My mom visited last week and we went on a whirlwind tour of favorite markets — Whole Foods, Market Street, Trader Joe’s and finally, Central Market. (Karen, you should have been here!) The highlight of the outing was meeting the Texas Toffee Queen, Nancy Lalumia, offering samples of her handmade toffee at Central Market. We had already tried Nancy’s Dark Chocolate Espresso Toffee, and I was anxious to try some other flavors. The milk chocolate toffee was a traditional classic with smooth chocolate atop buttery toffee with a perfect consistency. Dark Chocolate Salted Jalapeño was a winner in Zest Fest’s “Zesty Sweets, Candy & Chocolate” Category and we definitely agreed with the judges’ decision! If you have followed our blog for long, you know I have a weakness for chocolate combined with salt or peppery heat. Having all three combined knocked me out! I knew I would probably be the only one in the house who would truly love the spicy treat, so I selected the decadent dark chocolate toffee to share.
It was such a pleasure to meet Nancy and hear first-hand her passion for making toffee. We shared a laugh at the thought of toffee being “healthy”, but Nancy has developed her recipes to be “healthier”. Choosing all-natural ingredients, like real butter, is the first healthy step. Rather than simply having a light dusting of finely chopped nuts sprinkled across the top of her toffee, Nancy balances a generous measure of freshly roasted almonds with sugar in the toffee base. Corn syrup is the normal binding agent used in toffee, but Nancy uses the absolute minimum amount necessary. The result is a delicious, nutty toffee base that avoids the “sugar bomb” effect of some toffees. Finally, Nancy finishes her toffee with the finest quality chocolate, and additional chopped almonds. Since dark chocolate has antioxidants that may prevent heart disease, and may help lower blood pressure, it’s another healthy choice (in moderation, as I keep reminding myself). Texas Toffee Queen’s candy is easy to love and hard to resist!
Where to buy Texas Toffee Queen Dark Chocolate Toffee
(Note: “Find a Store” links to a list of retailers on the Company’s website, but stores may not carry all of the Company’s products. Please check with your local store to be sure they have this specific product in stock. If not, ask them to carry it!)
Foods We Love 