Diane would like to apologize in advance for anything I am about to say. She says I’m a coffee snob.I don’t know whether to respond with a “Duh!” or a “Phbbttt!”- or however you spell sticking your tongue out. After all, she did first meet me in a coffee house almost 17 years ago.
Snob may not be the right word. I mean, I do love my coffee but I’m still polite about it in public. I’m not going to lambast someone for their personal choice in caffeinated beverage. When traveling I’ll drink what’s offered without a cringe or frown. Yes, even the cheap motel coffee.
However, when it comes to what I make for myself, I am … particular.
Video Coffee Toffee Recipe:
After all, this is a ritual which begins nearly everyday. It should be beautiful. Indifference to its quality is akin to not caring about the morning sunrise. Without seeing it, we probably wouldn’t even think twice about how it looked or made us feel. But if we stretch our toes out of bed and take in the morning sun, its beauty lightens the soul and changes the approach to the day.
So, for me, I make it important for I find comfort in it. Going out of my way to buy from the coffee roaster I like the best, and always seeking and experimenting with other potentially delicious beans from other coffee craftsmen. We finally invested in the espresso machine I’ve been dreamy eyed over for over a decade, a manual press La Pavoni espresso machine.
Alluring, classic, simplistic yet difficult to master unless you pay attention to the details. And it makes a beautiful espresso. This is a machine created for loving ritual.
So as I was flipping through Deb’s (of Smitten Kitchen fame) new book, The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, and I came across her coffee toffee recipe I had to pause. Coffee in a delicious toffee, this had to be good.
As she rhapsodized about her near addiction to the little black beverage and translated those urges into baked goods, I knew I had to make this recipe.
It’s her first cookbook and will have you busy cooking throughout the year with seasonal recipes as well. And as always, Deb’s witty, funny and personal writing keeps you engaged with every recipe that she brilliantly pens.
Toffee Recipe for Coffee Lovers
After running through the ingredients for her coffee toffee, I notice she calls for instant espresso powder. Um, that is something we normally don’t have on hand.
So I went to work on Deb’s recipe, changing out the espresso powder for a true espresso shot, used our preferred dark chocolate to top it, and went with her first choice of topping the toffee with hazelnuts (she mentions you can use another nut of your choice but the initial call for hazelnuts seemed divinely perfect). The end result was, as Deb put it “…grown-up toffee; … If a piece of candy could ever taste like a cup of coffee, this would be it.” Absolutely marvelous.
-todd
How to Make Toffee Recipe
This toffee recipe was originally published in 2012 and re-published in 2018 with a new video.
Coffee Toffee
Yield: 12 Servings
Total Time: 30 minutes mins
A beautiful espresso laden toffee, adapted from Deb Perlman's The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook. You'll need a candy thermometer to know when to stop cooking the toffee.
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Ingredients
- 1 cup (227g) unsalted Butter
- 1/2 cup (110g) Brown Sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) Sugar
- 2 teaspoons (10ml) Molasses
- heavy pinch flaky Sea Salt or Kosher Salt
- 2 oz. (60ml) Espresso
- 1 cup (170g) Dark Chocolate Chips or chopped Dark Chocolate
- 1/3 cup (40g) chopped Hazelnuts
Instructions
Line a small sheet pan or baking dish with parchment paper (toffee will be less than 9"x11" in size)
Melt butter, sugars, molasses, salt and espresso in medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook, whisking occasionally over medium-high heat, until temperature reaches about 250°F. Now stir constantly until temperature reaches 300°F.
Pour onto prepared sheet pan (be very careful, a toffee or caramel burn are the worst). Spread evenly to your preferred thickness. Allow to set for a minute, then sprinkle chocolate chips over toffee. Let them sit for a minute or two to soften, then spread chocolate evenly over toffee.
Sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts, and then set aside to cool and harden.
After it is cooled, break apart toffee into chunks and store in an airtight container.
Nutrition Information per Serving
Calories: 308kcal, Carbohydrates: 27g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 41mg, Sodium: 22mg, Potassium: 157mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 23g, Vitamin A: 475IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 64mg, Iron: 1mg
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Chocolate
Calories: 308
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FAQs
Melt butter, sugars, molasses, salt and espresso in medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook, whisking occasionally over medium-high heat, until temperature reaches about 250°F. Now stir constantly until temperature reaches 300°F. Pour onto prepared sheet pan (be very careful, a toffee or caramel burn are the worst).
What is the difference between toffee and English toffee? ›
Americanized toffee may include nuts, while a completely traditional British toffee will not. On the other hand, English toffee uses pure cane sugar, brown sugar, or molasses as its sweet base and always involves chocolate.
