Mildred's Homemade Toffee

Back in 2004, I was working at Southern Living magazine in Birmingham, AL. When I needed a toffee recipe for a story I was working on, I looked to no other than my grandmother, Mildred Hayward. Hers, of course, contained butter but I just tried it with dairy-free margarine and you'd never know the difference. This is perfect anytime of the year but especially at the holidays.  

1 1/2 cups chopped toasted pecans, divided
1 cup sugar
1 cup dairy-free margarine*
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1 cup dairy-free semisweet or dark chocolate morsels

Spread 1 cup pecans into a 9-inch circle on a lightly greased baking sheet.

Bring sugar and next 3 ingredients to a boil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook until mixture is golden brown and a candy thermometer registers 290° to 310° (about 15 minutes).

Pour sugar mixture over pecans on baking sheet. Sprinkle with morsels; let stand 30 seconds. Spread melted morsels evenly over top; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup chopped pecans. Chill 1 hour. Break into bite-size pieces. Store in an airtight container.

* For testing purposes only, I used Earth Balance Buttery Sticks. 

Bourbon-Pecan Toffee: Substitute 1/4 cup bourbon for 1/4 cup water. Proceed as directed.

Almond Toffee: Substitute toasted slivered almonds pecans to sprinkle on baking sheet. Proceed as directed.

Hawaiian Toffee: Substitute 1 cup chopped toasted macadamia nuts for 1 cup chopped pecans to sprinkle on baking sheet. Substitute 1/2 cup toasted sweetened flaked coconut for 1/2 cup chopped pecans to sprinkle over chocolate. Proceed as directed.

Originally published on Southern Living. 
Photo from Southern Living.