If there is one thing I’ve been in love with forever, it’s toffee. I think a Heath Bar resulted in my first need to have a cavity filled when I was a girl and nothing has changed. I love a brand of toffee made locally called Enstrom’s (though miss the days before they become so well known that you could walk in and order just one piece). I’ve enjoyed great toffee made by a food blogger and friend, Rachael at La Fuji Mama and I will do go to the trouble of making my own for holiday gifts.
But it’s, well, not complicated really but anything involving a candy thermometer is tricky, especially here in Denver, where at 5280′ anything that involves temperature in food preparation can be more complicated than what it is for those of you closer to sea level; what we call ‘Flatlanders!’ Not unlike being used to cups and having to switch to metric; temperature, time and ingredients often have to be revised for success.
So today, in preparation for a Super Bowl party tomorrow, I wanted something with that toffee fix but not that toffee stress and these do the trick every time. Easy and foolproof, they do a fine job of mimicking English toffee with very little effort. Easy and so good that I am trying to figure a hiding place from myself!
The original recipe is from one of my treasured Junior League of Denver cookbooks. On the same page with this recipe is another familiar version using saltines in lieu of graham crackers. The graham cracker recipe does not call for using chocolate so I combined the two…the graham crackers from one recipe with the milk chocolate layer of the other and I think that the result is my perfect version! Considering the ‘new’ crave for having everything chocolate or caramel with a salted finish…that saltine version was ahead of it’s time. I replicate that touch by using a good finishing salt. Knowing I would be serving these to friends with children, I opted not to put the salt on them this time but I did mention it to my friends. I don’t recommend this as the easiest method but you can do what they did. They warmed up individual pieces in the microwave and salted their own!
Toffee Squares
Ingredients
- One sleeve of graham crackers
- 2/3 cup butter
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup chopped nuts – Almonds, walnuts or pecans or a combination
- 12 ozs milk chocolate chips
- Maldon Flaked salt (Optional and I don’t recommend you use table salt, only a good finishing salt and VERY lightly)
Preparation
- Line a 9X13 inch pan with aluminum foil. Place whole crackers in single layer on foil. You will have to break some into quarters to finish filling in one row.
- In small saucepan, heat butter and brown sugar until sugar dissolves and mixture just starts to bubble. Whisk until the two blend to form a thick butter/sugar sauce; this does take a bit of whisking so don’t give up! DO NOT boil the mixture.
- Spread evenly over crackers.
- Sprinkle evenly with chopped nuts.
- Bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and turn oven off. Cover top evenly with chocolate chips and put back into oven for 3-5 minutes until chips are softened enough to spread with a spatula.
- Remove from oven and spread chocolate over surface of toffee.
- Sprinkle very lightly with finishing salt if using.
- Cool in refrigerator until chocolate is firm.
- Cut into squares.
- Hide from yourself.
Adapted from Creme de Colorado, a cookbook by the Junior League of Denver, 1987
{ 32 comments… read them below or add one }
Where does one purchase Maldon Flaked salt in Denver? I would love to travel directly to the company location in Maldon, Essex, England however, lack of funds prevents this from happening. I called serveral stores in the area and no one has the product. I known that “Salt Works” online carries the product but would rather buy local if able.
I got mine from the Savory Spice Shop…they have a couple of locations in Denver; I shop at the one on Main Street in Littleton.
Thanks for the information … there’s a Savory Spice Shop in the Lowry Town Center which is minutes from my house (live in Lowry). I only go to a couple of the resturants in the center and never do any other shoping. Thanks once again for the information.
You had me at chocolate and toffee. YUM.
omg I love these! Fabulous!!
Thanks Alison…hope you try them!
Toffee is one of my favorite things in the entire world. I just can’t get enough of it. This is going to be made, and after I gobble down half of it, I’m going to bring it to work to save my waistline.
Me too…I can only make them when I know I will have help getting them out of my house!
Wow what a great recipe! I made this yesterday for the kids and they loved them. Thanks!
Yeah…so happy to hear when someone enjoys something from the blog; thanks!
I made these for the first time this year – a friend brought them to a cookie exchange and they were the hit of the party!!! Didn’t top mine with salt but I will when I make another batch – which is going to be really, really soon!!!
Whenever I make them I wonder why I forget about them but then they are so good and so easy, if I made and ate them all the time you would have to roll me from room to room I guess huh? The salt was a last minute thing…good without but a bit more stellar with!
Looks absolutely incredible!
My mom makes something similar to this at Christmas, but hers is topped with a butterscotch flavored mixture. I will have to try it with chocolate, and I am shocked I never thought of it before!
Well, I am too…and delighted that I could offer something unique to YOU! Try them with a bit of finishing salt too; yes it is the BAM!
Of all the cookies in the world, this is one of my favorites. I can’t decide which I like better — the ones made with graham crackers or the ones made with Saltine crackers. I made a batch for myself yesterday with callebaut chocolate on top and they were so good.
I had to revise the post a bit. I mentioned to friends here with their kids that I would make these with some Maldon flaked salt if not serving to kids. My friends were all over that; warming up their squares in the microwave and then sprinkling some salt on top…best of both worlds right?
My husband’s side of the family has a thing for toffee squares. So I pulled out his recipe once and tried to make the squares for him. Because we didn’t have a double boiler, I totally botched the recipe. How ironic then, that after my father-in-law passed away, we inherited his All-Clad double boiler?! Score!!
I like instruction # 10. Lord help me if I eat them all.
[K]
Kim, you don’t really need a double boiler for this recipe. You just need to melt the butter and sugar and whisk together. The baking is what makes them come together with the graham crackers and get crisp. I’ve only had it fail once. The truth is…the original recipe in the book just states to heat butter and sugar in saucepan til sugar melts and pour that over crackers. I thought the end result not to my liking so much, seemed greasy. Warming up those two ingredients until they just barely start to bubble and then whisking thoroughly to get them combined (and it might take a minute or two) makes for a much better end result.
Oh I made these to give to our neighbors for Christmas last year! It’s so dangerous to have around the house, seriously good!
My neighbor brought us some of these delicious treats before Christmas. I think I ate them almost all by myself. I couldn’t help it. Perfect for the Superbowl Party! Your Toffee Squares will be the winner.
Why don’t I have Graham Crackers in this house! I will make these soon, thanks for the great flavors.
I <3 toffee too! A little more than I should. This recipe is a keeper:)
That it is Lora…hope you’ll try them. Almost too easy to be so decadent!
This is very similar to a recipe I have been making for years, only I use saltine crackers. Would love to try the graham crackers! And seriously, these are VERY addictive. Mine keep for weeks in the fridge and it is soooo easy to just break off a piece every time!
My grandmother used to make classic English Toffee when I was little. I remember loving to go to her house and find that special treat in her special silver tin! This post reminded me of those days. This recipe sounds delicious!
I have some of those same memories…and nothing will replace your memory but the real deal. But this is a nice, simpler recipe for times when you have a craving and not the time to satisfy with real grandmotherly goodness!
Definitely a delicious treat to make as a gift, for a friend or for yourself!
I love this easy breezy chocolatey toffee goodness. Adding it to my list of quick comfort.
Quick comfort and quick to disappear. Which is why I must make sure to have friends in the house!
Want. Some. Now! These sound wonderful and so easy. I’ll add them to my list for tomorrow. Or maybe tonight! Thank you.
Oh. I done died and gone to heaven.