Holiday baking
japra | Dec 12, 2008 | Comments 12
As I was making this today, I kept thinking “gosh, this looks familiar”. It wasn’t until I took a bite that I realized we received a delivery of this (made locally in my hometown) every Christmas from one of Mr. DJ’s co-workers. We loved it so much and looked forward to our treasured tin each year. Gulp! And now I have the recipe. Oh dear.
My husband and daughter will be so happy.
By the way, I used walnuts instead of pecans. And I don”t have a candy thermometer. Instead, I employed the old “drop in a glass of cold water and stop cooking once the toffee firms up quickly” method. I also used a bar of 80% dark chocolate instead of the chocolate chips as Bee suggested.
This is good stuff! And oddly it makes me want to eat Japanese food. That’s a strange trigger.
About the Author: JaPRA is an expat Texan living in England with her husband (Mr. DJ), their 17-year old daughter (Roxi), and their dog Trudy.
you’re a good baker, looks so professional. Dark chocolate is supposed to be really good for you.
It’s funny that it makes you crave Japanese food!
That’s looks very moreish! I used to bake every Friday when the boys were young, making oat flapjacks, cakes and fudge. It never lasted longer than Sunday! :(
I wonder if it’s a Texas recipe? I always wonder where recipes come from.
I’ve never made it with walnuts, but I believe in improvising with what you have. I had to make it with some very fancy dark chocolate, too, as I am out of good semi-sweet chocolate chips. (I need to stock up!)
Tell me how Roxi and Mr. DJ like it! (It looks fab.)
Oh, the Japanese trigger thing.
Despite my love for sweets, I can’t eat much of them. I seem to want an orange or clementine for every piece of candy I eat! Ying/Yang?
It’s almost one am, and I am still awake . . . waiting for my cake to bake. I just felt that I needed to explain that. :)
That is a funny trigger! I’m like Bee; I can’t eat a lot of sweets without balancing it out.
Those look so yummy! You are such a bakerina. I’m going to look up my toffee recipe and see how it compares to Bee’s tomorrow.
Impressed you had time to do this..
Christine–I double checked my wrapper after having another nibble later in the day. It was 85% dark chocolate. Perhaps a bit too dark for this recipe. I think semi-sweet or something like 50% dark would be just right.
Akelamalu–I bet your kids loved it when you baked (and probably still love it)! The cakes here are so wonderful and good. I need to perfect my Victoria Sponge before I leave because it’s one of my favourite cakes. I enjoyed the cherry cake I made a couple of months ago. What is your favourite?
Bee–I actually prefer it with pecans and not quite so dark chocolate (that was my emergency baking bar). You should have seen Roxi and Mr. DJ’s face when they tried the toffee! They were swooning. I just had a tiny piece with my morning coffee and it tastes better today… Hope you got to bed soon after you posted this, my friend. What kind of cake did you make?
Alyson–I am looking forward to hearing about your recipe. I am curious to know how it compares.
Susanna–Actually, I am too! After weeks of rushing around, it was nice to take half an hour and make a little treat for my family.
I always crave chocolate more after Chinese food than at any other time.
that’s so funny! About wanting Japanese food! You must have lots of candy experience, because that drop technique is tried and true! Love toffee. I am marking this one.
Laurie–Maybe it’s the sweet and salt combination?
Chris–It was beginner’s luck. I just remembered reading about that technique in an ancient Betty Crocker cookbook a million years ago. I am going to buy a candy thermometer! I would like to try making this toffee with almonds–but not until after the holidays :-)
Baking seems a good occupation for this weather. You can shut yourself away in the warm kitchen, perhaps play a bit of seasonal music and have a sing-a-long . So far I’ve made the Christmas puddings and four Yule Logs( Only intended to do two but made a mountain of butter cream and had to make more to use it up !) I’m a poor pastry maker so have cheated and had help from Mr Kipling
Barbara–It is lovely to putter around the kitchen in this dreadful weather. Christmas puddings and FOUR yule logs?! It sounds like there will be quite a few happy tummies this Christmas. I had to look up “Mr. Kipling”. Which cakes are your favourite?