Nan's English Toffee

By Jeanne Winnick Brennan
Photography by Dave Brooks

One family swears by this recipe for a sweet treat.

“Food is an adventure on the road of life” is local chef Joy Reed's motto. She credits her mother, Nan Jackson, with putting her on that path, and her daughter, Tiffany Shoemaker, with helping her continue the trek. Together, they share their celebration of food and their homemade specialties—like this English toffee—with others who think like they do.

“I remember growing up in my parents' home with food so beautiful it would make you cry,” says Reed, who owns Spoons Market Cafe & Bakery in Granite Bay. “Mom would be picking cherries, Dad would be making the pie crust, and they'd often try to out-create each other. That's where the magic comes from.”

Today, it's a family effort at Spoons, which features Jackson's toffee and an assortment of her fresh fruit pies each week. Shoemaker helps with the cooking classes, wine dinners and workshops. From June through September, the summer tapas series on Saturday evenings provides Reed with an opportunity to share exotic new dishes from her annual winter sojourns to study with chefs around the globe.

Jackson, who once had a home with four kitchens and 10 acres of orchards, puts it this way: “I've been making this toffee for almost 40 years, so I think I've learned a few tricks, and I'm more than glad to share them.”

Melt butter in a large, heavy saucepan over moderately high heat. Add sugar, corn syrup, water and vanilla, and stir. Bring to a boil and continue to cook, stirring occasionally. When the mixture reaches 275 degrees according to the candy thermometer, add the almonds and continue to boil. Remove from the heat when the mixture reaches 290 degrees.

Pour the hot mixture onto a lightly buttered 15 1/2-by-10 1/2-by-1-inch cookie sheet with sides, using an offset spatula to spread it evenly. While the mixture is still hot, sprinkle 1 cup of chocolate chips over the surface. The chocolate will melt; use the spatula to spread it evenly over the toffee. Sprinkle 1 cups of walnuts over the melted chocolate, pressing the nuts into the chocolate. Cool in the refrigerator until the chocolate hardens (about 15 minutes).

Melt the remaining chocolate chips in a microwave or double boiler. Meanwhile, remove the cooled toffee from the refrigerator and hold the cookie sheet over a gas or electric burner for about 30 seconds to loosen the candy from the sheet. Carefully flip it over onto a clean cookie sheet so that the chocolate and nuts are facing down. Using the offset spatula, spread the melted chocolate evenly over the clean side. Press the remaining walnuts into the melted chocolate and place in the refrigerator again to cool.

When the chocolate is completely cool, break the toffee into pieces with a thin, sharp knife. Serve for dessert with fresh raspberries, or crumble over ice cream. Stored in a tin, the toffee will keep 2–3 months in the refrigerator, much longer in the freezer. Makes about 2 pounds.

Ingredients

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon corn syrup
3 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup sliced almonds
2 cups chocolate chips
3 cups chopped walnuts