I've been making the same almond toffee forever, but wanted to try something different this year. I'll still make the almond version, but alongside it will be this Brown Sugar Pecan Toffee. It's a very easy candy recipe with only four ingredients. All you need are pecan halves, brown sugar, salted butter and milk chocolate. And if you don't need the pecans and chocolate, you can make it with just two ingredients -- salted butter and brown sugar.
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How This Recipe is Different
I've always made toffee with regular white cane sugar, but I recently read that the true British way is with brown sugar, salted butter and sometimes a little golden syrup. This version doesn't call for any syrup, just the brown sugar, salted butter and a pinch of salt if desired. And then there are the pecans. The recipe is called Brown Sugar Pecan Toffee, but you can leave them out if you like. I've been doing this fairly often to make homemade toffee bits.
Not Much Stirring
This recipe requires some stirring to keep it from burning. If you are using a heavy saucepan and have your heat under control, you can take quick breaks from stirring to grab a phone or take something out of the oven, but it's best to keep a close eye on this candy and stir almost constantly with a wooden spoon.
Hard Crack Stage and Candy Thermometer
You cook this English toffee to the hard crack stage. Hard crack is 300 to 310 degrees F or the highest temperature the candy can reach before burning. I have found that it's fine to pull the candy from the heat when the temperature hits 300 degrees F. For a while I was pulling it at 310 degrees F, but that was cutting it close! A reliable candy thermometer is must. My favorite is the Taylor deep fry thermometer because you can lean it on the pot and position the bulb in the center of the pan. It has a little metal piece on the end that keeps the bulb elevated so that it's not touching the bottom of the saucepan. Speaking of which, be sure you are using a heavy duty one. I usually use a non-stick anodized aluminum style pan such as Green Pan or Simply Calphalon.
Covering With Melted Chocolate
With this recipe, you don't stir the nuts into the toffee, but rather pour the candy over the nuts. While the toffee is very hot, you scatter squares of milk chocolate over it and allow them to soften to a spreadable consistency. At this point the toffee will be soft and rubbery in texture, but it will be firm enough to hold the chocolate. Once the chocolate has melted and you've spread it, you can put it in the refrigerator for several hours to set. I'm impatient and have found the freezer works well too!
Good luck with the recipe! And don't be scared off by the candy thermometer. This is a good one. And here's the link to my Almond Toffee if you want to try that one as well.
Recipe
Brown Sugar Pecan Toffee
Ingredients
- 1 cup pecan halves (optional)
- 2 sticks salted butter, cut into chunks (see note about unsalted) (228 grams)
- 1 cup brown sugar (210 grams)
- 4-6 ounces good quality dark or milk chocolate (optional) chopped
Instructions
- Lay pecans flat on a baking sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until they are fragrant and toasted. Let cool, then chop lengthwise or into large chunks.
- Line a 15x10 inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper and set next to stove.
- In a 3-quart heavy saucepan, gently melt the butter. Remove from heat and add the brown sugar, then stir until sugar is as fully blended as you can get it. The butter will be a bit separated from the sugar, but that's okay. At this point you can add a little kosher salt if you like.
- Set a deep fry thermometer in the pan, being careful that bulb is not touching bottom, and begin cooking over medium-low to medium heat with the temperature slowly rising, stirring almost constantly just to keep it from burning. This is especially important once the candy is over about 240 degrees F. The whole process should take about 15 minutes.
- Mixture will continue to darken. Be vigilant when you approach the 300 mark and stir if you smell anything close to burning.
- When mixture reaches 300F, immediately remove from heat and pour over the pecans.
- Sprinkle chocolate across the hot toffee. Invert a rimmed baking sheet over to hasten the melting process, then begin spreading melted chocolate over evenly. Let cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then transfer to refrigerator to set the chocolate.
- Check after 30 minutes. It should be set by then. Break into pieces.
Sue says
This recipe reminds me of the toffee my Mom made. She didn’t do a lot of baking or candy making but once in awhile she would make toffee. Yum.
Anna says
This version is a whole lot easier, but different in texture.
Jen says
Thanks for the reminder about the almond toffee! I was trying to think of something special to make for a couple that needs nothing and it would be perfect! I also want to try this version too!