Dec 16

Dec 16 Holiday "Christmas Crack" Toffee with Pretzels and Coconut

One of my favorite sweets is English toffee! Hard or soft, this candy (made of butter and caramelized sugar) is a treat many people find irresistible, hence the surging demand around the holidays when people are gathering and looking to satisfy their sweet tooth. Toffee also makes a great gift and is ideal for late-night snacking!

Traditional English toffee doesn't typically come with nuts, though the American version is often topped with crushed almonds.

The fun thing about toffee for the holidays? You can pretty much add whatever toppings you want. In this case, I add some pretzels for extra crunch and saltiness and make up for the saltine crackers many people use for the bottom layer. The coconut adds another dimension of sweetness, but much more subtle than the sugar, of course! Although almonds tend to be the most popular nuts, as I mentioned, I'm a huge fan of toasted pecans and walnuts all the same.

What's the most important part about making toffee? If you want that perfect crunch, not chewy, but a light, brittle crunch that still melts in your mouth (too solid, and your teeth might shatter!), you'll need to heat the butter and sugar mix to 285-300F before pouring it onto a solid, nonstick surface before chilling.

Yield: 25

Author: Dontmissmyplate

Holiday "Christmas Crack" Toffee with Pretzels and Coconut

Nuts add texture and enhance the taste of other ingredients the more elaborate versions of toffee have. In this recipe, the pretzels add the salty component balanced out by the sugar, making for an addictive sweet and salty bite, hence the "Christmas crack" reference (I believe)! This is in addition to the high temperature needed to achieve the "hard crack" stage in the preparation process.

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 20 MinInactive time: 1 HourTotal time: 1 H & 25 M

Ingredients

2 cups butter
2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted chopped pecans
1/4 cup unsalted chopped walnuts
1/4 cup desiccated coconut
1 teaspoon sea salt (optional)
1/2 cup thin pretzels

Instructions

Roughly chop the pecans and walnuts, place them on a baking sheet in an oven at 400F and toast for 12-15 minutes until crispy; remove from the oven.
In a medium-sized pot, melt the butter and stir in the sugar occasionally to dissolve it. Bring to a gentle boil on medium-low heat (depending on your stove) until it turns amber in colour and the temperature reaches 285F.
Remove from heat and pour onto a foil-lined baking tray. Allow the toffee to set for about 1 minute, then sprinkle with chocolate chips evenly. Spread with a spatula and allow the chocolate to melt.
Sprinkle the nuts, coconut, sea salt, and crushed pretzels, and gently press the toppings into the toffee with the spatula. Move to the fridge and chill until hardened. Enjoy!