almonds into the chocolate. This step can get a bit messy, as the chocolate will try to stick to to your parchment paper, Ziploc bag and/or hands as you press down. Try to let this happen as little as possible. Be brave.

Place the toffee into the refrigerator until solid. I usually allow at least an hour to be sure, though it does harden quickly. Once thoroughly chilled, carefully break into pieces by picking up ends of the toffee and bending. The toffee will do most of the work for you.

For storage, I like to leave my toffee in the refrigerator to remain cold, though it can be moved to an airtight container for better storage.

Enjoy!

————————————————————–
As always, I want to thank you for visiting. I welcome your comments, questions, recipe suggestions and food stories. Here’s to doing what you love!

Make sure you check out my newsletter with great recipes, tips and a free cookbook. Sign up here!

Related Posts

1. $850 Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
2. Easy Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge
3. Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

52 Responses to “How to Make Toffee (and Merry Christmas!)”