English toffee is one of those Christmas time treats that I cannot get enough of. Good toffee is crisp, yet it almost melts in your mouth. It's buttery and sweet. And of course, it's covered with chocolate and nuts.
Making toffee at home can be a bit tricky. But if you get it right, you can enjoy that crispy, buttery flavored, yummy goodness that's so much better than a store bought heath bar.
Today I'm sharing tips and tricks I've learned over the years to make the best buttery toffee. Get ready to snap off a jagged piece of homemade English toffee.
Over the years, I've learned a few things about making toffee. I've made my fair share of mistakes. I've made chewy toffee. I've had my had the butter in my toffee separate into an icky mess.
But the last few years, I've perfected toffee making. Here are some tips to making the perfect toffee at home. Keep reading for the BEST homemade English toffee recipe!
The recipe comes from my in-laws extended family. The only change from the original recipe is using chocolate chips instead of chopping up a chocolate bar. And I don't add nuts to the top. It's the best toffee recipe I've tried.
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Tip #1 - Keep the temperature constant.
Avoid rapid temperature changes. No turning it up and down. I learned this several years ago.
My oldest daughter was in school, but my younger kids were not. Now days, my kids walk home from school because they walk with each other. But back then, I had to pick her up.
I started the toffee and soon realized that it was going to take too long - I needed to pick her up soon and the toffee wasn't done yet.
I turned up the temperature in an effort to speed up the cooking process. Almost immediately after doing so, the butter separated from the sugar and the toffee was ruined.
Now I make sure I have plenty of time. I start with the heat on medium high and leave it there the whole time.
Tip #2 - Stir constantly while making toffee.
Keep the mixture moving, or it can scorch. This is also a cause of butter separation.
Tip #3 - Avoid humidity when making toffee.
Chewy toffee is bad toffee. One of the factors in creating chewy toffee is humidity. If it's a humid day it's not a good day to make toffee.
Tip #4 - Use a candy thermometer.
Toffee needs to be heated to the correct temperature {290°F} to avoid a chewy texture.
The instructions in some recipes will tell you to "cook until the color of a brown paper bag". One failed attempt at this technique was enough for me. Apparently my version of a brown paper bag was not brown enough and I ended up with chewy candy.
I'll stick with a thermometer. Be sure to calibrate your candy thermometer.
Don't have a candy thermometer? They are pretty inexpensive, so consider buying one. I've handpicked a few items, including a thermometer that might be helpful when making toffee.
You may also use the cold water test to determine if the candy is done. You will cook it to the hard crack stage.
Tip #5 - Use salted butter
Not only does it result in a better {in my opinion} flavor, it also helps to stabilize the mixture. If using unsalted butter, add 1/4 t. salt per 1 pound of butter.
Tip #6 - Prepare pan and chop nuts and chocolate before starting the toffee
Once the toffee mixture reaches the correct temperature it's important to quickly pour it into the baking sheet. You don't have a lot of time before it starts to harden, so have your sheet pan ready to go. Grease the bottom and sides of the pan, then place chopped nuts in the bottom of the pan.
Tip #7 - Be sure to use a large heavy saucepan that distributes heat evenly.
I have an old pressure cooker pot. I inherited it from someone when I got married. The lid is missing and it's not very pretty, but the pot is heavy and perfect for candy making. I keep it around just for that.
Tip #8 - Store toffee in an airtight container.
This batch makes a lot. To keep that crisp texture, it's important to store it in an airtight container. I often will just pop the lid onto my baking sheet. Sometimes I will store it in layers in a plastic container with lid. I place parchment paper between the layers.
Can I save my separating toffee?
Try stirring in a tablespoon of very hot water into the toffee. It may come back together, if not, try another tablespoon or two, but no more than 1/4 cup.
Enjoy your toffee making adventures. I hope these tips help! For more tips see this Toffee Making post.
Want more homemade candy recipes? You're in luck! Pretty much the whole month of December is dedicated to Christmas candies this year.
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Homemade Fudge
Caramels
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FAQs
Low and slow. Simmering the syrup for English toffee to the requisite 300°F temperature can (and should) be a slow process — up to 20 minutes or so. Don't hurry this gradual transformation; syrup that doesn't reach 300°F, or close to it, will make candy with timid flavor and chewy (not crunchy) texture.
