A week or two ago, I posted the recipe for Macadamia Nut English Toffee. It was the first toffee recipe that I’ve posted on That Oven Feelin’, but I knew right away that it wasn’t going to be the last. Even though I don’t eat many sweets, I really liked having a little toffee in the house. After dinner, Elliott and I would just break off a small corner to get our sweet-tooth fix. It was great.
However, it wasn’t so great when we ran out.
Since I didn’t have any more macadamia nuts, I rifled through our pantry looking for a substitute. That’s when I found the pistachios. BINGO!
I spread this pistachio English toffee out much thinner than the macadamia version and I think it made a big difference. The macadamia version had to be a little thicker since nuts were mixed directly into the toffee layer, but I was able to keep this toffee thin by only sprinkling the pistachios over the top.
This rich and buttery toffee is crunchy at first, then melts in your mouth. It’s no wonder that it doesn’t last long in our house.
For a more detailed explanation on making toffee, head over to my Macadamia Nut English Toffee recipe. I’ve discussed some of the common pitfalls of making toffee (ex. butter separation, graininess, etc.) and shared some of my favorite kitchen tools that will help make your toffee perfect.
If something does go wrong with the toffee, just crush up the pieces and put them in soft and fluffy cookies. The cookies will help hide any imperfections and you’ll still end up with a delicious treat.
Pistachio English Toffee
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tsp light corn syrup
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 oz pistachios, shelled and coarsely chopped
- 8 oz chocolate, (chips or chopped baking bar)
Instructions
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Set aside.
- Heat a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium or medium-low heat. Add the butter, sugar, and water. Stir together the ingredients with a wooden spoon as they melt. Once melted, stir in the corn syrup and salt.
- Slowly bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally (avoid vigorous stirring). Use a wet pastry brush to brush down any sugar that adheres to sides of the saucepan to prevent burning.
- Once the sugar reaches 265 degrees, start continuously stirring the sugar mixture. Continue stirring gently until it reaches 290 degrees, then pour the mixture over the lined baking sheet. Use an offset spatula to smooth the toffee into a thin, even layer and allow to cool for about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Sprinkle an even layer of chopped chocolate or chocolate chips over the hot toffee. Once the chocolate has melted, use a spatula to smooth the chocolate into an even layer. Sprinkle the chopped pistachios over the chocolate and gently press them down with a clean spatula to make them stick.
- Place the baking sheet into the refrigerator to cool for about 30 to 40 minutes. Once the chocolate is hard, use a knife to cut the toffee into pieces.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Alternatively, you may freeze the toffee for up to 2 to 3 months.
