Calling toffee makers -- just had the best toffee ever - anyone have a T&T Almond Toffee recipe?

Here's my favorite recipe

I've been making this for several years, tweaking it slightly every year. I just made 18 pounds of it for our annual Holiday Baking Spree!

Almond Roca

3 cups sliced almonds, divided
4 sticks (1 pound or 2 cups) unsalted butter
3/4 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
scant 2 cups granulated sugar (I use 390 grams worth)
2 tablespoons Lyle's Golden Syrup or light corn syrup
1 teaspoon baking soda
12 ounces fine quality milk chocolate, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Evenly spread 1 cup sliced almonds onto a baking sheet and place in the oven until they turn a light brown, stirring occasionally, about 6-8 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Slightly crush almonds. Set aside remaining almonds for use later on.

Cover a 10" X 15" baking pan with foil and set aside.

Place butter, water and salt in a large heavy bottomed saucepan. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter has melted. Stir in sugar and Golden Syrup (or corn syrup). Attach a candy thermometer inside the pan and leave the heat on medium. Bring mixture to a boil and cook, without stirring, until the temperature reaches 240 degrees. Stir in the remaining 2 cups almonds. Keep stirring until the temperature reaches 295 to 300 degrees.

Remove pan from the heat and carefully stir in baking soda. Working quickly, pour mixture into the prepared pan, gently pushing hot candy into the corners with a heat-safe spatula if needed. This will begin to set very fast so don't mess around too much.

Wait 5 minutes, then sprinkle chopped chocolate over the top of the candy and let sit for 5 more minutes. Using a small off-set spatula, spread the softened chocolate evenly over the top. Sprinkle with the crushed almonds and let cool at room temperature for about 60 minutes. Place in the refrigerator and let sit until the chocolate has set. Break into chunks with a knife or your hands.

Makes about 3 1/2 pounds.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_J-s7w5-Rv84/TQgQk-jGaVI/AAAAAAAANBk/62FZBTqH3qs/s400/r1.jpg

 
I've made 3 batches of my favorite already this year. REC: Almond Butter Crunch

Almond Butter Crunch

Makes about 2 1/2 pounds

1/2 pound of almonds, blanched and peeled
1 cup unsalted butter
pinch of salt (1/4 tsp, or so)
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 Tbsp. water
1 Tbsp light corn syrup
12 oz milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spread almonds out in one layer on a baking sheet and place in oven to toast to a light golden brown, about 5 minutes. Watch carefully; do not burn!

Chop 1/2 of the almonds coarse, 1/2 fine. Keep separate, set aside.

In a 3-quart, heavy-bottomed sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add salt and stir to dissolve. Add sugar, water and corn syrup to the melted butter, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it reaches the hard-crack stage, which is 300 degrees on your candy thermometer.

When the mixture reaches 300 degrees, carefully remove from heat and quickly stir in the coarsely chopped almonds.

Quickly and carefully, pour the hot mixture onto a well-greased 9 x 13 baking sheet. (Or, better yet, pour it out onto a Silpat or Exopat, no grease needed!). Spread with a metal spatula until the almonds are once again in a single layer.

Allow to cool completely.

Once completely cool, if you didn't use a Silpat/Exopat, turn the candy gently onto a sheet of waxed paper, trying valiantly to keep it in one piece. If you did use a Silpat/Exopat, leave it where it is.

Melt chocolate chips gently in a double boiler set over simmering water, or in a microwave.

Using a spatula, spread 1/2 of the chocolate on the candy, covering the side facing upward completely. Scatter with 1/2 of finely chopped almonds. Turn the candy over onto a sheet of waxed paper, or another Silpat/Exopat. Repeat application of remaining chocolate and finely chopped almonds.

Place in fridge to set the chocolate. Remove from fridge when chocolate is firm, and break into exceedingly attractive irregular pieces (about 2 dozen).

Eat half of it yourself, on the spot, since you did all the work, and you're sure no one realizes how you slave and slave to provide them with such incredibly good stuff to eat.

Michael

PS: If any of this ever gets out of your house as a gift, or a "thank you", be prepared for raves. It does make a great gift, in a decorative tin or plate.

 
Maria, are you experienced with making candy? There are a couple of caveats that...

...should be mentioned if you are making candy for the first time.

Michael

 
That's a great tutorial -- thanks! - I'm sorta a candy newbie

reason being is the heat is difficult to regulate on my old electric cooktop. Also, can seem to find a candy thermometer that the numbers don't come off of.

So candy always seemed like something I shouldn't try. Made it with mom years ago though.

 
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