As we proceed into the holiday season, we must arm ourselves with creative hostess gifts and a sweet tooth. In this article and a few more in the weeks to come, I’ll be discussing some treats that are easier to make than you may have imagined. Today’s recipe is toffee, the kind of crunchy, buttery treat you can enjoy or give as a gift. Enjoy!
Toffee
- 1 part sugar
- 1 part butter
- Pinch of salt
- Mini chocolate chips (optional)
- Almonds or nuts for garnish (optional
Time to make: Less than 30 minutes
Serves: As many as you like, but 2 tablespoons of each ingredient per person works well.
Toffee is ridiculously easy to make, especially in small batches. Making toffee, does, however, require just a little bit of finesse. I suggest making small batches (under 4 tablespoons of each ingredient) to learn about what works for you and your kitchen. A couple of things before you begin:
– Many recipes suggest you should use a thick-bottomed pan, but a regular saucepan works fine for small batches.
– You don’t need a candy thermometer! You just need to pay close attention to your pan.
– Don’t be discouraged if this doesn’t work the first time. It doesn’t take so long to make, so you have more time to practice!
-You should be aware of what can go wrong before you begin. That way, you can take the steps necessary to fix (or abandon) your work before it’s too late (or too far gone).
-Your butter and sugar could separate. Usually this happens because you forgot a pinch of salt. If it does separate, you have a couple options. You could pour out the remaining butter if they layer is thick enough and separated sufficiently, or you could add a little salt, take the pan off the heat, and stir slowly to try to get the butter incorporate into the mixture.
– Your toffee could burn! Oh no! If it smells burnt, it probably is. Wash your pan right away, turn off the heat, and start again.
-You could undercook your toffee. Undercooked toffee is too sticky, but it generally isn’t bad. Have the confidence to let your mixture get to the right color.
Directions:
1. Place a sheet of foil or parchment paper onto flat surface. Turn burner on medium-high heat.
2. Slice butter into small pieces and place into pan. Spread sugar over butter.
3. Place pan over medium-hot burner.
4. Use a wooden spoon to stir constantly, but not vigorously. The mixture will be a butter-and-sugar soup to begin with. In a couple minutes it will begin to bubble. Keep stirring. The mixture will soon become homogeneous. Keep stirring and let the mixture bubble until it turns almond-brown.
5. Once the mixture is almond-brown, pour onto foil or parchment paper. Spread out mixture if desired.
6. If you want to put chocolate on your toffee, sprinkle mini chocolate chips onto hot toffee. After a minute, the chips should be melted. Spread out the melted chocolate to create an even layer. Sprinkle chopped nuts onto this if you desire.
7. Let cool. You may put the mixture in your fridge if you feel impatient!
8. Eat, share, or ogle toffee.
If you’re looking for an easy and cheap gift, toffee is perfect for you. The best part? People will love it! Bring some to a party or put some in a candy bag and tie a ribbon around it for an easy gift. If you aren’t looking for an easy and cheap gift, toffee is still perfect (unless you can’t or elect not to have it, which is also fine and dandy). Happy Holidays!
Photo Source:
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