Buttercrunch toffee

When you bite into this toffee, it snaps, then melts away into buttery nothingness! This version is coated with chocolate and a sprinkle of almonds.

Credit: Bake With Anna Olson

• makes

  24

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  45 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 225 g unsalted butter
• 1¼ cups (250 g) granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp + 1 tsp (45 ml) water
• ½ tsp (2.5 g) salt
• 1½ tsp (7 ml) vanilla extract
• 360 g (12 oz) dark chocolate, chopped, divided
• 1 cup (100 g) sliced almonds, lightly toasted
• flaked sea salt, to sprinkle

Makes enough to break into 2-3 dozen bite-sized pieces.

Cooling time: 2 hours.

Instructions

1. Line a baking tray with baking (parchment) paper and set aside.
2. Place the butter in a medium saucepan over medium high heat and swirl the pan to coat the sides with melted butter (this will help prevent the sugar from crystallising as it cooks). Add the sugar and water and bring tothe boil, still over medium high heat, while stirring often with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula. Once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and stir constantly until the mixture reaches 150°C (300°F)  on a candy thermometer (it will only be a pale amber colour, not caramel-coloured). Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla and salt, then quickly pour the mixture onto the prepared tray (do not spread it around). Let this set until completely cooled, about 2 hours.
3. Before coating it with chocolate, gently wipe the top surface of the buttercrunch with a paper towel, to take away any excess oil (this could prevent the chocolate from sticking properly).  Have ready a second baking tray lined with parchment paper.
4. To temper the chocolate (see Note), melt 270 g (9 oz) of the chocolate in a metal bowl placed over a pot of barely simmering water, stirring until it has melted and has reached 45-50°C  (113-122°F). If the chocolate gets warmer than this, then you need to let it cool below 45°C (113 °F) and re-warm. Remove the bowl from the heat and stir in the remaining 90 g (3 oz) of chocolate and stir to melt, continuing to stir until the chocolate reaches a temperature of 28°C (82°F). Return the bowl to the water bath and stir to warm up to between 31-32°C (88-90°F) – this doesn’t take long.  At this point the chocolate is ready for using and will set at room temperature with a nice satin finish.
5. Pour half of the chocolate over the buttercruch and spread to cover it evenly and as close to the edges as possible. Sprinkle the chocolate with half of the almonds and a light sprinkling of sea salt. Once set (about 3 minutes), place the second parchment-lined baking tray over the buttercrunch and carefully invert – now the chocolate-coated side should be on the bottom, on the second tray.  Peel away the parchment from the buttercrunch and wipe this side with a paper towel. Pour the remaining half of the chocolate over this side and spread evenly, finishing with a sprinkling of the remaining almonds and a little sea salt. Once the chocolate is almost set, pop the tray into the fridge for just 3-4 minutes – this “cures” or sets the chocolate. After this time, remove the chocolate, and it can be cracked into pieces and stored in an airtight container at room temperature (out of direct sunlight.)

Note

• Toffee candy like this needs to be stored at room temperature – it will go sticky if stored in the fridge – so we need to treat the chocolate so it can also be stored at room temperature. This process is called tempering.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.