The History of Toffee (2024)

FAQs

Where did the toffee come from? ›

Most food historians agree that the sweet treat likely originated in Wales and then rose to prominence across Britain and Europe where supplies of butter and eventually imported sugar were plentiful. English toffee maintains its extreme popularity due to its unique flavor profile and regional variations.

The Early Origins of Toffee

England and many other European countries took a particular liking to toffee thanks to their plentiful butter supplies. At any rate, toffee took off in the early 1800's, and we know this for a fact since The Oxford English Dictionary first mentioned the word “toffee” in 1825.

In America we call most toffee, English Toffee. What's the difference between English and American toffee? The main difference is that traditional English toffee is created without nuts, while American toffee is created with a variety of nuts. The most common nuts being the almond.

The word taffy, referring to the boiled candy, is first known to have appeared in the United States circa 1817. The word is also used metaphorically to refer to insincere flattery.

World Famous English Toffee – Cora Lee Candies.

The famous selection of toffees and chocolates was the creation of Mackintosh, a Halifax based company which became a global sensation for their famous toffee recipe. Founded in 1890, the company grew from strength to strength over the twentieth century and put Halifax on the map as the undisputed 'Toffee Town'.

By 1896, Mackintosh was calling himself the "Toffee King" and his product "The King of All the Toffees".

The difference is mainly in the candy-making process: taffy is pulled and stretched until it's soft and chewy. Toffee, on the other hand, won't stick in your teeth like taffy, because it is boiled, shaped, and allowed to harden into a delicious, glossy slab.

This toffee was popular with war veterans, giving this toffee its 'invalid' name.

Quick Reference. Toffee first appears on the scene in the early nineteenth century. The original form of the word, in northern and Scottish dialects, was taffy, a term still used in American English, especially in reference to salt-water taffy, once made with sea water.

Is toffee the same as butterscotch? ›

Toffee is butterscotch that has been cooked for a longer period of time. Toffee begins as a base of butter and brown sugar that is gradually cooked to the hard-crack sugar stage between 295 and 309 degrees Fahrenheit.

Although named English toffee, it bears little resemblance to the wide range of confectionery known as toffee currently available in the United Kingdom. However, one can still find this product in the UK under the name "butter crunch".

Tootsie Roll (/ˈtʊtsi/) is a chocolate-flavored candy that has been manufactured in the United States since 1907. The candy has qualities similar to both caramels and taffy without being exactly either confection.

The difference between caramel and toffee is greater, as caramel has a more liquid consistency and is usually pure sugar (it doesn't contain butter or flour). Still, the taste of caramel, fudge, and toffee is relatively similar, as they are all made from mostly sugar (as well as butter in the case of fudge and toffee).

Cooks in England first created English toffee recipes in the late 1890s. At first, they boiled sugar and butter together. In the early 1900s, cooks began adding almonds to the mixtures. This gave the candy its signature crunchy texture and nutty taste.

Toffee vs Caramel

The difference between toffee and caramel is that caramel is made with white granulated sugar and cooked to 340 degrees Fahrenheit, whereas toffee is made with butter and brown sugar and cooked to 295 - 309 degrees Fahrenheit.

If the heat is too high, but butter might melt too quickly and can separate from the sugar. Toffee and caramel can also separate if the recipe calls for constant stirring and the candy isn't stirred often enough.

Toffee is a hard candy made mainly with sugar and butter. In America, the term "English toffee" is generally used for toffee prepared with a coating of chocolate and almonds.