I decided to make some toffee as I have been thinking about making some shortbread and wanted to add some toffee to it. I love shortbread and I especially love it when it includes bits of toffee or nuts. Toffee is a confection made by caramelising sugar and butter. It had a crunchy texture with a buttery flavour. You can purchase toffee pieces in food stores or online but I find it was quite difficult to get hold of here in the UK, so I decided to start making my own.
As well as shortbread, toffee can be also be added to biscuits or cookies. Other things you can do with it include sprinkling it on ice-cream, cheesecake or on top of the cream in a latte. It can be added to brownies, blondies, popcorn, trifle and truffles. There are a million things you can do with a good batch of toffee.
The recipe is quick and easy and can be prepared in around 20 minutes. Once the toffee has cooled, I usually break it up with my hands which will produce big pieces. If I want it crumbly, I add the large pieces to a food storage bag and bash it in the bag with a rolling pin.
Ingredients for English Toffee Pieces
- 140g unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 150g granulated sugar
How to Make English Toffee Pieces
1. Line a baking tray with baking paper and set aside.
2. In a saucepan, gently melt the butter on a low heat. Once melted, add the salt and vanilla extract and stir with a wooden spoon.
3. Pour in the sugar and continue to stir to dissolve the sugar. Continue to stir the mixture for around 15 - 20 minutes or until the mixture resembles peanut butter.
4. Pour the mixture onto the previously lined baking tray and tilt the baking tray slightly in all directions to allow the toffee to spread evenly. You will need to work quickly as it will begin to solidify very quickly.
5. Set aside to cool down. Once the it has cooled, you can smash it with a toffee hammer or a rolling pin. You can even break it up relatively easy with your hands if you need larger pieces.
Recipe Tips
- Stir the butter and sugar throughout until the butter and sugar has caramelised. Don’t leave the saucepan unattended.
- Be careful when stirring as the mixture will get very hot.
- When the sugar has caramelised, there may be some butter floating on top. That is fine.
- If the mixture becomes thick and separated, don’t worry just continue to stir until the mixture is smooth, brown and the butter has moved to the top.
Storage
Store the toffee in an airtight container for around 2 weeks. If the weather is hot it can also be stored in the refrigerator to prevent it from softening. In the freezer it can last around a month.
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Easy English Toffee Pieces
Ingredients
- 140g unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 150g granulated sugar
Instructions
- Line a baking tray with baking paper and set aside.
- In a saucepan, gently melt the butter on a low heat. Once melted, add the salt and vanilla extract and stir with a wooden spoon.
- Pour in the sugar and continue to stir to dissolve the sugar. Continue to stir the mixture for around 15 – 20 minutes or until the mixture resembles peanut butter.
- Pour the mixture onto the previously lined baking tray and tilt the baking tray slightly in all directions to allow the toffee to spread evenly. You will need to work quickly as it will begin to solidify very quickly.
- Set aside to cool down. Once the toffee has cooled, you can smash it with a toffee hammer or a rolling pin. You can even break it up relatively easy with your hands if you need larger pieces.
Jojo
Thanks you, it came out perfect