English Toffee Bites

If you’re a fan of hard candies then this is a recipe you’ll be saving and coming back to again and again. English toffee is one of our go-tos when we’re in the mood for something a little salty and sweet, with just the right amount of crunch, but instead of going out and buying a tin – which really starts to add up if you’re going through them as quickly as we can – we decided to make it ourselves! With five pantry staple, a couple nuts and a handy silicone square ice cube mold thrown into the mix, this is an easy, delicious candy you can whip up and gift to friends and family, or save all for yourself…you can’t go wrong either way (as long as you brush your teeth).

Starting out with a layer of chopped almonds, we then made an easy toffee by whisking together butter and sugar over medium-high heat for five to seven minutes; the mixture goes from being a light beige color to being a rich almond color, which is when you know you’ve cooked it perfectly. The vanilla extract and salt go into the mix, then you pour everything over your layer of almonds. Melt a layer of chocolate and pour that on top and you’re in business! One of our favorite elements of this dish are the large-and-in-charge silicone ice cube trays we used as a mold for our toffee. They’re the perfect size for this candy, allowing everyone a big enough piece so they feel like they’re getting an actual dessert and not just a tiny bite of dessert – we’re obsessed and pretty sure you will be too!

English Toffee Bites

Serves: 2-3 dozen

Ingredients

• 12 oz. dark chocolate
• 1 cup unblanched almonds, roughly chopped
• 1 cup walnuts, finely ground
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• silicone square ice cube mold

Directions

1. Place chopped almonds in silicone square mold and set aside.
2. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat, combine butter and sugar and cook until melted.
3. Add in vanilla and salt and, stirring constantly, bring to a boil and cook until mixture is almond-colored. 5-7 minutes.
4. Remove saucepan from heat and pour (or scoop) over almonds in silicon mold, then let cool. Be careful not to burn yourself while pouring.
5. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolates and melt in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until smooth.
6. Pour melted chocolate over the cooled toffee, then top with ground walnuts. Let cool completely.
7. When ready to serve, pop toffees out of mold and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Shugary Sweets