12 days of christmas baking - day 9: peppermint toffee butter crunch

happy day 9! here's day 9's recipe. i've been quite busy with some holiday festivities, so this one requires no baking. it's super easy to make and takes very little time (minus the chilling). again, nothing fancy, but your good ol' toffee. seriously, you cannot go wrong with toffee. to add a little festive feel to it, i decided that along with the crunched almonds on top, why not add some crushed peppermint candy? it gives you a nice pepperminty taste to the chocolate and toffee. and for sure, you cannot go wrong with even more added crunch.

toffees are one of my favorite things to make this time of the year. and this recipe is super easy to make. i've made it many holiday seasons in the past and again this year. give it a shot and you never know, you may just have found a new favorite yourself. enjoy! :)


you can never go wrong with toffee during this time of the year. to add a little festive feel to it, top it off with any topping of your choice.


this toffee recipe is so easy to make and they make great holiday gifts.

peppermint toffee butter crunch
recipe from better homes & garden

ingredients:

• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped almonds or pecans, toasted
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon light-colored corn syrup
• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
• 1/2 cup finely chopped almonds or pecans, toasted
• crushed peppermint candies (optional)

directions:

1. Line a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with foil, extending foil over edges of pan. Sprinkle the 1/2 cup coarsely chopped nuts in pan. Set pan aside.
2. Butter sides of a heavy 2-quart saucepan. In saucepan melt butter. Add sugar, water, and corn syrup. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until mixture boils. Clip a candy thermometer to side of pan. Reduce heat to medium; continue boiling at a moderate, steady rate, stirring frequently, till thermometer registers 290 degree F, soft-crack stage (about 15 minutes). Watch carefully after 280 degree F to prevent scorching. Remove saucepan from heat; remove thermometer. Pour candy into the prepared pan.
3. Let candy stand about 5 minutes or till firm; sprinkle with chocolate. Let stand 1 to 2 minutes. When chocolate has softened, spread over candy. Sprinkle with the 1/2 cup finely chopped nuts and crushed peppermint candies or any other topping (if you desire). Chill until firm. When candy is firm, use foil to lift it out of pan; break into pieces. Store tightly covered.

makes about 1-1/2 pounds (48 servings).

check out last year's day 9 recipe: chocolate-almond saltine toffee

earl grey mini cupcakes with brown butter toffee frosting

in honor of the san francisco 49ers being in the super bowl this super bowl sunday, i decided why not make some mini cupcakes. it's the perfect excuse to finally bake again, after taking a little break. the last time i made anything was for m's birthday party and those macarons for that contest and that was a couple of weekends ago, at least. i have to admit, i was a little burnt out from all the holiday baking.

alright, so back to these delicious looking cupcakes. yes, i knew i wanted to make some mini cupcakes, just wasn't sure which ones exactly. i didn't want to make the usual (chocolate or vanilla cupcakes), and after some time looking through the pantry i settled on some earl grey tea bags. so there you have it. why not?! earl grey mini cupcakes. either that or maybe some mini red velvets? well, i decided on the earl grey instead and i'm very glad i did because both recipes (the cake & frosting) turned out fabulous. one mini bonus is, the cake recipe is egg-free so it's great for anyone with an egg allergy! they are really the perfect bite.

i am in love with the brown butter toffee buttercream. i told m i will have to make it again and use it as a filling for whenever i make macarons. so glad i stumbled upon it... and all thanks to a crappy microwave at the moment. yes, i believe our microwave needs replacing. i couldn't even microwave the stick of butter to get it soften for just a few seconds that i decided to brown the butter instead. i'd never done a brown butter frosting before because i couldn't be bothered with cleaning another piece of equipment. but now that i've made it and tried it, i am for sure willing to go through the hassle of it all just for this delicious frosting. it is really THAT good!

below's the recipe for these delicious little one-bite (okay, maybe two from some?!) cupcakes. feel free to try them out and let me know how you like it. enjoy and happy baking! :)


i am in love with this buttercream frosting. the brown butter smells so good and the bits of toffee adds that perfect little crunch when biting into this mini cupcake. it's for sure a happy yummy bite!

