Toffee

I pulled this one out of the archives of posts we never posted.  That said, this was made back in San Francisco.  A delicious treat for any occasion, or just to satisfy your sweet tooth after dinner.

• Ingredients  

• 
  

• 3/4 cup slivered almonds

• 1 cup butter or margarine

• 1 cup sugar

• 3 tablespoons boiling water

• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup

• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

First, sprinkle the almonds on a baking sheet and bake at 300 for 15 minutes or until they get brown.  When finished, leave 1/2 cup on pan and set aside the other 1/4 to use for the topping.  If you prefer, you can chop these into smaller pieces.

While the almonds are baking, in a saucepan, over low heat, cook butter and sugar for 5 minutes.  

Then add water and corn syrup and bring to a boil, keeping the heat at medium

Cook, stirring occasionally, until a candy thermometer reads 300°F, which is hard crack stage.  This is the part that took WAY longer than I expected, but be patient, it will get there.

While I waited, I melted the chocolate in a double broiler.

Still waiting...

And waiting....but you can see it's changing consistency a little.

When the chocolate is melted, move heat to warm, so it stays soft.

Now we're getting close...see how it's turning the color of caramel?

Last shot I got was at 275°F.  Candy is very stubborn.  You have to get the temperature just right. 

So when it hit 300°F, I was focused on getting it out of the pan, and not taking photos.  Once you're there, pour over your toasted almond, and spread evenly.

Wait a few minutes for it to set, then pour over the chocolate, and spread. 

Finally, take the extra almonds and sprinkle on top.

That's it!  Wait until it's cool completely, then break into pieces and enjoy.