English Toffee

Every Christmas, my older brother used to make English Toffee as a gift for family members. He would package it beautifully and the aroma was heavenly. It was the most delicious candy in the universe. I have tried many times to duplicate it, but mine is never as good.

True to my heritage, however, I make English Toffee for the kids' teachers for Christmas every year. It's not my brother's, but when I don't rush it, it's pretty good. Here's my recipe:

8 sticks of butter
4 cups of sugar
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups chopped pecans

Grease 2 cookie sheets with butter. In a large saucepan, melt butter. After the butter is melted, add sugar. Bring to a boil. With a candy thermometer clipped to the side of the saucepan, cook and stir the mixture until the candy thermometer reads "hard crack" stage (between 300 and 320 degrees). Remove from heat and pour toffee onto cookie sheets. While the toffee is cooling, melt chocolate chips in a small saucepan over a low heat, stirring constantly. When toffee is cool and hardened, spread melted chocolate over candy. Sprinkle with pecans and refrigerate at least one hour or until completely set.

note** the biggest mistake I make with English Toffee is undercooking it. If you don't cook it long enough, it is chewy and sticks to your teeth. When it is cooked long enough, it is kind of crumbly and easy to break. You can break it by placing a knife about two inches from the edge and forcing it into the candy. This creates a nice random break in the surface. Then it's ready to eat!