Toffee is a sweet which is made by heating butter and sugar together to a temperature known as the hard crack stage and then pouring the mixture into molds and allowing it to cool. The resulting candy is hard with a faint chewiness as it warms up; some versions have added ingredients which make them even chewier. Toffee is a popular candy in many regions of the world, especially those with a large British population, and there are a number of variations on the basic toffee, which resembles butterscotch, caramel, and other candies made in a similar style.

A common variation on toffee is made with added nuts or dried fruit for additional flavor and texture. Toffee can also be cooled with a layer of melted chocolate for additional flavor; this trend is popular with some styles of English toffee. The basic recipe for toffee is extremely simple, and it can easily be made at home. For people who don't feel up to making candy, toffee can be purchased in many markets and candy stores.

To make toffee, you will need a large heavy saucepan, a candy thermometer, a silicone spatula, and a mold to cool your toffee in. Silicone candy molds are ideal, because they will not warp from the heat of the toffee; if you want to make thin slab toffee, you can just use a silicone baking mat to cool your toffee. You will also need butter, sugar or molasses, water, vanilla, and salt; if you want to add chocolate or nuts, collect these ingredients as well.

Measure out one cup of sugar and one cup of butter into the saucepan, along with two teaspoons of water and an eighth teaspoon of salt. You can use brown sugar for a more rich, complex flavor, or white sugar for simplicity; molasses can also also be used for an especially intense flavor. Cook these ingredients on low heat, which will encourage blending without separation, until they reach the hard crack stage, between 300 degrees Fahrenheit (150 degrees Celsius) and 320 degrees Fahrenheit (160 degrees Celsius).

Stir the toffee as you heat it to encourage even mixing, and watch out, because the toffee is very hot! Once the toffee reaches the hard crack stage, add a teaspoon of vanilla and nuts, if you wish to, before pouring the toffee into molds or out onto a baking sheet to cool. If you wish to add a layer of melted chocolate, get it ready as the toffee approaches the finishing stage, and spread it on top of the toffee once it has been poured out.