Can you over stir toffee? ›
It's important while the toffee cooks to only stir it occasionally. Constant stirring can cause the toffee to crystallize and separate. For those of you that need to know exactly how often you should stir, I would suggest erring on the side of not stirring more than stirring.
What does overcooked toffee look like? ›
But overcooked toffee will be just slightly crunchier (almost unrecognizably). So, always err on the side of over-cooking! Tip 2 explains how to do so! In order to avoid your chocolate turning white, you'll want to let it set in a room temperature spot without exposure to any drafts.
What's the difference between making toffee and caramel? ›
The difference between toffee and caramel is that caramel is made with white granulated sugar and cooked to 340 degrees Fahrenheit, whereas toffee is made with butter and brown sugar and cooked to 295 - 309 degrees Fahrenheit.
Is toffee just hardened caramel? ›
Toffee – the hard, sweet candy – is an old-fashioned treat, so you might not hear the name very much around modern candy shops. But this classic candy is an enjoyable delight that bursts with flavor at each bite. What is toffee, you ask? Basically, it's hardened caramel (more on that later).
What is toffee called in America? ›
The English toffee eaten with regularity in America is also called buttercrunch. What's the difference? Primarily, the difference rests in the ingredients. Toffee in Britain is made with brown sugar, whereas buttercrunch is made with white granulated sugar.
What does adding baking soda to toffee do? ›
For better crunch, add baking soda
Those bubbles remain trapped in the syrup as it cools in the pan, yielding toffee whose consistency is lightly crunchy rather than hard: think light-textured American-style biscotti vs.
Which is the most popular toffee in the world? ›
Lotte Coffy Bite Toffee
This is the best toffee in the world that has a rich flavor of coffee.
What can go wrong when making toffee? ›
Common toffee making mistakes:
- I started with way too high of a heat. (At least, I think this was an issue.) I set my portable cooktop at 260 degrees F.
- I stirred too quickly. I didn't realize this could be an issue.
- I didn't add a dash of salt. They say you can save a ruined batch of toffee by adding a dash of salt.
Here's how you know when the toffee is ready. Keep one of the almonds near the pan. It's your color cue. When the toffee is the color of the almond skin, it's done!
How do you know when toffee is done cooking? ›
Once boiling, cook, stirring only 2 to 3 times, until it turns a dark amber color and the temperature reaches 285 degrees F (137 degrees C) on a candy thermometer, 20 to 30 minutes. Immediately pour toffee into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top and let sit until they soften, 1 to 2 minutes.
What kind of pan is best for making toffee? ›
This should NOT be a non-stick pan, because non-stick pans allow crystals to be pulled into the cooking toffee and will cause the batch to crystallize. The heavy pan distributes heavy evenly so the toffee cooks without burning.
Why is my butter separating from my toffee? ›
If the butterfat separates out then usually this is due to the mixture being either heated or cooled too quickly, which "shocks" the mixture and causes the fat to separate out. It can also be caused by the mixture being heated unevenly (if the pan has a thin base and has hot spots).
Should toffee be hard or soft? ›
Toffee is a hard candy made by cooking a sugar syrup with butter to the hard crack stage, 300–310°F (149–154°C), and then pouring it out to cool. It can have inclusions or not, and it can be made either very dense and hard or can be lightened by adding baking soda when the candy is almost done cooking .
Does coffee toffee have caffeine? ›
Both the Coffee Chocolate Chip and Coffee Toffee gelatos have roughly 5 to 8 mg of caffeine per ½ cup serving. That is the lowest amount of caffeine in any of the ice creams we researched.
What does toffee coffee taste like? ›
Our Butter Toffee flavored coffee has a creamy, rich caramel taste, with a warm and buttery toffee accent. The mellow candied aroma, balanced body and acidity of this 100% Arabica coffee makes for a full and satisfying cup.
Is toffee just burnt caramel? ›
Toffee is made from sugar and butter. Chefs cook toffee longer than caramel so it reaches a hardened, brittle state.
What the heck is toffee? ›
Toffee is just sugar, butter, water, and vanilla cooked to a hard crack stage and caramel has added heavy whipping cream and cooked to a firm ball stage. While I like toffee, I think that if it's not done right it takes on a burned sugar flavor and I really prefer a richer flavor of caramel!
So as I was flipping through Deb’s (of Smitten Kitchen fame) new book, The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, and I came across her coffee toffee recipe I had to pause. Coffee in a delicious toffee, this had to be good.
