Diane would like to apologize in advance for anything I am about to say. She says I’m a coffee snob.I don’t know whether to respond with a “Duh!” or a “Phbbttt!”- or however you spell sticking your tongue out. After all, she did first meet me in a coffee house almost 17 years ago.
Snob may not be the right word. I mean, I do love my coffee but I’m still polite about it in public. I’m not going to lambast someone for their personal choice in caffeinated beverage. When traveling I’ll drink what’s offered without a cringe or frown. Yes, even the cheap motel coffee.
However, when it comes to what I make for myself, I am … particular.
Video Coffee Toffee Recipe:
After all, this is a ritual which begins nearly everyday. It should be beautiful. Indifference to its quality is akin to not caring about the morning sunrise. Without seeing it, we probably wouldn’t even think twice about how it looked or made us feel. But if we stretch our toes out of bed and take in the morning sun, its beauty lightens the soul and changes the approach to the day.
So, for me, I make it important for I find comfort in it. Going out of my way to buy from the coffee roaster I like the best, and always seeking and experimenting with other potentially delicious beans from other coffee craftsmen. We finally invested in the espresso machine I’ve been dreamy eyed over for over a decade, a manual press La Pavoni espresso machine.
Alluring, classic, simplistic yet difficult to master unless you pay attention to the details. And it makes a beautiful espresso. This is a machine created for loving ritual.
So as I was flipping through Deb’s (of Smitten Kitchen fame) new book, The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, and I came across her coffee toffee recipe I had to pause. Coffee in a delicious toffee, this had to be good.
As she rhapsodized about her near addiction to the little black beverage and translated those urges into baked goods, I knew I had to make this recipe.
It’s her first cookbook and will have you busy cooking throughout the year with seasonal recipes as well. And as always, Deb’s witty, funny and personal writing keeps you engaged with every recipe that she brilliantly pens.
Toffee Recipe for Coffee Lovers
After running through the ingredients for her coffee toffee, I notice she calls for instant espresso powder. Um, that is something we normally don’t have on hand.
So I went to work on Deb’s recipe, changing out the espresso powder for a true espresso shot, used our preferred dark chocolate to top it, and went with her first choice of topping the toffee with hazelnuts (she mentions you can use another nut of your choice but the initial call for hazelnuts seemed divinely perfect). The end result was, as Deb put it “…grown-up toffee; … If a piece of candy could ever taste like a cup of coffee, this would be it.” Absolutely marvelous.
-todd
How to Make Toffee Recipe
This toffee recipe was originally published in 2012 and re-published in 2018 with a new video.
Coffee Toffee
Yield: 12 Servings
Total Time: 30 minutes mins
A beautiful espresso laden toffee, adapted from Deb Perlman's The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook. You'll need a candy thermometer to know when to stop cooking the toffee.
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Ingredients
- 1 cup (227g) unsalted Butter
- 1/2 cup (110g) Brown Sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) Sugar
- 2 teaspoons (10ml) Molasses
- heavy pinch flaky Sea Salt or Kosher Salt
- 2 oz. (60ml) Espresso
- 1 cup (170g) Dark Chocolate Chips or chopped Dark Chocolate
- 1/3 cup (40g) chopped Hazelnuts
Instructions
Line a small sheet pan or baking dish with parchment paper (toffee will be less than 9"x11" in size)
Melt butter, sugars, molasses, salt and espresso in medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook, whisking occasionally over medium-high heat, until temperature reaches about 250°F. Now stir constantly until temperature reaches 300°F.
Pour onto prepared sheet pan (be very careful, a toffee or caramel burn are the worst). Spread evenly to your preferred thickness. Allow to set for a minute, then sprinkle chocolate chips over toffee. Let them sit for a minute or two to soften, then spread chocolate evenly over toffee.
Sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts, and then set aside to cool and harden.
After it is cooled, break apart toffee into chunks and store in an airtight container.
Nutrition Information per Serving
Calories: 308kcal, Carbohydrates: 27g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 41mg, Sodium: 22mg, Potassium: 157mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 23g, Vitamin A: 475IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 64mg, Iron: 1mg
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Chocolate
Calories: 308
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FAQs
It's important while the toffee cooks to only stir it occasionally. Constant stirring can cause the toffee to crystallize and separate.
What is coffee toffee made of? ›
Ingredients
| 225g | butter |
|---|
| 100g | granulated sugar |
| 1 1/2 tsp | molasses |
| 1/4 tsp | table salt (or 1/4 tsp flaky sea salt) |
| 1 1/2 tsp | instant espresso powder |
3 more rowsToffee Making Tips + Troubleshooting
But overcooked toffee will be just slightly crunchier (almost unrecognizably). So, always err on the side of over-cooking!
