Pecan Christmas Toffee

I’ve been making this Pecan Christmas Toffee recipe since I was in college (a very long time ago). It’s still a very loved treat every time I make it.

The Nut Grinder

This valuable kitchen tool was given to me by my grandmother as a shower gift many years ago. I’m not sure what it’s official name is, and I’m not sure what my grandmother may, or may not have, known about chopping nuts, but I have given it a name based on it’s purpose. It’s a nut grinder . . . or maybe a nut crusher . . . or pulverizer. I don’t think it qualifies as a nut cracker exactly. All I know is it’s the very tool I need to make Pecan Christmas Toffee.

Speaking of grandmothers . . . our next Christmas carol video is a bit PG13ish so I hope you’re making this Christmas Toffee without little ears and eyes around . . . It does require a bit of a sense of humor . . .I can still hear my dad laughing at this when I was growing up and he has quite a distinctive laugh. And a silly sense of humor.

Click here while we have a moment of silence for this unfortunate grandma and prepare ourselves to listen to her tale of woe.

To get started on the Toffee,

I melt 1 cup butter in a sauce pan.

Then I add 1 cup sugar . . .

1 Tbsp light karo syrup . . .

and 2-3 Tbsp water. I don’t know why the recipe says 2-3 Tbsp. Such indecisiveness! I just put in two and a half and let it go at that. Then, using a candy thermometer (the other invaluable tool used in this recipe), cook till it reaches 290 degrees F.

If you hadn’t already noticed, I really need a new candy thermometer. All the numbers on the fahrenheit side have worn off so I have written a few on with marker to estimate the temperature of what I ‘m cooking.

Note to self get a new candy thermometer.

While this is cooking, I measure up 1 1/2 cups pecans . . .

pulverize them to pieces in my grinder. . .

and lightly butter a cookie sheet.

Once it has reached 290 degrees . . .

I add 1 cup of the pecans . . .

Stir them in . . .

and pour them out onto the cookie sheet spreading with a spoon or spatula.

Then it needs to cool completely.

Once it’s cooled, I melt 1 package of milk chocolate chips . . .

And spread it over the surface of the toffee.

While the chocolate is still warm sprinkle on the remainder of the pecans.

Allow it to cool till chocolate hardens then break it into pieces.

I love this toffee! I would like to say it’s my favorite but every Christmas treat is my favorite.

I love sweets, and butter, and chocolate, and sugar . . . entirely too much.

Pecan Christmas Toffee:

1 cup butter

1 cup white sugar

1 Tbsp light karo syrup

2-3 Tbsp water

1 1/2 cups pecans chopped finely

12 oz package milk chocolate chips

Melt butter in a sauce pan. Add sugar, karo syrup and water. Using a candy thermometer, cook till it reaches 290 degrees.

Add 1 cup pecans to pan and stir to combine.

Pour onto lightly buttered cookie sheet and spread with spoon or spatula. Cool till hardened.

Melt chocolate chips and spread over the toffee. While chocolate is still warm, sprinkle on the remainder of the pecans. Cool till hardened then break up into pieces.
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