Why yes, that is a whole stick of butter. Got a problem with that? :)
I'd been planning for a while to see how rusty my toffee recipe was and had been a bit slacky on purchasing pretzel rods but as luck has it our friend Joan provided us with a bag of mini pretzel rods last night which seemed perfect for working it out.
Toffee is a bit tricky to make in a stainless pan, which is what I use for nearly everything else. I use a coated le creuset pan that's probably older than I am that is the absolute perfect color for making candies of any kind. A cherished hand-me-down from my parent's kitchen. I rarely even have to do the "hard crack" test when I use the right pan. Unless, of course, one's spouse calls at the moment between "done" and "burnt" like what happened to me today. Luckily, I caught it in time. The line comes and goes quickly.
To make the toffee I mix 3/4 cup sugar and a stick of butter (the real stuff...no skimping). Some people use brown sugar but this is one of the things I prefer taboo white sugar for. It's so much easier to judge color. I put it on medium high heat stirring constantly and the whole process probably takes 10-12 minutes. The candy is ready when it is just about to turn that deep golden caramel color. It cooks a bit more in the pan even after you turn it off. A tablespoon of water stirred in near the end of the process and cooked off deepens the color if you feel that you are just stirring buttery yellow paste for too long without results.
This is a trial and error process. I've had some not so great batches that I've just poured on pam-sprayed foil (really what's the point when you've used a stick of butter?) and cracked up for "eh, it still tastes good" toppings or candy or whatnot. Just try it a couple of times and eventually you'll get it. :)
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