What is English toffee coffee? ›
COMBINE creamer, coffee and chocolate syrup in warm mug. TOP with whipped cream. Drizzle with caramel and chocolate syrups. Sprinkle with toffee bits.
Why is my toffee chewy and not crunchy? ›
Don't hurry this gradual transformation; syrup that doesn't reach 300°F, or close to it, will make candy with timid flavor and chewy (not crunchy) texture. Think you can save time by bringing the syrup to a full rolling, popping boil in order for it to darken more quickly? Think again.
What can go wrong when making toffee? ›
Common toffee making mistakes:
- I started with way too high of a heat. (At least, I think this was an issue.) I set my portable cooktop at 260 degrees F.
- I stirred too quickly. I didn't realize this could be an issue.
- I didn't add a dash of salt. They say you can save a ruined batch of toffee by adding a dash of salt.
English Toffee is a nationwide favorite that is easily made with only a few ingredients. The difference between regular toffee and English Toffee is one important ingredient – butter! I make English Toffee throughout the year for special occasions and it's always a big hit.
Is toffee just hardened caramel? ›
Toffee – the hard, sweet candy – is an old-fashioned treat, so you might not hear the name very much around modern candy shops. But this classic candy is an enjoyable delight that bursts with flavor at each bite. What is toffee, you ask? Basically, it's hardened caramel (more on that later).
Why cream of tartar in toffee? ›
This means that as boiling continues, a portion of the sugar separates into its constituent parts—glucose and fructose. Adding cream of tartar and a dash of vinegar to a toffee recipe helps bring about this change.
How do you know when toffee is done? ›
Last, keep temping toffee until thermometer says 285-295...at 285 do the ice water test by dropping a dot of toffee into some ice water...it should be brittle. If so, it's done. It will be a very dark amber color. Pour into foil lined pan, put on chocolate and nuts and, VOILA!
Most people agree that toffee is cooked to soft crack stage, which is at temperature of 135°C – 140°C (275°F – 284°F), or hard crack stage which occurs at temperature of 145°C – 155°C (293°F – 311°F). More precisely, this candy is usually cooked at temperatures from 140°C – 150°C (284°F – 302°F).
Should toffee be hard or soft? ›
Toffee is a hard candy made by cooking a sugar syrup with butter to the hard crack stage, 300–310°F (149–154°C), and then pouring it out to cool. It can have inclusions or not, and it can be made either very dense and hard or can be lightened by adding baking soda when the candy is almost done cooking .
What is toffee called in America? ›
The English toffee eaten with regularity in America is also called buttercrunch. What's the difference? Primarily, the difference rests in the ingredients. Toffee in Britain is made with brown sugar, whereas buttercrunch is made with white granulated sugar.
What is toffee in British slang? ›
If you say that someone cannot do something for toffee, you mean that they are extremely bad at it: He can't paint for toffee!
Is English toffee the same as butterscotch? ›
Toffee vs Butterscotch
While butterscotch is cooked to a soft-crack stage, toffee is produced by allowing that same butter and brown sugar mixture to reach the hard-crack stage. Butterscotch tends to be chewy and pliable; toffee is brittle and more breakable.
Are you supposed to stir toffee? ›
Once boiling, cook, stirring only 2 to 3 times, until it turns a dark amber color and the temperature reaches 285 degrees F (137 degrees C) on a candy thermometer, 20 to 30 minutes. Immediately pour toffee into the prepared baking dish.
How to stop toffee from crystallizing? ›
To help prevent crystallisation, an acid/fructose such as lemon juice or cream of tartar can be added before boiling, or a glucose solution. This makes the molecules odd shapes and harder to form geometrical solid blocks. So it helps keep them separate, enabling a clear toffee.
How to fix toffee when butter separates? ›
Sometimes separated toffee or caramel can be saved by removing the saucepan from the heat and stirring constantly until it comes back together into a smooth mixture. Gradually return it to the heat, stirring constantly. You can also try adding a spoonful or two of very hot water to the toffee to help it come together.
What to do if your toffee won't harden? ›
If your toffee doesn't have a hard texture (where you can snap it in half) you did not cook it long enough. Again, the 5-minutes is just a guide. Cook it until it is the color of a brown bag.
So as I was flipping through Deb’s (of Smitten Kitchen fame) new book, The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, and I came across her coffee toffee recipe I had to pause. Coffee in a delicious toffee, this had to be good.
