Tantilizing Toffee

Victoria's Toffee

The rewards of blogging are many, not the least of which is the kindness of Food Gal readers, many of whom know me only through cyberspace.

Take SteveK for instance. Steve and I have never met, though we both live in the Bay Area. His older brother happens to be a well-known broadcast journalist who belongs to a media organization of which I’m also a member. But no, I’ve never met his brother, either.

But SteveK, knowing I’m a fiend for chocolate, told me I ought to try this chocolate toffee made by a woman who used to help watch his young daughter at day-care. The woman, Victoria Stillian, used to make the toffee as gifts for friends and families. It was so addicting, they told her, that she ought to sell it. So, five years ago, Victoria and her husband, Ron Stillian, started doing just that.

Victoria’s Toffee of San Mateo is now sold at Draeger’s Markets, Piazza’s Fine Foods in San Mateo, Roberts Market, and GC’s Cafe in Menlo Park, as well as online. A 1-pound box is $24.95.

The chocolate almond toffee squares are strewn with crunchy chopped nuts. The toffee is sweet, but tempered by the slight earthiness of the chocolate. It has a nice texture — not so hard and sticky that it gets glued to your molars for life, but just right, as Goldilocks might say if she nibbled some.

SteveK says he keeps his box in the fridge, slightly hidden away so that he won’t be tempted to reach for it every hour on the hour.

I thought about storing mine there, too. But it never lasted long enough.

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17 comments

  • Oh my goodness, there ought to be a warning that a picture like that is going to pop on your screen. Its not even 6 am and I just got an incredible jolt to start my day. Looks like I need to mosey down to Draegers.

  • even if I stored that in the fridge, I doubt it’ll sit in there for more than a day. yummy!
    I love all the benefits of blogging too! there are some things that my blog readers know more about me than my friends!

  • Yum – that toffee looks delicious!

  • A pleasure-square …so precious! I want more of that for blogging too with these 2 magic words: chocolate and toffee!

    Cheers!
    Gera

  • That toffee looks mighty good! A real temptation!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

  • I am drooling. Another fabulous food find! Thank you Carolyn for spending my money for me 🙂

  • Oh wow. We can only imagine how good.

  • SteveK has much more willpower than me – the box would never have come within a furlong of the fridge, unless it was empty! Good to know it’s available online for us Midwest munchers.

  • Me, strong will power?! HA! Looking at the picture is leading me back to the fridge for what is left of my toffee stash. When it comes to Victoria’s Toffees, I’d need a lock to keep my hands out of the fridge. Yes, quite addicting indeed! And I don’t waste any toffee crumbs at the bottom of my box…they go on my ice cream!

  • My boxes of toffee never make it to the fridge. The candy locust, swarm in and eat it all! It is by far the best toffee I have ever had. It is worth every penny!

  • Foodgal: what’s it on your scale of 1-10?

  • Ann: Hah! At this rate, I’m going to have to start assigning lip-smacker rankings to everything I write, even my interviews. 😉
    As far as Victoria’s Toffee goes, I would say it’s a definite 9 lip-smackers.

  • So heavily studded with nuts. Have you gotten a chance to try Terry’s Toffee (Chicago)? Would love to know how they compare.

  • Take if from an East Coast curmudgeon, Vicky’s Toffee is a definite “10”. I was lucky enough to encounter Vicky and her toffee through two of my grandchildren who were among her charges. A plus for this curmudgeon is that the toffee is CONSISTENTLY delicious.

  • I met Vickie some time ago; she was our grandsons’ babysitter; they couldn’t have been in better hands (mine included). At that time, I started to sample her candy and I can’t match that either – yumee to the last bite! Her East Coast Fan Club

  • Wow! That’s pretty awesome that this toffee has fans far and wide. But it’s so addicting, I am not surprised.

  • Elizabeth J. Mathews

    I must add my vote to the chorus. I have never tasted better English Toffee than Victoria’s Toffee! The buttery delicious flavor, the crunchy texture, the consistent quality all add up to a product that I buy and recommend. I hope it will be forever in my life!

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