Toffee chips are small bits of buttery candy that are popularly used in baking. Toffee’s main ingredients are butter, sugar and salt, though additions can include a range of nuts, fruits and chocolate. Toffee chips can be made at home using toffee made from scratch, or they can be purchased by the bag, much like chocolate chips.
Making toffee from scratch involves heating water, sugar, butter and salt in a saucepan. The mixture is stirred constantly until it reaches a temperature of 300 degrees Fahrenheit (148.8 degrees Celsius). It is then poured into a greased, flat pan. Chocolate chips may be sprinkled over the hot mixture, allowed to melt and spread over the top of the pan’s contents, if desired.
When the toffee in the pan is completely cooled and solid, the pan can be smashed down on a countertop, which causes the toffee to break into small pieces, or toffee chips. They can be stored in plastic bags and eaten as candy, or used in recipes for cakes, cookies and puddings. Toffee chips also can be used as a garnish for oatmeal and other hot breakfast cereals. Those not wanting to make their own chips often can find them for sale in bagged form next to bags of chocolate chips in the grocery store.
If making the chips at home, one can use a variety of ingredients. Nuts, such as almonds, hazelnuts and macadamias, add distinctive flavors to toffee, as do raisins, dried apricots and dried coconut flakes. Many cooks add vanilla or cinnamon for flavoring or substitute brown sugar for white. Dark, milk or white chocolate chips also can be used.
Similar to toffee chips are toffee crisps, with the primary difference being the shape. Crisps are made with toffee and thinly sliced almonds that are slowly cooked in a pan until they are golden in color. The toasted almonds are then arranged in flat shapes on a baking dish and the molten toffee mixture is poured over them. Melted chocolate is then drizzled over the crisps, which can be served once they have cooled.
Several recipes utilize toffee chips specifically, while others are easily adapted to include them. Rolled oats and crushed graham crackers can be blended with toffee chips and chocolate and baked into toffee bars. Various nuts and fruits also can be added to the recipe for this snack. Oatmeal cookie recipes and chocolate chip cookie recipes also may be enhanced by the addition of toffee chips.
Sticky toffee cakes and puddings are rich desserts made with dates. The dates are chopped and boiled in water until they are soft. They are mixed with flour, brown sugar and eggs into a batter that is baked. The cake, or pudding as it is sometimes called, is covered with a toffee icing made of double cream — a British cream that is slightly richer than American whipping cream — butter and confectioner’s sugar.
