Description
Classic English Toffee is a rich and buttery confection featuring a crisp caramel base layered with crunchy almonds and a smooth chocolate coating. This easy-to-make candy offers a perfect balance of sweet, nutty, and chocolatey flavors ideal for gifting or indulging.
Ingredients
Scale
Base
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Nuts
- 1 cup whole almonds or preferred nuts (optional, for layering)
Chocolate Coating
- 1–1½ cups milk chocolate chips or Ghirardelli melting wafers
Instructions
- Prepare the baking sheet: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Evenly scatter whole almonds or your choice of nuts across the surface if using, creating a nut layer for the toffee.
- Melt the butter: In a medium saucepan, melt the unsalted butter over medium-high heat, ensuring it does not burn.
- Add sugar and salt: Stir in granulated sugar and a pinch of salt into the melted butter. Continue stirring constantly as the mixture begins to bubble and cook.
- Cook to toffee color: Cook the mixture for 5 to 5.5 minutes, carefully watching the color change to a rich caramel resembling brown paper bag color without letting it burn. No thermometer is required for this step.
- Add vanilla and pour: Quickly stir in the vanilla extract and immediately pour the hot toffee mixture evenly over the arranged almonds on the baking sheet.
- Apply chocolate layer: Immediately sprinkle the milk chocolate chips evenly over the hot toffee to allow them to soften. After a minute, use a spatula to spread the melted chocolate into a smooth layer.
- Cool and set: Allow the toffee to cool completely at room temperature or refrigerate until fully set and hard.
- Break and store: Once set, break the toffee into pieces of desired size and store them in an airtight container to maintain freshness.
- Optional double coating: For a traditional double-coated English toffee, flip the set toffee and repeat the chocolate sprinkling and spreading process on the second side.
Notes
- Use unsalted butter to control the salt level for the perfect balance.
- The cooking time and color are crucial to avoid burning the toffee — watch carefully.
- Whole almonds impart a classic crunch, but feel free to substitute with other nuts or omit them entirely.
- Ghirardelli melting wafers or high-quality chocolate chips work best for a smooth chocolate finish.
- Cooling at room temperature takes longer, but refrigeration speeds up the setting process.
- Store the toffee in an airtight container to keep it crisp and fresh for up to two weeks.
- Optional double coating adds extra chocolate flavor and texture on both sides.
