Monday, December 13, 2010

Grandma Utahna's Toffee



Before you laugh and make fun of this Grandma's name,
like I did, (sounds like Utah with a na added) you had
better know that it is Joni's (Red Couch Recipes) husband's
grandmother and yes that is her real name - poor lady.


Joni has been making this toffee and bringing it to
our family for years.  She has given me the recipe and
I have tried making it, but it never tastes the same so
today I drove 1 1/2 hours to Joni's house so that we
could make toffee together.


I was thrilled with the way it turned out and it turns out to
be sooo easy too.  It is fabulous toffee and only takes minutes
to make a nice sized batch.  What a great gift.


As a matter of fact, I drove home and boxed up two
gift boxes which I took to neighbors, one for a hostess gift
for a party tonight and another just as a neighbor gift, so I
will be making more tomorrow!


The trick is in not overcooking the candy.
I cooked mine until it was brown and hers is more
of a light tan.  I don't make candy without a thermometer
that has been calibrated and this one is just by looks.


It really helped to have a hands-on experience.  This is what your
candy should look like as it is boiling and you want to be stirring
it constantly.  It will quickly become a pale tan just like you see
the candy look like in the photo and that is when you take it off
the stove.  It has a delightful soft crunch and the flavor is amazing.




Grandma Utahna's Toffee Recipe

Heat oven to 350.
In a square 8x8 pan place 1 C. broken pecans.
Place in oven to toast for about 10 minutes.  Watch
the nuts carefullyso they don't burn. 
 Remove from oven and let cool
while you are making the candy.

When pan is cool, line it with parchment paper and
place the toasted nuts on the bottom of the pan.

Place in a heavy saucepan:
1 C.salted butter, cut up (no substitutes)
1 C. sugar
3 T. water

Turn the heat on high and begin stirring.  Continue to stir through
the boiling process.  While stirring, use a wet pastry brush or
clean, wet dishcloth to wash down the sides of the pan to dissolve
any undissolved sugar crystals.  If you skip this step, the batch of
candy might turn to sugar and be grainy.  When the candy begins
to pull away from the edge of the pan and turns from creamy
white to a pale tan remove it from heat and pour it onto the
toasted nuts.  Do not scrape the pan, this can cause it to sugar
too. (I have a gas stove and mine took about 7-8 minutes.)

Wait about 10 minutes for the candy to cool a little, then
top it with 1 C. Guittard milk chocolate chips.  (We did a blind
 taste test today and Guittard was the winner between Herheys
and a store brand.)  It was smoother and creamier and had no
bitter aftertaste.  Let the chocolate chips melt then spread
around with the back of a spoon or a knife.  Let the candy
cool until the chocolate has hardened.  You may place it in
the fridge to make it cool faster.  Break it into pieces.

Yum.



Grandma Utahna may have had a crazy name, but the woman knew
how to make some great toffee!

Thanks Joni for being a great teacher.

I am bring this toffee to these parties

23 comments:

  1. Hi Jacqueline -- thanks for a fun day. Glad you could come down. The photos of your toffee are sooo beautiful! It is really yummy toffee. I have already given away some too. I think Grandma Utahna liked her name! Thanks for joining up to the "It's Your Wonderful Life" Party. Joni

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  2. I have always been intimidated by toffee. I think your girls have inspired me to try it. I will let you know how it turns out.

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  3. Well, Utahna is a unique name, that's for sure!
    This toffee looks really good! Nice and thick and substantial! Perfectly YUMMY!

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  4. Help !! it is delicious!! yammie yammie !! love happy day Ria...

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  5. I love making toffee, this looks beautiful! Sounds like you two had fun! I just found a recipe that's made in a cast iron skillet, can't wait to give them all a try:@)

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  6. Can't wait to try this recipe! Every year we receive a cocolate almond toffee from a company and I've always wanted a recipe. We have odd names too on my husband's side...Ola, Ona, Ical. My Grandmothers were Selva and Nola! 100 years ago maybe those were the popular names?

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  7. My Sweet Jacqueline,

    I want to thank you so much for your comment yesterday. You're so amazing.

    I didn't read the book you've mentioned, but I was feeling too tired and stressed lately with Christmas, blog, kids, volunteer job, etc. Then I heard my body asking me to take it easy, and I am trying to pay attention to it and I'm trying to spread the word to people to focus on what really matters, which is spending time with each other. :-)

    Your toffee recipe is looking so good! I have never made toffee... this is so interesting! By the way, I volunteer at my son's school kitchen and I might get some of your recipes to make something for their baking sale day. :-)

    Have a blessed day, Jacqueline.

    xo


    Luciane at HomeBunch.com

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  8. I just tried to send you a comment, but had an error. Anyways, I just want to thank you so much for your comment yesterday. I truly appreciate when you come to "visit" me on my blog.

    I haven't read the book you mentioned, but I am trying to slow down this Christmas because I need to enjoy my kids. We all know they grow up too fast and all we have in life are our memories, our story and I want mine to be filled with the times I spend with the people I love, not just working, and being too busy. :-)

    Thanks for this toffee recipe.. I had no idea how to make it before.

    Have a blessed day, Jacqueline!

    xo


    Luciane at HomeBunch.com

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  9. OMG! It seems that the first one didn't have an error after all. LOL... Sorry about that. lol

    xo

    Luciane at HomeBunch.com

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  10. How wonderful that you got to make toffee with Joni! I have a very similar recipe made with almonds. It's one of my favorite holiday treats! The recipe came from an elderly neighbor of my MIL. Maybe her name was Utahna ;)

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  11. I have always been scared to try toffee but I have decided no risk, no reward! This looks so good and I am going to try this recipe! Thanks for sharing.

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  12. The toffee looks delicious. I love the pictures you took with the red tissue paper. It makes it really pop.

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  13. Looks delicious! My mom's is similar, but maybe a little thinner? Either way, I'd gobble this up! (BTW, soooo happy to see that this isn't one of those saltine cracker toffee recipes {blech}...)

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  14. I love toffee. I always use a candy thermometer. Who knew you could make such beautiful toffee without one! I'm going to try it.

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  15. Love toffee! It is one of our favorite CHRISTmas goodies!! :)

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  16. I feel sorry for the name but dang that toffee looks awesome. I eat that stuff by the handful during christmas time!
    Wearing It On My Sleeves

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  17. Toffee is my dad's favorite. I really should try making him some. I bake, but I rarely do candy...it scares me:) I had no idea scraping the pan would cause it to sugar.

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  18. I couldn't wait so I tried it tonight! It's cooling now, but if the look and smell is any indication, I think I did it right!! Thank you SO much for sharing this.

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  19. I tell you what, no toffee is bad toffee if you ask me! How wonderful you had an opportunity to learn from the master herself.

    :)
    ButterYum

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  20. This is my FAVORITE candy!!! Thanks for sharing, not only the recipe, but the photos. Perhaps I can get it "right" this year.
    Smiles,
    Jane (artfully graced)

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  21. That looks so delicious. I have crowns so I couldn't eat it but I would love to make it for gifts. Thanks for sharing.

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  22. Another delicious looking recipe for me to try. I love something that makes a large enough batch for me to share it with friends. I have some friends who will love getting this. Thank you for linking it to Favorite Things. laurie

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  23. Making toffee sounds like such a fun way to spend the day, especially when you get to eat the results afterward. Your toffee looks like a success.

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