Fancy’s American Toffee A Remarkable Confectionery Experience

Anne Keller makes incredible toffee… there’s just no other way to say it! This is the kind of food you can’t help but fall in love with. I found its rich flavor to be addictive… so watch out!

Anne uses only the very best and the freshest ingredients, and she is exacting in the process. The walnuts, pecans, and hazelnuts included in a variety of confections come directly from the growers, so they too, are as fresh as they could possibly be. Anne continually oversees the production of every batch of her famous toffee… and (lucky Anne) gets to taste every batch too! She takes great pride in personally controlling the quality of her products. Every batch of chocolate covered toffee is then broken by hand to fill the tins.

This month’s featured chocolate, Milk Chocolate & Walnut-Covered Toffee is the original recipe developed over thirty years ago by Anne’s favorite Aunt. It’s the cornerstone of Fancy’s American Toffee. The funny thing is that when Anne first received a tin of this toffee from her Aunt, she wasn’t all that interested. It was only when her husband tried the toffee and told her "she had to try this stuff," that Anne discovered the sweet treasure and instantly fell in love. The toffee is very dense and rich, and made from the original ingredients like real butter and brown sugar, without added preservatives.

Her toffee continues to be made in the time-honored family tradition, surrounded by thick layers of the finest quality creamy milk chocolate, unlike most toffees, which use a paper-thin coating of chocolate. It is then toped on both sides by generous amounts of fresh, finely ground walnuts. I know this is unlike any toffee you may buy elsewhere, and I’m sure you’ll agree with me when I say, " Fancy’s American Toffee is truly a remarkable confectionery experience."

We have included a great recipe for making your own toffee, and an interesting find for a unique creation called "Toffee Surprise." If you’d like to enjoy another tin of this delicious toffee treat just give us a call and we’d be happy to send you another. Ask about the other varieties that Fancy makes, and her sampler… a Great Gift!

A Letter From Fancy

Thirty years ago, my favorite Aunt developed a recipe that has now become known as Fancy's American Toffee. This toffee is surrounded by some of the world's richest chocolate, then generously dusted with ground walnuts, hazelnuts or pecans. Our family looked forward to indulging in this rich creation during the holiday season, but, like the holidays, it never lasted long enough! When it was gone, we saved the remaining nuts to sprinkle over ice cream, add them to yogurt or bake them into our favorite brownie mix.

Today, My Aunt’s family legacy continues to be made in small batches, using only the finest ingredients, and no added preservatives. Like all fine chocolates, my toffee is best when kept at 60 degrees F, and protected from heat, but it also freezes wonderfully well!!
I pleased to offer this exceptional toffee for all to enjoy, so go ahead, take a little bite of absolute perfection, and indulge the whole year through!

Sincerely,
Fancy

Jude’s Toffee

1 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

Use a 2-quart heavy saucepan to melt butter. Remove from heat, add sugar and stir until blended. Return to low heat, stiring rapidly until a rolling boil. Add water and corn syrup. Mix well and continue stiring over low heat to soft crack stage (290 degrees F).

Remove from heat, add ½ cup nuts all at once. Mix well, then pour into lightly buttered 13x9x2 inch pan. Quickly spread with spatula and let cool for 7-10 minutes.

Sprinkle chocolate chips and as they melt spread evenly. Top with 1/4 cup nuts and let cool overnight. Use butter knife to remove by cracking into pieces and crack the rest by hand.

I Know It’s Officially Over…

But we can celebrate Love, any and every day that we want to! This legendary holiday that traditionally combines love and chocolate will be past by the time you get your featured selection, but I thought that all chocolate aficionados would want to be aware of just how Valentine’s Day came about. And of course there is more than one version.

In ancient Rome, February 14^th was a holiday to honor Juno, the Queen of the Roman Gods and Goddesses… the Romans also knew her as the Goddess of women and marriage. The following day, February 15th, began the Feast of Lupercalia. Ancient Roman culture dictated that young boys and girls should grow up strictly separated. Nevertheless on the eve of the festival of Lupercalia, the names of Roman girls were written on slips of paper and placed into water jars. Each young man would draw a girl's name from the jar and then he and the young lady he chose would be partners for the duration of the festival. Sometimes the pairing lasted an entire year, and often, they would fall in love and would later marry.

