OUR TOWN COOKS!

Nothing says “I Love You” like crunchy, chocolately decadence. This Valentine’s Day, treat your Sweetest to a tin of Linda Wilson’s Toffee. Make sure you make extra though. “I try not to eat it,” Linda said. “But once you start, you can’t stop.” For that reason, Linda usually triples the recipe when she makes the toffee during the holidays – some for gift giving, some for her family, and of course, some for the cook. “I don’t make it too often because it really is addictive.”
When living in Naperville, IL, a friend gave her the recipe. “She actually stopped by my house and showed me how to make it; showing me what the color should look like.”
After some experimentation, Linda discovered the key to perfect Toffee is a good candy thermometer. “You have to cook it to the hard crack stage on the thermometer,” she said, adding, “It might take a couple times to get it perfect, but it’s worth it.”

Linda Wilson’s Toffee

1 cup sugar
1 cup butter
1 cup chopped cashews
individual Hershey Bars (see note)

In a sauce pan, cook the sugar and butter; stirring constantly with a wooden spatula spoon.
Cook on medium heat to hard crack stage on the candy thermometer. (If the toffee is undercooked, it will be less crunchy)
Remove from heat immediately.
Stir in a cup of chopped cashews.

Spread mixture on an aluminum cookie sheet.

Place individual Hershey Bars on top of the mixture, keeping them close together to cover in entirety. (Note: for the triple recipe, Linda uses approx. 13-14 bars)
When the chocolate melts, spread evenly.

Leave the pan on the counter and the chocolate will solidify overnight.

Twist the pan so the toffee is released. If the bottom of the toffee is buttery, wipe off the excess with a paper towel.

Hit the toffee with a spoon to break it into little pieces.
Store in a sealed container.

Tips
* Do not substitute other nuts for cashews.
* Use only an aluminum pan, not glass. There needs to be some flexibility in the pan to release the Toffee.
* Linda purchases her supplies for Toffee at Sam’s Club.
* Do not worry if the Toffee mixture smokes, steams or separates while cooking. When it reaches the hard crack stage, it will be fine.