Today Special : National English Toffee Day
National English Toffee Day is on January 8 every year to celebrate the richness of America’s toffee variant and encourage us to cherish this much-loved confection. Did you know that the English toffee enjoyed by millions of people across the U.S. is slightly different from the original? The rich and delicious variant of original toffee was invented in England and is sometimes called American toffee or buttercrunch because of how it is prepared with white sugar and a variety of nuts. The original English toffee does not contain nuts, although it is equally delicious.
HISTORY OF NATIONAL ENGLISH TOFFEE DAY
January 8 is the day set aside to celebrate National English Toffee Day. Toffee is made by caramelizing sugar or molasses with butter and sometimes flour and then heated to the hard crack stage before optionally mixing it with raisins or nuts. It is then poured into a tray to cool into a slab that can be broken into pieces and eaten. The National Confectioners Association recognizes the day as a reminder of the richness of America’s toffee variant and encourages us to indulge in the much-loved confection.
Although millions of people enjoy English toffee across the U.S. for its chewy and tantalizing nature and aroma, toffee only came to be sometime during the 1800s. The Oxford English Dictionary first mentioned the word ‘toffee’ in 1825. England and other European countries had plenty of butter, and toffee was the perfect sweet to make with it.
You can celebrate National English Toffee Day by eating English toffee, cooking it with all the needed ingredients, and making some for yourself and your family. If you are industrious, you can even make a business out of it. Spend the day exploring your nearest toffee shops to grab some of the wide variety of English toffee available for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. You can enjoy it with milk or dark chocolate for a more delicious taste.
NATIONAL ENGLISH TOFFEE DAY ACTIVITIES
- Eat some English toffee today : Celebrate National English Toffee Day by eating — you guessed, English toffee!
- Make toffee : There is no better way to put your personal touch on the toffee you eat on National English Toffee Day than to make your own. Start by heating sugar and butter together, wait until caramelized, then pour into a mold with a sprinkle of almond. You’ll love it!
- Share recipes on social media : Help people make the most out of National English Toffee Day by sharing your recipe! You can also use the hashtag #NationalEnglishToffeeDay or #EnglishToffeeDay.
5 FUN FACTS ABOUT SWEETS
- Buttery goodness : As one of the main ingredients in English toffee, the fat from the butter makes toffee richer!
- Mediterranean rum : According to legend, toffee got its name from ‘tafia,’ a Mediterranean rum made from molasses used as a flavoring agent in candy.
- Honey, let’s make sweets : Before sugar was readily available in the ancient western world, the Egyptians and Greeks used honey to make candy and sweets.
- The origin of the word ‘candy’Sugar and desserts have a long history in India. People in India developed the technology to produce sugar crystals that they call ‘khanda,’ which is the source of the word ‘candy.’
- Origin unknown : Although the National Confectioners Association recognizes National English Toffee Day, the founders and origin are unknown.
WHY WE LOVE NATIONAL ENGLISH TOFFEE DAY
- It tastes so good! : English toffee is a buttery toffee that is often made with almonds and tastes divine. National English Toffee Day serves as an opportunity to enjoy this rich buttery taste.
- It’s a traditional English delicacy : Although English toffee is not actually how it is made in England, they are both enjoyed the same way!
- So many different flavors : The Americanized English toffee tastes delicious with almonds, chocolate, vanilla, caramel, cookies, and more!