Can you stir toffee too much? ›
Constant stirring can cause the toffee to crystallize and separate. For those of you that need to know exactly how often you should stir, I would suggest erring on the side of not stirring more than stirring. Moderate the heat so the toffee doesn't scorch and burn, and you only need to stir 3-4 times.
Why is my toffee not turning brown? ›
Why didn't my toffee turn brown? It will turn brown if the heat is med-high and you cook it for 5-6 minutes. Crank up that heat, don't let it simmer on low. It will start out yellow, then become light brown, then finally the right brown paper brown that you are looking for.
How do you keep butter from separating when making toffee? ›
If the two elements melt unevenly it can result in separation. If you have good stovetop burners, we recommend turning them to medium-low to allow the butter and sugar to melt gently in the beginning stages. If the heat is too high, but butter might melt too quickly and can separate from the sugar.
Should I stir while making toffee? ›
Continue to stir occasionally, the mixture will slowly thicken and will turn a more yellow hue as it cooks, and cook to hard crack (305°F/151°C). Once toffee reaches 305°F/151°C, immediately remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract (careful, it bubbles and steams a bit).
How do you make English toffee less hard? ›
Toffee basics
It can have inclusions or not, and it can be made either very dense and hard or can be lightened by adding baking soda when the candy is almost done cooking .
Is light or dark brown sugar better for toffee? ›
Taste is obvious: sweets made with dark brown sugar will have a slightly deeper flavor with those notes of caramel and toffee I mentioned.
What is the best pan for making toffee? ›
You need a very sturdy pan which is KEY to even heat distribution. Thinner, cheaper pans can scorch the cooking candy and/or cook it unevenly. Here are some great choices: Anolon Nouvelle Copper and Cooks Standard. I own a couple pricier copper pots because of the amount of candy I make.
How do I know when my toffee is ready? ›
Once boiling, cook, stirring only 2 to 3 times, until it turns a dark amber color and the temperature reaches 285 degrees F (137 degrees C) on a candy thermometer, 20 to 30 minutes. Immediately pour toffee into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top and let sit until they soften, 1 to 2 minutes.
Why add water when making toffee? ›
Adding water to sugar before caramelizing it helps it melt at a more even rate, and helps reduce the risk of crystalization. You only need to add enough water to turn the sugar into a slurry, and it all boils off as you heat the syrup.
Sometimes some of the butter separates out of the toffee and concentrates on the surface. If it does, the chocolate isn't going to adhere to the toffee. Try blotting up the butter with paper towels - the surface should be matte, rather than shiny. Then you can spread the layer of chocolate on top.
Why does my homemade toffee stick to my teeth? ›
You might check the amount of water you are using. If it is more than 1/4 c. per pound, you might be inverting the sugar which would give the same effect of adding corn syrup, making it sticky.
How do you break up homemade toffee? ›
Pour the toffee onto the prepared baking sheet pan, allowing it to spread. Let cool for about 20 minutes. Use a mallet, rolling pin, or heavy object to crack the batch of toffee into small bits.
Why is my toffee so oily? ›
undercooking, so it doesn't set up; scorching; or the dreaded "separation," where the butter and sugar separate during cooking. If this occurs, you'll see an oily layer on the surface of your candy mixture, "and it looks sooooo ugly, like an oil slick," is how Kendrick describes it.
Should homemade toffee be refrigerated? ›
For maximum taste and texture, we do recommend that you either enjoy your toffee immediately, or store it in a refrigerator or freezer. Once opened, unrefrigerated toffee will retain maximum freshness for about a week. Refrigeration adds 3-6 months of shelf life, while freezing adds up to a year or more.
What happens when you overcook toffee? ›
Undercooked toffee won't be anything more than a caramel sauce. But overcooked toffee will be just slightly crunchier (almost unrecognizably). So, always err on the side of over-cooking!
Why is my toffee not set and why is it's texture grainy and not smooth? ›
As the toffee cools and the molten sugar crystals become solid again, they are attracted to the 'seed' forming new lumps of tiny crystals – hence the grainy texture. This can also happen if the toffee is stirred, or agitated, after it has begun to boil or on cooling (as happened with this pink-tinted toffee).
How do you fix broken toffee? ›
If the sauce has separated then warming it gently and stirring occasionally should help it to come back together. If it still has a film of fat on the surface after warming then whisking in a tablespoon of hot water (from a freshly boiled kettle) can also help.
