Friday, December 24, 2010

Merry Melt in your mouth Toffee...and a Happy Christmas to all!

Ahhhh.....I love this stuff. I am not much of a candy maker but this one is easy and addictive.Great for some last minute gifts. I have a few more batches of this to make tomorrow! I am posting pics from another year as I just got a brand new camera and I am in the midst of learning how to use it. The little hand painted bell on our tree was my first go...I have a long way to go, that is for sure!
Hopefully next year it will be like second nature...

MELT IN YOUR MOUTH TOFFEE
adapted from Allrecipes

Ingredients:
1 Pound butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups sliced toasted almonds
2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips ( I use Callebaut)

pinch of kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla


Directions:
1 In a heavy saucepan, combine butter, white sugar, and brown sugar, and salt. Cook SLOWLY over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture boils. Boil to brittle stage, 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) without stirring. Remove from heat. Add Vanilla.
2. While it's cooking, pour and spread out nuts and chocolate chips (if you're using) into an ungreased half sheet pan that you've lined with a silpat or if not, lightly buttered. Pour hot mixture over the nuts and chocolate, and working quickly, spread out to fill pan evenly with a wooden spoon or heat-resistant spatula. Let the mixture cool and break it into pieces before serving. 

Life has been busy here and as you can see I have not been around much. But it is all good...my nest is full and I am enjoying everyone being here and together. We will be having a quiet holiday this weekend and we are all looking forward to getting over colds, having some good food, and just being together in one place.

I am hoping that life will slow down a bit and I will be able to be here a bit more next year than I have of late.
I wish all of you the happiest of holidays!
Merry Christmas....

9 comments:

  1. I love toffee. This will be the first year that my mom has not made it. Your recipe sounds wonderful.

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  2. Linda, this looks amazing. I love toffee too! ...so much that I still carry bits of previous years' batches around with me. On my hips. Oh. Thanks for posting this.

    What kind of camera did you buy? Is it a DSLR? I can tell you that by spring it will be second nature to you.

    Heh, one thing I did when I got my DSLR was to go to the homes of all my friends and students who had new babies and take LOADS of photos. It was such good practice! I took hundreds of photos and learned to change the settings on my camera on the fly, how to bounce light, how to turn off the little light sensor so it wouldn't scare the baby, how to shoot moving targets. TONS of useful stuff.

    I'm traveling right now with my little pocket point and shoot, and it's really frustrating not to be able to change the settings. NONE of them! But it fits in my pocket and has a nice lens...

    Merry Christmas to you and your family. Hugs from over here.

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  3. Great minds think alike, dear lady. Making toffee for my pie topping today and love the left overs... maybe a small detour to make these while I am at it! Have a wonderful holiday. I got my new camera about this time last year... the first pics were just ghastly since I couldn't figure out all the settings... you are miles ahead of me on your first outing!! The settings get easier in a month or so, honest!
    Have a wonderful holiday with your family... we really do need to have a drink one day since we live so close to one another..New Years resolution!!!

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  4. It does look good:) Happy you are all together and a new camera to boot:) Enjoy the holidays.you deserve the best~

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  5. Well I thought I was done with Christmas baking but you're tempting me with that toffee. Love the Vince Guaraldi music too.

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  6. Merry Christmas Linda! I hope you have a wonderful time with family and loved ones! happy new year as well. Hope the new year brings lots of joy and love :))

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  7. Linda, that is the best looking toffee I've seen.

    Happy Holidays.

    Ann

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  8. Thank you all my friends...

    Yes Kate...I have the Rebel T2I...I am just diving right in. I was stashing away my "pennies" for a long time to get it. With one kid in college and the other getting ready to go, I do not get many "toys" just for me...but I really wanted to move up. Of course my husband is enjoying it as well ...I am used to shooting with a macro setting and I can not get as close to the food with the lenses I have.
    So it will be a learning curve....but I am loving it so far!

    Merry Christmas all! Have a wonderful time with family and friends!

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  9. Linda........

    I love toffee and your pictures look amazing. Love your camera, don't they take great pics. I'm still trying to learn mine.
    Merry Christmas to you and your Family, hope you will all be together.

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