The "Secret" Recipe For The World's Best Homemade Candy (2024)

This easy candy recipe — passed down from father to son — has a bittersweet backstory.

ByLeslie Kelly

Updated on November 9, 2020

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My friend Jim Baymiller shared a treasured family recipe for English toffee a few years ago, and it's become my go-to goody for the holidays. I've basked in the sweet shower of compliments from friends and family — even a few chefs — when I've gifted this brilliant treat. It's super easy to DIY — as long as you're comfortable working with molten hot sugar — and a bargain to boot. The recipe calls for a stick of butter, 1 cup of sugar and a few more ingredients, and it makes a huge batch. The backstory of this heavenly toffee, however, is truly bittersweet.

Jim, a food enthusiast from Memphis, Tenn., recently shared some juicy details about how this recipe might have caused the end of a friendship:

"My father made all the Christmas candy (fudge, divinity, and toffee) and Toll House cookies, all in huge batches. The Toll House recipe was off the chocolate chip package, and the candy recipes were from our 'Joy of Cooking' — either a third edition (1946) or a fourth edition (1951). However, his results were always better than anybody else's. I think that it was due to tweaking techniques (not ingredients) and being very careful and particular in his methods. He was a lawyer, but those traits would have made him a fine surgeon!

"When I was an eighth grader (1960-1961), I was at a friend's house. His mother wanted me to try her prized toffee. She had tasted it at a friend's house and had asked for the recipe. The other woman would not part with it. Eventually she gave out the recipe for $100 (about a week's salary for a well-paid worker at that time). I tasted the toffee and told my friend's mother that it was exactly like my father's. She asked where he got the recipe and I responded: 'The Joy of Cooking.' She ran to get her copy, read the recipe, and essentially exploded. I always wondered if she ever talked to that 'friend' again."

I've made a few of my own adjustments through the years, skipping the water, sprinkling the extra dark chocolate chips on top of the toffee 5 minutes after I pour the mixture onto a cookie sheet, and spreading it out 5 minutes later. I rarely bother using a candy thermometer anymore, now knowing that when the mixture darkens and starts smoking, it's done and it's time to act quickly.

Tips: Keep the oven mitts handy and use an extra long silicone spatula for stirring (try this top-rated $9 Crate & Barrel spatula). Instead of the saucepan recommended in the recipe, I use a deeper kettle, which makes it less likely to get splattered by the hot liquid. I feel strongly that this is something every toffee lover needs to try.

Here's the incredible recipe, thanks to Jim, inspired by "The Joy of Cooking."

Jim Baymiller's Homemade English Toffee

The "Secret" Recipe For The World's Best Homemade Candy (2)

Ingredients

  • ½ cup butter (no substitute)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ¼ cup water
  • 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
  • 1 cup minced, roasted, salted almonds
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

Instructions

  1. Place first four ingredients in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Attach a candy thermometer (make sure the tip is not touching the bottom of the pan). (Try this $11.49 Taylor Candy Thermometer at Target a best-seller.)
  2. Stir to combine when butter melts. Bring to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) on the thermometer, remove from heat, stir in 2/3 cup of the almonds, and immediately pour into a 9x13-inch pan. Because the candy is so hot, it will spread out to the proper thickness on its own. Cool to room temperature.
  3. When cool, pour melted chocolate over the top and spread out evenly with a spatula. Then sprinkle on the remaining ⅓ cup minced almonds. Refrigerate until the chocolate is cold and then break into pieces with your clean hands. It cannot be cut. Store in the fridge.

You might also like this recipe for Melt In Your Mouth Toffee. It's similar to Jim Baymiller's recipe, but it's made without corn syrup.

Related

  • How to Make Homemade Candy
  • Get More Homemade Toffee Recipes

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The "Secret" Recipe For The World's Best Homemade Candy (2024)

FAQs

What does pulling candy do? ›

As it turns out, pulling taffy aerates it, or incorporates many tiny air bubbles throughout the candy. This makes it lighter and chewier. Taffy isn't the only candy out there that gets pulled this way.

How long does homemade toffee last? ›

Store homemade toffee in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week or in the fridge for up to two weeks.

What is toffee made of? ›

Toffee is a confection made by caramelizing sugar or molasses (creating inverted sugar) along with butter, and occasionally flour. The mixture is heated until its temperature reaches the hard crack stage of 149 to 154 °C (300 to 310 °F). While being prepared, toffee is sometimes mixed with nuts or raisins.

What is the history of Kentucky cream candy? ›

It was created by Ruth Hanly Booe and Rebecca Gooch, who were both substitute teachers from Louisville, Kentucky that opened their own business named "Rebecca Ruth Candies" in Frankfort, Kentucky. Ruth Hunt from Mt. Sterling, Kentucky also started making the candy in her basem*nt in 1921.

What does pulling sugar do? ›

Pulled sugar is a type of candy making process that results in beautiful, opaque pieces with a satin-like sheen. It is most commonly used to make sugar ribbons and bows, but you can sculpt other pieces with it too. The process is advanced, but you can still try it if you are new to candy-making.

Why does candy turn white when pulled? ›

The incor- poration of air during the pulling action forms elongated “tubes” of air and thus addi- tional surfaces from which light can be reflected. This changes the outward appear- ance of the candy to that of a lighter or a whiter color.

What do Americans call toffee? ›

Historically, taffy has been considered an American term while toffee is the term used by the British. Those studying the history of the two believe that both gained popularity during the 19th century.

Is taffy the same as toffee? ›

The difference is mainly in the candy-making process: taffy is pulled and stretched until it's soft and chewy. Toffee, on the other hand, won't stick in your teeth like taffy, because it is boiled, shaped, and allowed to harden into a delicious, glossy slab.

What is the difference between British toffee and American 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.

What is Tennessee candy? ›

GooGoo Clusters are native to Tennessee. Rumor has it they were named after the Grand Ole Opryland, but in reality the company is over than the Opryland. Made by the Standard Candy Company in Nashville (since 1912), the disc-shaped candy bar contains marshmallow nougat, caramel, and roasted peanuts.

What is America's oldest candy store? ›

Shane Confectionery is an American candy shop and candy producer, located at 110 Market Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Currently owned by Ryan and Eric Berley, it is considered the longest-running confectionery business in the United States. The original confectionery business at the location opened in 1863.

What candy was invented in Florida? ›

Coconut Patties — chocolate patties stuffed with a shredded coconut filling — started as a regional Florida candy. Coconut Patties were invented and are distributed today by Anastasia Confections, headquartered in Orlando, Florida.

What does stretching candy do? ›

This process adds air into the existing candy. With. aerating, the candy expands with air pockets which. will add a crunchy texture.

Does candy help with test taking? ›

In fact, there are several recent studies that show that not only will you get that extra boost, but you will have better focus and retain the information better as well. Sugar Free Candy – Believe it or not sugar free candy versions of candy may not always be the best bet on your goal of increasing your brain power.

What happens if you don't pull taffy? ›

The process of pulling taffy adds air to the taffy mixture, which in recent years has been made from corn syrup and sugar. The process of adding air to the taffy is important to keep it soft. Adding the aeration to the taffy will also make it lighter and chewier.

What does candy do to your muscles? ›

Consuming high amounts of sugar regularly can deplete the body of nutrients for strong cell and muscle function.

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