Chocolate Almond Toffee

[kermit]

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 choc. -- (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 F., the almonds will toast and brown, and this changes the flavor.

[toman]

Awesome. Kind of like peanut brittle, only with chocolate and almonds...

[kermit]

mmm peanut brittle, last time I had that stuff I was in disneyland.

If you have a microwave and you'd like to whip up some peanut brittle in a hurry, this recipe will let you do it in a little less than 10 minutes (plus cooling time, of course).

Ingredients:

* 1.5 cups of raw, shelled Virginia peanuts (leave the skins on)
* 1 cup of granulated sugar
* 1/2 cup light corn syrup
* 1 teaspoon of butter
* 1 teaspoon of vanilla
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/8 teaspoon salt

Method:

* Mix the peanuts, sugar, corn syrup and salt together in a microwave-safe casserole dish until well mixed
* Cook in a microwave on high for 4 minutes; open and stir the mix well; then cook on high for another 4 minutes
* Open, stir in the butter and vanilla, then microwave on high for a further 2 minutes
* Finally, remove from the microwave, open the dish, add the baking soda and stir quickly until the mix is light and foamy
* Immediately pour the mixture onto a lightly-greased baking sheet, spreading it out thinly.
* Allow the mix to cool - then break it into small pieces and store in an airtight container.

Tip: The trick to making thin, tender peanut brittle is to keep the baking sheet(s) you use warm. I recommend heating them in a conventional oven at around 200o F (about 95o C) before you spread the peanut brittle mix. This should allow you to spread the mix 1cm to 2cm thick without it setting up.



I think I am a candy whore

[toman]

or possibly a whore named Candy...