ENGLISH BUTTER TOFFEE
2 cups (170 g) slivered almonds
1 ½ cups (3 sticks) (340 g) unsalted butter
2 cups (400 g) granulated white sugar
¼ cup (60 ml) water
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
6 ounces (170 g) milk or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
Place almonds on a baking sheet and bake them for 8 – 10 minutes, or until lightly browned and fragrant. Once the nuts have cooled to room temperature, roughly chop one cup of the almonds. Set aside. Take the remaining cup of almonds and place in a food processor, fitted with a metal blade. Pulse the almonds until they are finely chopped. Set aside.
Butter an 11 x 17 inch (28 x 43 cm) baking sheet. Place the prepared baking sheet on a cooling rack.
Melt the butter in a large heavy saucepan over medium to medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted (do not let it brown), stir in the sugar, water and corn syrup. Stir until the sugar has completely dissolved. Once the mixture boils, immediately stop stirring. Brush down any sugar crystals clinging to the sides of the saucepan with a pastry brush dipped in water. Clamp a candy thermometer to the side of the saucepan and cook, without stirring, until the mixture reaches the hard crack stage (300°F) (149°C). This will take about 15 minutes. (If you find the sugar syrup browning unevenly, swirl the saucepan from time to time.)
Immediately remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract and the one cup (85 g) of roughly chopped almonds. Quickly pour the toffee in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Carefully place the chopped chocolate over the hot toffee. After a few minutes the chocolate will be soft enough to spread with an offset spatula in an even layer over the toffee. Sprinkle the remaining one cup (85 g) of finely chopped almonds over the melted chocolate.
Cool completely, either at room temperature or in the refrigerator, and then cut or break into irregular pieces.
Store the toffee, in an airtight container at room temperature, for about 7-10 days. It can also be frozen for about a month,.
Makes about 2 – 2 ½ pounds (900 – 1025 g).
Recipe: Natasha Pennington
