English Toffee

SINGLE BATCH (fills half a large cookie sheet):
1 lb butter (2 cups)
1/2 cup water
2 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup white corn syrup
1 lb walnuts
1 lb whole pecans
milk chocolate chips (preferably Ghiradelli)

TRIPLE BATCH (fills two cookie sheets):
6 cups butter (3, 1 lb blocks of butter from Costco)
1.5 cups water
7.5 cups sugar
3/4 cup white corn syrup
The walnuts and pecans aren't necessarily tripled and are really a matter of preference.  I use about 2 lbs of pecans for a triple batch of toffee and about 1.5 lbs of walnuts.

QUINTUPLE BATCH (fills 3.5 cookie sheets)

10 cups butter

2 1/2 cups water

12 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/4 cups corn syrup

Arrange whole pecans on a large cookie sheet in a single, tight layer with very few gaps between the pecans.  Set aside. NOTE: A 2 pound bag of pecans (which is what Costco sells) fills 2 cookie sheets.

Mix first 4 ingredients (butter, water, sugar and corn syrup) in a large pot and bring to a boil.  WARNING: the candy will double in size and then reduce back down during this process so make sure you use a large enough pot, especially if doubling or tripling the recipe!  An 8 quart pot will hold a triple recipe.  A 5 quart pot will hold a double recipe.  A 3 quart pot holds a single recipe.  NOTE: it's best to wear oven mitts during the stage since the toffee bubbles and is very hot (not good for the skin).

Scrape bottom of pot constantly with a flat-bottom wooden spoon to keep candy from burning.  Reduce heat to med- high for several minutes stirring constantly.  When the candy loses the frothy top layer and no longer climbs toward the top of the pot, reduce heat to med low, stirring occasionally.  "Paint" around the top of the pot with a wet brush once the candy has reduced back down in size to avoid sugar crystals.

Heat candy to about 290-300 degrees between soft crack and hard crack.  This can take a while depending on your stove and pot.  Watch it carefully as it gets close to 290 because it can go quickly from there to 300+.

Water test: scoop candy from bottom of pan with spoon and drop a ball of it into room temperature water.  Remove from water and bite down on the candy.  If it sticks to your teeth or is chewy at all, it is not ready.  Continue cooking until it's the color of dark brown sugar and cracks when you bite down on it.  This is a very important step.  The reading on some thermometers may tell you the candy  isn't ready, but if your water test tells you otherwise (meaning it doesn't stick to your teeth when you bite into it, then take it off the stove).  Burned toffee is a MAJOR bummer!

Slowly pour over pecans so as not to move them making sure all pecans are covered.  Let cool completely (or skip to the "TIME SAVER" section and follow those steps).

Once cooled, wipe the oil from the candy with a paper towel so the chocolate will stick better.  Chop the walnuts in a food processor.  Melt milk chocolate and pour over the candy.  Spread it evenly in a thin layer (too thick of a layer will make the chocolate fall off the candy when you break it up).  Immediately spread the walnuts over the chocolate and press them into the chocolate so they stick.  Let cool completely.

Turn the candy out onto a cutting board and repeat the melted chocolate and walnut steps.  Once that side is cooled and the chocolate is hardened you can break up the candy into whatever size pieces you want.

Breaking the toffee: The best method I've found requires a cutting board, butter knife and rubber mallet.  Put the toffee on a cutting board, place the butter knife where you want the crack to be and tap it with the mallet.  Then tilt the butter knife until the toffee breaks.

TIME SAVER: As an alternative to the process described above with the chocolate and walnuts, here is a time-saving way to do it.  After you pour the toffee over the pecans, let it harden slightly until the top part is firm to the touch but the toffee is still quite warm.  This takes about 5 minutes.  Wipe away the oil from the top layer with a paper towel and put the chocolate chips directly onto the toffee without melting them first.  I put enough chocolate chips to cover both sides of the toffee.  A 23 ounce bag of ghiradelli chocolate chips (or 2, 11 ounce bags) is enough for both sides of one cookie sheet of toffee.  Let them sit for a few minutes and then spread them (I use an offset spatula).  Remove half of the chocolate with your offset spatula and put it in a bowl (you will use this on the other side of the toffee when you flip it.  Top with the walnuts.  Press the walnuts into the soft chocolate and once the pan is cool enough to touch, flip it over onto a cutting board.  It's OK if the chocolate is still soft as long as it has a good covering of chopped walnuts.  Once it's flipped over and out of the pan, you can wipe the oil off the toffee and spread the chocolate on it.  Then top with walnuts and let harden overnight or for several hours.  You don't want to break the toffee until the chocolate on both sides is hard.  If you use this method, the toffee does the melting for you and you save a lot of time with not waiting until it's totally cooled.  Professional candy makers may not approve of this approach, but it works great for me :)

Suggestion: set up a time-lapse video as you chisel and bag the toffee.  Would be fun to watch:)

Jenny's 2019 notes:
Made 90 bags of toffee
4 triple batches and 3 single batches
10-11, 23-oz bags of chocolate chips
filled 11 regular sized cookie sheets and one small cookie sheet

Jenny's 2023 notes
2 Quintuple batches and 2 triple batches 
10, 23 oz bags of chocolate chips
16 cubes of butter (4, 4-packs from Costco)
3, 3 lb bags of walnuts
5, 2 lb bags of pecans

Thanksgiving stuffing

1 loaf of bread torn into small pieces
1 large onion diced
2 stalks of celery diced
2 carrots grated
1 large apple grated (I used granny smith)
1 Tbl sage
1/2 tsp thyme
1 Tbl parsley
1 tsp salt
2 eggs beaten
1 cup butter melted

Combine all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add the beaten eggs and then the melted butter. Mix together until well combined. Refrigerate until ready to use. You may either stuff the turkey with it or put into a covered casserole dish and bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes.

