Recipe: Chocolate Almond Toffee

CHOCOLATE ALMOND TOFFEE

Glenn writes: "This toffee is delicious on its own, but with a coat of chocolate it is marvelous."

1 1/2 cups whole almonds, blanched or unblanched
1/2 pound unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 tablespoons clear corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 pinch salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla, brandy or cognac vanilla
4 ounces semisweet chocolate (4 to 5) melted

Spread almonds on a pastry sheet and place in a 160 F. oven for about 2 hours. They must dry out and become crisp, but they should not be toasted.

Combine the butter, sugar, corn syrup, cream of tartar and salt in a heavy 2-quart or even larger saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cover the pan for 3 or 4 minutes to allow the steam to dissolve the sugar crystals on the side of the pan. Keep wiping the sides of the pan with a brush that has been dipped in boiling water to remove the sugar crystals or, better still, use a brush that has been dipped in melted butter.

Boil, stirring gently, until toffee registers 300 F. on a candy thermometer. (If at any time the toffee seems to be darkening too fast, place it over a flame tamer to prevent it from burning.)

Remove the toffee from the heat. Allow the boiling to subside a second or two, then stir in the vanilla or brandy.

Pour toffee over the almonds, stirring them about to cover them thoroughly with the syrup; spread it out over the pastry sheet. Allow toffee to cool. When the toffee has set, brush it with melted chocolate. Cool and break into jagged pieces. Store in a tin.

To the wise: If the oven temperature is higher than 160 degrees F., the almonds will toast and brown, and this changes the flavor.

Makes about 1 1/2 lbs.
Source: Camille Glenn's 12/01/93 "Flavor to Taste" column called "Visions of Sugarplums: These Truffles and Candies Just Shout 'Merry Christmas'" in "The (Louisville, KY) Courier-Journal." Pg. C6. Typed for you by Cathy Harned
From: Nancy,.SanFran