Hello 2017!  By now most of you are back to your daily routine.  Our Christmas decorations and tree are still up but it’ll all be put to bed come Friday – or at least the tree will be stripped and out on the sidewalk (garbage collection day).  Over the holidays I made my usual goodies as that’s what my family has come to expect and heaven help me if I change any part of that tradition (insert happy face here).  However, I did manage to introduce on New Year’s Eve a new treat – toffee.  I have never made it before and the recipe I found (slightly altered) is from Delish.  The batch I made was enough for our neighbour’s NYE social drop in and a bit left over as a sweet treat for our NYE dinner party.  These were a hit.  They were easy to make and very addictive!

This toffee recipe yields a delicious crunchy base topped with chocolate and nuts.  The texture of toffee can be soft or hard; it all depends on the cooking process.  There are oodles of toffee recipes and for an easy view, check out Pinterest toffee ideas.

1 1/4 cup butter
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups dark chocolate chips
1/2 cups macadamia nuts, toasted and roughly chopped
1/2 cup pistachio nuts, toasted and roughly chopped
sea salt, for garnish

Grab a heavy bottomed saucepan and over medium-high heat, combine butter, sugar, vanilla. When butter has melted, stir constantly with a spatula so the butter and sugar don’t separate.  Cook until mixture turns a dark amber (about 15 minutes).

Pour toffee mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and immediately top with chocolate chips. Let sit a couple of minutes then use a spatula to spread chocolate all over and create a layer on top of toffee.  Sprinkle nuts and top sea salt. Refrigerate until set then break into pieces and serve.

The Culinary Chase’s Note:  Have the toasted nuts, chocolate, and parchment-lined tray ready before you begin to melt the butter.  Use your favourite nuts to dress the toffee.  Enjoy!