English Toffee

Hi y'all,

I hope that everyone had an awesome start to 2015. Recently, my husband got me addicted to English Toffee or otherwise known as "Butter Melts".

This candy was out of this world but came with a hefty price tag if it's purchased from a specialty/gourmet candy store. Now, you can indulge in this treat once in a while, but it can sure add up in the financial department. So anyway, I went off on a research stampede to make my own butter candy to have fun and save some $$ in the long run. After thorough research, I discovered a recipe that tastes A-Maazing and doesn't require much ingredients or any special equipment (Source: Connections with Christy).

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup of good quality butter (room temperature; cut in cubes for easy melting)
• 1 cup sugar
• 5 Tbsp. water
• 1 tsp. vanilla essence
• 1/4 cup of chocolate chips (Our family prefers milk chocolate chip but dark chocolate chips also taste great)
• Nuts or dried fruits of choice (slivered or chopped)
• Thick pan/pot for cooking the candy 
• A wooden spoon
• A baking pan lined with aluminum foil 

Prep/Directions:  

• Prepare the ingredients by adding the sugar, butter, and water in a pan/pot. Have all the ingredients ready and close to you as the cooking process is very tricky and your candy can burn easily if you step away from the stove.

• Line a baking pan with aluminum foil and you can either have the chopped/slivered nuts on the bottom of the candy or you can sprinkle them on top once the hot candy is in the pan, as a second layer.

• Now, turn up the heat of the pan to medium high and CONSTANTLY stir the mixture for about 10 - 15 minutes (depending on your stove and heat temperatures). Please stir with a wooden spatula/spoon. 

• You will notice that your butter/sugar mixture is starting to turn the color of caramel. This will tell you that your candy is almost ready. Now, keep stirring and you will notice bubbles in the mixture that will give off small puffs' of smoke. You can use a candy thermometer and measure the temperature to 300 degrees Fahrenheit to know that your candy is ready to pour in the aluminum-lined pan. Do this all quickly, as your candy can darken really fast (sugar burns very fast). 

• Turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla essence.

• Don't wait too long to pour the candy into the baking dish as it will start to harden in the pan. Very carefully pour the candy into the pan to avoid any spillage, as the mixture is very hot and can burn your skin.

• Sprinkle the chopped/slivered nuts on top of the hot candy. 

• Next, sprinkle the 1/4 cup chocolate chips evenly on top of the candy and let is sit for a few minutes (1-2 minutes). Now, take the wooden spatula and carefully spread the chocolate on top of the candy. The chocolate is easy to spread as it is has melted due to the hot candy in the bottom.

 

• You can eat the candy once it's set, but I found that it was really delicious the next day after the chocolate and the candy had time to properly set. 

• You can store your candy at room temperature (preferably away from heat sources) for a month in an air-tight container.

• Now, all you have to do is hide the candy because it will be hard for the family to stop themselves from eating all of it in one-go! :)

Here's to wishing everybody an year full of happiness, love, good health and success.

Sincerely,
Annie