Christmas just wouldn’t be the same without Pop’s toffee. I can’t believe it, but I think I have been making a tin of toffee for Pops the past 9 or 10 years. Crazy, but worth it.
I remember being at my Grandparents as a little kid. In Colorado... Or even when they visited us in St. Louis for Christmas. Gram and Gramps always brought a box of special toffee. It was from somewhere in Colorado, Colorado Springs maybe? It was extra thick and crunchy – really dense. I can’t even describe it. All I really know is Pops loved it.
So when Gram and Gramps were no longer around to give the wonderful box of toffee, I decided to step in. I tried to locate the company that made the original toffee, but had no luck. So, in an issue of MS Living, I found a recipe for toffee. Not exactly the same kind – not as thick or crunchy, but the sentiment was there.
Now, years later I am still making the toffee and Pops still enjoys just one piece a day until it runs out. If I could enjoy only one small sweet treat a day – I just don’t know how he does it. The extra, not so perfect pieces get packaged and given as extra gifts – or this year to my bosses at work.
If you haven’t made candy before, the recipe may seem a bit overwhelming. But really, once you try it, it is pretty easy. It takes a lot of time, but not much work. You have to wait for the main mixture to reach 280 degrees, which means you have to wait for at least 45 minutes. Then you wait for the mixture to harden in the pans, another 45 minutes. Then you melt chocolate and cover with pecans and wait 24 hours to break it apart. But honestly, it is just a lot of waiting and not too much work. Give it a try.
Oh, and after the first year, I stopped trying to cut it all nicely like in Martha’s picture on the website. Never worked for me. I just have fun and break it into fun pieces. So much easier!
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