Senator Marsha Blackburn's Toffee Crunch Makes A Great Hostess Gift

For Senator Marsha Blackburn, Christmas means spending time with her loved ones and cooking seasonal favorites for the entire family. As she told Fox News, "Christmas is a very special time for us ... this is a time to let people know just how much they mean to us, and how important they are to us." 

The senator from Tennessee noted how especially enjoyable it is to be around her grandkids this time of year. "It's so much fun being with the children, because everyone has something special that they want to have made," Blackburn told Fox. "There are chocolate chip cookies that need to be made, there are brownies that need to be served with peppermint ice cream and a little bit of hot fudge and heavy whipped cream — and there are also pecan pies that we're eager to make and eat and enjoy together."

Blackburn has loved cooking ever since she was a child. In fact, in 1966, when she was just 13, she won a cooking contest and beat competitors across her home state of Mississippi with her chicken casserole dish (via Yahoo News). Safe to say, Senator Blackburn has never given up on her passion for cooking and continues creating delightful dishes to this day — including her famous toffee crunch (via Instagram).

As Senator Marsha Blackburn points out in an Instagram video, if you're hosting a party and need to come up with an interesting (and delicious) gift for your guests, toffee crunch is a great option. The dessert is easy to make and doesn't require a long list of ingredients. The senator's recipe calls for 3/4 cup of brown sugar, softened butter, 3/4 cup chopped pecans, and melted semi-sweet chocolate. For Blackburn, this recipe is nostalgic for a special reason. "My dad always loved this recipe. So every time I make it, I think about him," she said.

Blackburn believes that this can be a really special gift during the holidays — not only because, as she says, it's something "that is going to let them know that they're loved and you're thinking about them," but because it's easy to cut the sweet treat into pieces and prepare individual packages for a thoughtful Christmas gift. 

A fan complimented the senator's toffee crunch recipe, writing, "Looks wonderful! Thank you!" 

Another commentator also expressed their approval with a straightforward, "Looks yummy."