Who doesn’t like toffee? This is my mother-in-law’s recipe for Old-Fashioned Toffee. As you may know, toffee can be very tricky to make and I was lucky enough for her to teach me the steps hands-on. It is easier to see first-hand the color toffee should be when it is done.

You can make this year-round, however it has always been a special treat around the holidays. It is also makes for a perfect homemade gift placed in a holiday tin.

Equipment tips for Old-Fashioned Toffee:

Use heavy-duty cookware:

When making Old-Fashioned Toffee you need a good heavy duty pot or sauce pan that holds high heat. I use a LeCreuset dutch oven.

Testing your thermometer is very important:

Also be sure to have a very good candy thermometer. You should always test your candy thermometer before you use it. To test your thermometer, boil water and place the thermometer in the boiling water. If it reads 212F degrees it is good to go. If not, adjust the temperature called for in the candy recipe to an adjusted temperature. For example: if your thermometer is 5 degrees higher (217F), add 5 degrees to the recipe temperature.

Keep water and a silicone pastry brush nearby:

When making candy keep a small bowl of water next to the stove. After you stir candy, the sugar crystals tend to form along the side of the pan. After you stir it, take your silicone pastry brush dipped in water and run along the edge of the candy to dissolve those sugar crystals.

Ingredient tips for Old-Fashioned Toffee:

About the butter:

Use good quality real butter since it is a main ingredient. My favorite brands are Challenge or Land O’ Lakes. Be sure to let the butter fully incorporate into the superfine sugar, otherwise your toffee will tun out grainy. The recipe calls for 1 pound of butter (i.e. 4 sticks) so I like to use half salted and half unsalted to provide a hint of salt without adding any additional salt to the recipe.

Superfine sugar is best:

There are several types of sugar to use in your baked goods. When making candy use superfine sugar. I use Baker’s Sugar which is made of smaller sugar crystals that will dissolve faster to help ensure your toffee doesn’t come out grainy.

For more holiday candy recipes try our recipe for Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Fudge