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 English Toffee With all the end-of-year goings on, I needed to make a treat for an omni party and in typical Type A vegan fashion, I wanted to wow-em of, course. Being rushed for time, I sent John to the grocery store so I could make these stunners, but as John was on his way back, I realized I’d forgotten a critical element from the list: the candy canes. I looked in the cupboard for anything to add to the bark and couldn’t come up with anything but then I noticed the can of evaporated condensed milk that had been sitting there for a while. Don’t people use that to make caramel? I thought of making a bark with caramel swirled through, and that was what I attempted to make, but I took it off the heat too late and as I poured it through my melted chocolate, it was hardened, buttery toffee! Of course, I quickly remade this as something to share with my friends to prove, once again, anything you can make, we can make vegan. A few words: I used a candy thermometer for this (you can find them for less than $10.00, mine was $7.00) but you don’t need a candy thermometer. You must get it to the correct stage, though, if you want toffee. You can use the cold-water method, detailed here, in lieu of a candy thermometer to reach the “hard crack” stage. Second, be sure to use a large pot – you want lots of space for the mixture so it doesn’t bubble over – and if you use the cold-water method, keep that water close and be careful because sugar burns are painful things. (Speaking from, um, personal experience.) Last, I used a commercial evaporated milk but there are recipes online if you Google “vegan evaporated milk.” Have fun and enjoy! Speaking of great food, we’ve been burning the midnight oil since the idea first struck us to create something that I think will really step up your vegan game: It’s our new e-book, Fun, Festive and Fabulous Vegan Holidays for Everyone: Recipes, Puns, Historic Lore, Tips and More to Help You Celebrate Without Compromise, and I think you will LOVE it. We cover ten celebrations along with more than 70 previously published and brand-spanking-new recipes – all vegan and gluten-free – that are designed for everyone from beginning to more experienced cooks to recreate in their own kitchens with ingredients that are easy to access, helping you to live it up, vegan style. Whether you’re vegan or omnivorous, whether you celebrate certain holidays or not, you will find dozens of really fun, delicious and damn impressive recipes to enjoy year-round, along with puns, historic lore, advice and so much more to keep you interested. So much value-added! Vegan Holidays for Everyone is for everyone who likes to enjoy great food without compromise. English Toffee 1 cup organic sugar 1 cup vegan butter ½ teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon vegan sweetened condensed milk (there are recipes online but I used this brand) 1 ½ cups slavery-free vegan chocolate chips 1 cup pecan pieces ¼ teaspoon salt Line a flat baking pan (like a cookie sheet) with a piece of parchment paper. In a large pan, combine the sugar, butter and salt over medium heat, stirring until melted. Add the vanilla and sweetened condensed milk, stirring though, and heat until 300 degrees Fahrenheit on your candy thermometer. It will be bubbly, a little darker, thick and foamy looking. When it reaches temperature, immediately pour onto your prepared baking sheet.   Allow to sit for two minutes, then place the chocolate chips evenly over the toffee, spreading with a silicone spatula to smooth. This will take a couple of minutes. Sprinkle the pecan pieces over the top and sprinkle the remaining salt over that. Chill for 30 minutes or allow to harden at room temperature for 2 – 3 hours. Break into pieces.  © 2013-2017, Vegan Street |
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