earl grey mini cupcakes with brown butter toffee buttercream frosting

ingredients:

mini cupcakes:

1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda
1 earl grey tea bag

pinch of salt

1 cup buttermilk (you can use 1 cup milk + 1 tbsp distilled vinegar)


1/4 cup oil

brown butter toffee buttercream:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature

3 to 3-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

milk or cream, as needed

directions:

for the mini cupcakes:

1. preheat oven to 350°f
2. if using milk + vinegar as substitute buttermilk, combine milk and vinegar and stir to combine. set aside for 5 minutes. mixture will curdle. otherwise, if you're using buttermilk you can skip this step.
3. in a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. add in the earl grey tea bag and stir until combined.
4. whisk sugar and oil into buttermilk (or curdled milk mixture). make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. mix until relatively smooth.
5. fill mini cupcake liners with a scant tablespoon of batter (cups should be just under 2/3 of the way full). bake for 15 minutes or until lightly golden, and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. transfer to cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

for the frosting:

1. melt brown butter in a small saucepan over low heat.
2. once butter melts, let it simmer for a minute or two (or until it gets to that yummy golden color and smells wonderful!). add in the 1/4 cup of brown sugar. mix until incorporated (about 30-60 seconds maybe?), then remove from heat. if you go beyond, you may get burnt sugar and that's not so good.
3. transfer browned butter and brown sugar mixture into the bowl of a mixer (or a medium size bowl if using a hand mixer).
4. add in the confectioners' sugar, a couple tablespoons of milk or cream, and mix on low until everything is somewhat combined. at this point you'll notice that you have hard bits. those are what i'm calling it "toffee" in this frosting recipe. those sugar bits are so yummy and crunchy when you bite into them. okay, once the mixture is combined, turn the mixer to medium-high and mix until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). add cream or more sugar as necessary to achieve proper consistency. pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes.

makes 36 mini cupcakes. enjoy and happy eating! :)

12 days of christmas baking - day 9: chocolate-almond saltine toffee

this is another great recipe and i'm definitely doing this again next year or whenever i feel like making toffee. actually, i'll be making them again in the next few days to send out to people in my yearly christmas baked goodies sent-outs. yes, every year i send random people my baked goods. i think these will do just fine during the delivery process (or so i hope).

this recipe is fantastic i say. i love how the saltine adds an extra crunch and the salty-ness of the cracker is definitely welcome. i love anything with a nice hint of salt. okay, below's the recipe should you be interested. they're pretty easy to make and took no time at all. enjoy!


these salted caramel chocolate pecan bars really hit the spot. so. good.


another shot of these delicious bars


the saltine really adds a little something to your typical toffee. very good!

chocolate-almond saltine toffee
recipe from food & wine

ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sliced almonds (6 ounces)
approximately 60 saltine crackers (not low-sodium)
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 sticks (3/4 pound) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 pound bittersweet chocolate, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°. Spread the almonds on a baking sheet and toast for about 6 minutes, until golden.

Line a 12-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet with a silicone mat or lightly buttered parchment paper. Arrange the saltine crackers on the baking sheet in a single layer, patching any holes with cracker bits; slight gaps are okay.

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, butter and corn syrup and cook over low heat until the sugar is melted. Brush the side of the pan with a moistened pastry brush to wash down any sugar crystals. Cook the syrup over moderate heat without stirring until it starts to brown around the edge, about 5 minutes. Insert a candy thermometer into the syrup and simmer, stirring with a wooden spoon, until honey-colored caramel forms and the temperature reaches 300°, about 6 minutes longer.

Slowly and carefully pour the caramel over the crackers, being sure to cover most of them evenly. Using an offset spatula, spread the caramel to cover any gaps. Let cool for 3 minutes, then sprinkle the chopped chocolate evenly on top. Let stand until the chocolate is melted, about 3 minutes, then spread the chocolate evenly over the toffee. Spread the almonds evenly over the chocolate. Freeze the toffee until set, about 15 minutes.

Invert the toffee onto a work surface and peel off the mat or paper. Invert again, break into large shards and serve.

MAKE AHEAD The chocolate-almond saltine toffee can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container.

makes 2-1/2 pounds. happy eating. :)