History of  English Toffee

Crunchy, savory and oh-so sweet. English Toffee is a time-honored treat loved by many around the globe, but have you ever wondered about its origin? What is English Toffee and where does it come from?

It’s understood by most food historias that toffee likely originated in Wales and rose to prominence during the early 19th century during an abundance of butter imports. The word “toffee” entered the Oxford English Dictionary in 1825, and is a derivative of the word “taffy,” making the confection’s introduction relatively recent. However, there’s others that believe the word derives from “tafia,” a West Indian Rum that was commonly used to inexpensively flavor confections.

What is Toffee?

Toffee is a hard, crunchy candy made with sugar mixed with milk, butter or cream. Much like it’s texture, creating English toffee is a tough process due to its temperamental nature. Important factors like humidity are crucial when heating and cooling this confection. Some enjoy it on its own, but toffee is commonly coated and mixed with chocolate, nuts and other ingredients.

What makes toffee English?

There are two different types of toffee that most Americans consume and more often–confuse. The English Toffee typically found in America is actually called buttercrunch. The difference between the two (literally) boils down to its ingredients. English toffee uses pure cane sugar, brown sugar, or molasses as its base, while buttercrunch uses granulated white sugar or high fructose corn syrup. Traditional British toffee always involves chocolate, but does not contain any type of nut. Buttercrunch contains a variety of different nuts and flavorings.

Why do we call Buttercrunch toffee English toffee?

The specifics aren’t known, but it’s thought to be due to mass marketing. English Toffee sounds more rich and sophisticated than buttercrunch, therefore making it more appealing to buyers and consumers. Either way, English toffee and buttercrunch are here to stay.

At Chocolate Storybook, we hand-craft our Valentine's Day English Toffee with a special recipe that stands the test of time. Crunchy, butter-rich toffee sandwiched between layers of milk chocolate and fresh roasted pecans, who could ask for more? Share a box of Valentine’s Day English Toffee with a loved one this season.

Author: Sabrina Shearer - Chocolate Storybook