Why does there always have to be a bad guy in every story? Under the rule of Emperor Claudius II, Rome was involved in many bloody and detested campaigns. Claudius the Cruel was having a difficult time getting soldiers to join his military leagues. He believed that the reason was that Roman men did not want to leave their loves or families. (Makes sense to me.) As a result, Claudius cancelled all marriages and engagements in Rome. Can you even begin to imagine what that must have been like! (I suppose some probably thought it was a great idea.)

As the story goes, during the reign of Claudius II, two priests named Valentine and Marius were aiding the Christian martyrs and secretly marring couples. And for these kind deeds, Father Valentine was apprehended and dragged before the Prefect of Rome, who then condemned him to be beaten to death with clubs, and to have his head cut off. (As if that mattered after the first part of his sentence was carried out.) He suffered martyrdom on the 14^th day of February, in the year 270 AD.

Now remember, that at that time it was the custom in Rome, a very ancient custom, indeed, to celebrate the Feast of Lupercalia in honor of a Heathen God. And the priests of the early Christian Church in Rome were making every effort to do away with all pagan elements in this feast, and any other pagan feasts as well. One of their strategies was to substitute the names of Saints for those of goddesses.

According to Legend…
St. Valentine left a farewell note for the jailer's daughter, who had become his friend, and signed it …
"From Your Valentine"

Apparently Christian priests lobbied to rename the Feast of Lupercalia, Saint Valentine's Day, since Lupercalia began the day after Father Valentine's martyrdom. The Christian priests chose his name to celebrate the love that Saint Valentine demonstrated for many others by his noble actions. And in 496 A.D. Pope Gelasius formally set aside February 14^th to honor St. Valentine.

 

TOFFEE SURPRISE
A Rare Delicacy!

• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/2 cup live mealworms (get them at a pet or bait shop)
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• cookie sheet
• 9 inch square baking pan

Mealworms come in a container with either bran or crumpled newspaper. To separate the mealworms from the packing material, place in colander and gently toss. Remove dead mealworms and any other bits of debris. Wash mealworms in colander under cool water, and pat dry with a paper towel. Just pretend they are shrimp!

They are now ready for cooking. Place paper towel on cookie sheet, and spread out the mealworms on the paper towel. Bake in 200 degree oven for one to two hours until they are thoroughly dry and crunchy… or rather dry roasted.

Butter the baking pan. Coarsely chop dry roasted morsels and set aside. Carefully heat sugar and butter in saucepan until boiling. Stir over medium heat for seven minutes. Remove from heat and stir in dry roasted delicacies.

Pour into pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips over the hot mixture and cover for five minutes or until chocolate melts. Remove cover and spread melted chocolate evenly over toffee.

While still warm, cut into 1 1/2 inch squares, and refrigerate until firm.

Bon Appetite!

 

Mealworms on Sale… People Really Do Eat These Critters

I was unable to locate a picture of mealworms, but I did find 2 good websites where you can order these critters. You can even order breeding kits so you’ll have plenty for more toffee! http://www.cricketfarm.com/ and http://www.wormman.com/

Favorite Chocolate Quotes

• "Researchers have discovered that chocolate produced some of the same reactions in the brain as marijuana. The researchers also discovered other similarities between the two, but can't remember what they are." Matt Lauer on NBC's Today Show, August 22
• "Liquidum non frangit jejunum." [chocolate] liquids, amongst them, do not constitute a break in fasting.
  Cardinal Francis Maria Brancaccio of the Vatican, 1662
• "Don't wreck a sublime chocolate experience by feeling guilty. Chocolate isn't like premarital sex. It will not make you pregnant. And it always feels good." Lora Brody, author of Growing Up on the Chocolate Diet
• "Twill make Old Women Young and Fresh; Create New Motions of the Flesh. And cause them long for you know what, If they but taste of chocolate."
  "A History of the Nature and Quality of Chocolate," James Wadsworth (1768-1844)