toffeeJudi and Jim brought us some Vern’s toffee from Colorado and it was excellent. The toffee was topped with almonds and had just the right crispiness to know that it was something really special, special enough to bring it to us all the way from Colorado.

Actually, I never tasted toffee before, I never thought I wanted to try it. Chocolate was always my candy of choice.  This photo shows Vern’s toffee, as it looked when we received it.

Taffy is different. We always had taffy of all different colors and flavors, wrapped up in little papers you pull to twist apart. Salt-water taffy was popular in Michigan, it was cheap and easy to eat.

When we received Vern’s toffee, David thought it was taffy and he said he never liked taffy, it got stuck in his teeth. “What’s the difference”, he asked.

Well, you pull taffy and toffee has nuts in it, right?  No, taffy is chewy and toffee is crunchy.  Taffy comes in round, squarish cubes and toffee comes in a sheet, like a flat block. Any other differences? How about taste? Which is easier to make? After all this discussion, I decided to make each kind of candy and decide for myself.toffeeingredients2

This is the toffee recipe I used for Chocolate Almond Toffee:

2 cups butter (1 pound)
2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup sliced almonds

Cover a large cookie sheet with foil or a Silpat baking mat.  Cook butter, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan until it reaches 300 degrees on a candy thermometer.  Pour onto the baking sheet and top with 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips.  When the chips melt, spread chocolate and pat on sliced almonds with a plastic bag over your hand. Cool completely and break into small serving pieces. Store in an airtight container.

My toffee was really good, maybe even as good as Vern’s, especially since I topped it with chocolate. The next time I make it, I’ll spread it out a little thinner.

This is a photo of my Chocolate Almond Toffee ready for gift giving.  When my sweet tooth returns again, I’ll make some taffy and tell you how I did it. Enjoy the toffee!toffeedone