This was a productive cooking and baking weekend! I’m putting together holiday gift baskets filled with treats and sweets for family and friends since we won’t be having our usual Christmas Eve Open House this year. Some items that I made for the baskets are:

  • Classic Fudge with Walnuts
  • Pretzel Peanut Clusters
  • Chocolate Covered Oreo Truffles
  • Chocolate Toffee Candy
  • Cranberry Cream Cheese Bread
  • Double Chocolate Coconut Bars a.k.a. Jill’s Coconut Crack
  • Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • My Dad’s Favorite Oatmeal Cookies
  • Homemade Herb Toasted Croutons (I’ll include a bag of croutons in the basket with homemade dressing, fresh garden greens, baguette and wine — it can’t be all sweets!)

Later this week, I’m making Gingerbread Cookies, Chocolate Ganache Tarts and Rum Cake that will also be gifts. I will eventually add recipes to my blog for each but today wanted to highlight my middle daughter’s favorite Chocolate Toffee Candy that I make every Christmas because I know she loves it. It requires a few steps and patience but it is worth the effort!

Chocolate Toffee Candy

Ingredients:

6 ounces good semisweet chocolate, chopped

6 ounces good bittersweet chocolate, chopped

8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup water

1 tsp light corn syrup

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 cup finely chopped toasted pecans

Candy thermometer

Directions:

  1. Combine the two chocolates and set aside. Set a small bowl of water and a pastry brush next to the stove.
  2. In a heavy saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer, cook the butter, sugar, water, corn syrup and salt over medium heat. Stir frequently with a wooden spoon until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. Continue stirring gently and only occasionally as the mixture gets to 300 degrees and begins to darken. Brush the sides of the pan down with a little water every once in awhile to keep the sugar from crystallizing.
  3. Once the mixture reaches 300 degrees (about 18 to 20 minutes) and is the color of peanut butter, remove from the heat. Carefully add the vanilla and stir. With a heat proof rubber spatula scrape the mixture into a 9 x 11 inch ungreased cookie sheet set on a rack. Be very careful as the mixture is very hot. Tilt the pan until the toffee covers the bottom evenly. Let cool 2 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped chocolate and let melt for a few minutes (I cover it with another cookie sheet to help it melt). Once melted organically from the heat of the toffee, smooth the chocolate evenly with the spatula. Sprinkle with the toasted, chopped pecans.
  4. Let cool completely for 3 to 4 hours uncovered on your kitchen counter. Break or chop into pieces using a metal spatula or knife.
Toffee before it was broken in pieces.

Enjoy! XOXO Jill