Chocolate-Topped Butter Toffee
Inspired by techniques from King Arthur Baking.
Crisp, nut-free butter toffee cooked to 149 °C, topped with melted dark chocolate and cut into rectangles.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Line the tin. Line the tin with baking paper, leaving an overhang, and butter the paper lightly.
- 2
Melt it together. Put the butter, sugar, corn syrup, water and salt in the saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved.
- 3
Cook to 149 °C. Keep cooking, stirring slowly but steadily, for 15-20 min. It will foam, then thicken and darken. Stop when it reads 149 °C and is the colour of peanut butter.
- 4
Pour. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the vanilla; it will spit, so stand back. Pour straight into the tin and tilt it so the toffee spreads evenly.
- 5
Add the chocolate. Wait 2 min, then scatter the chocolate over the hot toffee. Leave it for 3 min until it looks glossy and soft, then spread it to the edges with the offset spatula.
- 6
Let it set. Leave at room temperature for 1 h, then chill for 30 min until the chocolate is firm.
- 7
Cut. Lift the slab out and cut it into 32 rectangles, pressing the knife straight down rather than sawing.

Common mistake
The most common mistake is stopping below 149 °C; underdone toffee is chewy and sticks to your teeth instead of snapping.
More from the cat
- If butter separates out as an oily layer, take the pan off the heat and stir hard for a minute, then carry on.
- Let the toffee come back to room temperature for 10 min before cutting so the chocolate does not crack.
- Stir slowly but steadily the whole time it cooks; it stops the sugar catching on the base and helps keep the butter from separating.
Storage
Keep in an airtight container, layered with baking paper, at cool room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Equipment
- 23 cm square tin
- baking paper
- medium heavy saucepan
- digital thermometer
- heatproof spatula
- offset spatula
- large sharp knife
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 217 kcal |
| Protein | 0.6 g |
| Carbohydrate | 23.4 g |
| of which sugars | 22.4 g |
| of which free sugars | 22.4 g |
| Fat | 14.6 g |
| of which saturates | 9.1 g |
| Fibre | 0.6 g |
| Salt | 0.19 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
0.3 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
