Toffee I Recipe

 "Candy-like base, melted chocolate over that with crushed walnuts on top."  Original recipe yield: 30 -40 pieces.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS:

In 2-quart heavy saucepan melt butter. Remove from heat and add sugar. Stir well until blended. Return to low heat, stir rapidly until reaching a rolling boil. Add water and corn syrup, mix well. Stir and cook over low heat to soft crack stage (290 degrees F). Remove from heat, add 3/4 cup nuts all at once. Mix well, then pour into lightly buttered 13x9x2 inch pan. Quickly spread with spatula (careful that it doesn't melt!). Let cool on own for 7-10 minutes.
Sprinkle chocolate chips and spread evenly when they begin to melt. Finally top with 1/4 cup nuts (or enough to lightly cover by sprinkling). Let cool overnight. Use butter knife to get out by cracking into pieces (about the size of peanut brittle). Crack the rest by hand.

Toffee II

 "My mother made this toffee every Christmas and had to hide it from us kids."  Original recipe yield: 1 pound.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup white sugar
1/2 pound butter
1 cup water
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 (1.45 ounce) bars dark chocolate candy

DIRECTIONS:

Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
Combine sugar, butter, water, and salt in a heavy saucepan. Cook, stirring continuously until the mixture reaches light crack stage (310 degrees F, 160 degrees C) on a candy thermometer). Remove the pan from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour mixture into the prepared baking pan.
Lay chocolate bars on top of the hot mixture and spread the melting chocolate over the top of the mixture. Chill well. Crack into pieces to serve.

Turtle Candy

 "Pecans, caramel smothered in melted chocolate -- it's turtle candy."  Original recipe yield: 24 candies.

INGREDIENTS:

72 pecan halves
24 individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 teaspoons shortening

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease baking sheets.
Place three pecan halves in a Y shape on cookie sheet and place caramel in center. Repeat with remaining nuts and caramels.

Place in preheated oven 10 minutes, until caramel is melted.
Melt chocolate chips with shortening in microwave, or in a small saucepan over low heat; stir until smooth. Spoon over candies on sheets. Chill 8 hours or overnight, until firm.