Makes: about 1 ½ lb (680g)
Toffee is no more than caramelised sugar with a little baking soda and butter, which add the flavour and crunch characteristic of the candy. This is an easy, incredibly delicious, and addictive confection to make. As always with recipes that have just a few ingredients, use the best chocolate you can find. The toffee itself is so sweet, I like to use a chocolate that has less sugar, such as Askinosie or another dark bittersweet chocolate. We use toasted, sliced almonds to top the chocolate, but toasted buckwheat and cacao nibs are also great.
KITCHEN NOTES: When you make candy, it is important to read through the whole recipe first, and have all of your ingredients premeasured and ready to go before you start. Once the sugar begins cooking, you don’t have a lot of time to stop and read or measure. When cooking sugar to high temperatures, keep a bowl of ice water close by in case of burns.
You can substitute unsweetened chocolate for 20 percent of your bittersweet chocolate if you prefer a slightly more bitter foil for the toffee.
Ingredients
- 200g Sliced almonds
- 350g Sugar
- 115g Unsalted butter
- 45ml Water
- 1 tsp Blackstrap or other dark molasses
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp Baking soda
- 140g Bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
Directions
1Preheat the oven to 325°F [160°C]. Spread the almonds evenly on a baking sheet and toast until golden brown, 7 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely.
2Line a 13 by 18 in [33 by 46 cm] baking pan or a rimmed baking sheet of about the same size with parchment paper or a nonstick liner. Evenly spread half of the almonds over the bottom of the prepared pan. The parchment or liner should not be visible at all. Reserve the remaining almonds for topping.
3In a medium, heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, butter, water, molasses, and salt. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture registers 295°F [146°C] on a thermometer, 5 to 7 minutes. Immediately remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and baking soda. Be careful at this point: the mixture will bubble up when you add the baking soda. Make sure that you incorporate the baking soda evenly throughout the mixture.
4Pour the hot mixture evenly over the almonds. Work quickly, as it will begin setting up immediately. If you need to spread it out at all, use a lightly oiled rubber or metal spatula. When the toffee has cooled enough to touch, spread the chocolate over the warm toffee and let the heat of the toffee melt the chocolate. Smooth it out evenly with an offset spatula when it is completely melted. Sprinkle the rest of the almonds over the top, covering evenly. Let cool completely.
5Break the cooled sheet into pieces. They will keep in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to several weeks. Do not freeze.
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