A lot of the recipes I share with you are recipes from my own family members! This recipe for easy and delicious English butter toffee belonged to my grandma. It is buttery and melt-in-your-mouth delicious! I was blessed to grow up with 2 grandmother’s who both made Christmas very special for their families. I remember the food and treats being just totally over the top.
This week while many of us are spending time in the kitchen baking holiday confections to share, I hope to be intentional about each and every dish I make as I remember those before me who put such tender love and care into the holidays. It wasn’t about a hustle and bustle or even the gift-giving for them, was it? No, it was about gathering with family and friends, and making sure every belly was full and each heart felt cared for and special. Creating that sense of love in my home this season is what I am really craving. As we serve, share, and start thinking about those around us, we feel a connection of Christlike love for our neighbor. We refocus on the true meaning of the season, and we slow down enough to really create and take in the magic.
And so, dear friend, as you make this simple Christmas candy to share, I hope it means so much more to you than just baking something sweet. I hope it encourages you to smile at a stranger. To consider someone else’s broken heart. To think about the true meaning of the holiday and slow down enough to really feel it.
Easy and Delicious English Butter Toffee
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 Pound salted butter (2 sticks)
- 3 Tablespoons water
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 1/2-2 Hershey's Chocolate Symphony Bars
- Pecans, slivered almonds, Walnuts or peanuts Chopped
Instructions
- Butter a baking sheet or cover with parchment and set aside. Combine sugar, butter, water and vanilla. Bring to a boil and stir consistently until mixture turns a light golden brown (grandma described it as the color of coffee with cream, very light brown). She always boiled hers exactly 10 minutes, and I do the same, on medium stovetop heat. You can use a candy thermometer if you'd like, and make sure it gets to hard crack 300°. You can also do an ice water test to make sure it breaks when you add it to the water. The mix will be the same color as store-bought caramel squares if that helps. *TIP* if you have over-boiled the mixture it will start to separate and crystalize.Remove from heat and carefully pour mixture onto buttered baking sheet. Unwrap Hershey's chocolate Symphony bars (I use 1 and a 1/2 of the large bars) and set them on top of the toffee. Wait a couple of minutes and you will be able to spread the chocolate over the toffee. Sprinkle with chopped slivered almonds, pecans, nuts or walnuts. Allow to set until chocolate is cooled or you can chill in the fridge. Use a butter knife to chop toffee or lift edges and break apart.
Tips for making Easy and Delicious English Butter Toffee
- Have all ingredients and your buttered pan set out and ready to go. This will help you be able to stand at the stove to stir the mixture consistently and prevent you from being distracted (which could result in scorching!)
- I do not use a candy thermometer for this recipe. My grandmother’s card said boil for 10 minutes or until toffee turns “the color of coffee with cream, very light tan”. I do the same, on medium heat. You can use a thermometer if you’d like, and watch for it to hit hard crack stage (300 degrees).
- Another tip is that if you over cook the sugar mixture, it will start to separate. I pulled mine off the heat at 8 minutes because I could see the oil in the butter was starting to make it separate slightly so I knew it was done. It came together great as it cooled on the pan!
- Set your chocolate bars on the hot toffee 1-2 minutes after pouring onto the pan so you can spread the chocolate as the toffee sets.
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