Homemaking Tip – Toffee Bits

Michelle, Cali, and Cousin Haley

Ande wanted to have the cake with many names served at her Moses Lake reception.  It would have been a disaster to try and serve it as individual squares, so we crumbled chocolate cake into the bottom of a cup, poured two or three tablespoons of caramel over the crumbles, sprinkled a few tablespoons of toffee bits over the caramel, and topped it with whipped cream. 

Toffee bits cost nearly $3 a cup, so I made the toffee instead for nearly one-fourth the price.  After the toffee cooled, I put it in a sturdy bag, gave Michelle a rolling pin, and she crushed it into bits.  (I made plain toffee with no chocolate or nuts added.)  Toffee is easy to make and takes less time than a run to the grocery store.  Here are our recipes:  we used Teresa’s recipe when we lived at a high altitude and we use Janice’s recipe now that we live at a low altitude.  We've discovered it makes a difference which one you use where.

Teresa’s Toffee

1 pound butter (no substitutes)

2 ½ cups sugar

4 Tbsp corn syrup

1 cup water

            Boil ingredients until it reaches a hard crack stage (290-300 degrees).  Add chopped nuts if desired.  Pour into a buttered cookie sheet.  Frost with melted chocolate and sprinkle with nuts if desired.  Let cool.

Janice’s Toffee

1 pound butter (no substitutes)

2 ¼ cups sugar

¼ cup corn syrup

            Boil ingredients until it reaches 290 degrees.  Stirring constantly.  Add chopped nuts if desired.  Pour into a buttered cookie sheet.  Frost with melted chocolate and sprinkle with nuts if desired.  Let cool.