Coffee Toffee
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
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
Equipment
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.
Video
Nutrition Information per Serving
i have never attempted candy but this sounded too wonderful. Have made this twice now and seem get more of a caramel texture than brittle. I have been using a Thermopen. Taste is fantastic.
This coffee toffee is AMAZING and perfect sweetness.
These were a lot of fun to make! And they came out delicious!
This looks fantastic. I might make some to share as Christmas gifts around the office. I was wondering if I can skip the molasses or swap them for something else, perhaps?
Thanks for yet another beautiful post.
Since it was Deb’s recipe not our own, we haven’t tested out that many different variations of it and we don’t have enough toffee experience to give a solid answer. Hopefully someone will chime in.
Good luck.
Yes! Got my copy on Friday, been drooling through it all weekend. Love your blog!
This looks like a tremendous adaptation (I turn my nose up at instant coffee too). I was actually searching for a coffee-based treat to make for a friend today so I’m giving these a go right now, will let you know how it goes!
This looks amazing! All of my favorite flavors in one! Looking forward to making it!
I love candy making and I love espresso even more, so I’ll definitely try this. BTW, that’s one sexy espresso maker! I enjoyed this blog entry very much.
I am perhaps, the only food lover in the country who doesn’t have this book yet. Thanks for sharing this recipe and reminding me that I need to get a copy of it. I love the flavour of coffee in food and am smitten (what else could i be?) with this recipe.
The photos and this post are both gorgeous!
I’m a true espresso gal. No artificiality for my cup of caffeine 😉
Love the coffee toffee and I can’t wait to get my hands on Deb’s beautiful book!