Sweet Potato Casserole

3 cups sweet potatoes mashed (6-8 large)
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
2 Tbl Butter
3/4 tsp vanilla

Scrub dirt from potatoes and boil them whole (with skin on) in a large pot for approx 1 hour, until fork-tender.  Drain water from pot and peel skins from potatoes (they should come off easily).  Put sweet potatoes, sugar, egg, butter and vanilla in a Bosch and mix.  Spread potatoes into 9x13 pan.

Topping:
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup self-rising flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped nuts (pecans)
1 cup coconut

Melt butter into flour.  Mix together brown sugar, nuts and coconut and add to butter/flour mixture.  Spread topping over potatoes and bake at 350 degrees until done (about 45 min)

Peppermint-topped Brownies

Ingredients (from Sunset Magazine)

• 
  Preparation
• 10 tablespoon butter, plus more for pan $
• 6 ounces good-quality bittersweet chocolate, broken into large chunks
• 3 eggs $
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 80 hard, round, red-and-white peppermint swirl candies (17 oz.; see Notes)
• 1/2 pound semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup whipping cream

1. 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Butter a 9- by 13-in. baking pan. In a medium saucepan, stir butter and bittersweet chocolate over very low heat with a heatproof rubber spatula until just melted (do not let simmer or boil). Remove from heat and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
2. 2. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Slowly pour chocolate-butter mixture into egg mixture, whisking constantly. Into a separate bowl, sift flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder, then whisk together. With a clean rubber spatula, gently fold flour mixture into egg mixture until just combined.
3. 3. Spread batter evenly in the baking pan. Bake 20 to 30 minutes, or until brownies are firm, beginning to pull away from sides of pan, and a toothpick inserted in center emerges with only a few crumbs clinging to it. Let brownies cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
4. 4. Reduce oven temperature to 300°. Line a level, rimmed 11 1/2- by 16-in. baking sheet with parchment. With a pencil, draw a grid of 1 3/4-in. squares on parchment (5 rows of 8), leaving about a 1-in. border, and turn parchment over. Place a mint in the center of each square. Bake 15 to 25 minutes, or until completely melted into 1 large sheet, but remove before candy begins to turn yellow. Immediately score peppermint squares with a pizza cutter, using pencil lines as your guide. If scored lines don't hold, rescore quickly. Let candy cool completely. Gently break into squares along score lines. Arrange, bake, and score remaining 40 candies the same way (you'll have extra squares; pick the prettiest).
5. 5. In the top of a double boiler or a metal bowl set over simmering water, combine chopped semisweet chocolate and whipping cream. Cook, stirring often, until melted and blended. Remove from heat and let ganache cool until just warm.
6. 6. Pour ganache over cooled brownies in pan and allow to set until firm, about 2 hours at room temperature or 1 hour in the refrigerator.
7. 7. Place peppermint squares bottom side up on ganache, leaving enough room between squares to cut brownies. Cut brownies into squares along edges of peppermint tops, wiping knife clean between cuts. Remove brownies from pan, discard (or eat) scraps, and return brownies to pan. Cover with plastic wrap, making sure wrap does not touch peppermint, and refrigerate 3 hours (to soften candy a bit). Serve slightly chilled.
8. More toppings to try. Why stop at peppermint? Try these other embellishments for our rich, soft brownies. Be generous with amounts, and chill brownies so that the topping sets.
9. Coconut and Macadamia: Sprinkle shredded toasted coconut and chopped toasted macadamia nuts over the just-warm ganache layer.
10. Crushed Toffee: Sprinkle crushed toffee bits over the just-warm ganache layer.
11. Double Peanut: Warm up natural-style peanut butter (creamy or chunky) and spread over cooled brownies. Refrigerate until peanut butter is firm; top with ganache and chopped peanuts.
12. Raspberry: Spread raspberry jam over cooled brownies and top with ganache.
13. Rocky Road: Preheat broiler. Spread half of the just-warm ganache over cooled brownies, then top with mini marshmallows and chopped walnuts. Broil brownies for about 1 minute, or until marshmallows are toasted and beginning to melt together. Remove from oven and drizzle with remaining ganache.
14. White Chocolate Swirl: Spoon dollops of melted white chocolate over the just-warm ganache layer and make marbled swirls using a toothpick or a knife.
15. Note: Nutritional analysis is per brownie. Notes: You can make the brownies with ganache 3 days ahead, cover with plastic wrap (making sure it does not touch ganache), and chill. The tops can be made up to a week ahead and stored airtight at room temperature. Look for hard, round peppermint swirl candies, also called starlight mints, with bright red color. Keep an eye on the candies as they melt; some brands don't spread as quickly or as thinly as others. You may want to make a test batch using 12 mints arranged in 3 rows of 4 to determine whether you'll need to adjust your oven's temperature or space the candies closer together.

Note:

You can make the brownies with ganache 3 days ahead, cover with plastic wrap (making sure it does not touch ganache), and chill. The tops can be made up to a week ahead and stored airtight at room temperature. Look for hard, round peppermint swirl candies, also called starlight mints, with bright red color; we liked Golden Gate Goodies brand (99 cents for a 6-oz. bag; available at Longs Drugs; visit longs.com for store locations). Keep an eye on the candies as they melt; some brands don't spread as quickly or as thinly as others. You may want to make a test batch using 12 mints arranged in 3 rows of 4 to determine whether you'll need to adjust your oven's temperature or space the candies closer together.

Sunset 
DECEMBER 2007