Sesame Toffee

From an excellent cookbook, The Canadian Living Christmas Book.

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Yields: 30 pieces

Ingredients

• 1  cup sesame seeds
• 1  cup butter
• 1  cup white sugar
• 1⁄2 cup  packed brown sugar
• 3  tablespoons water
• 3⁄4 teaspoon baking soda

Directions

1. Spread sesame seeds on baking sheet; bake in 350F oven for 15 minutes or until golden.
2. Reserve half of the seeds; sprinkle remaining seeds over well-greased 13x9 cake pan; set aside.
3. In saucepan, bring butter, sugars and water to a boil, stirring constantly.
4. Cook, stirring often, until candy thermometer reaches soft-crack stage of 285F and when 1/2 tsp syrup dropped into very cold water separates into threads that are hard but not brittle.
5. Immediately remove from heat; stir in baking soda.
6. Pour over sesame seeds in prepared pan; let cool 5 minutes.
7. Sprinkle with reserved sesame seeds, pressing lightly into toffee.
8. Let cool until firm; break into pieces.
9. Store toffee between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container; keeps for about 1 month.