Decadent Chocolate-Almond Toffee

• 3 1/2 sticks (28 tablespoons) unsalted butter, warmed to room temperature
• 2 1/3 cups plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/8 cup light corn syrup
• 2 pounds, toasted slivered almonds, toasted, divided
• 1 pound bittersweet chocolate
• Pyrex bowl (for melting chocolate)
• 2 baking sheets
• Parchment paper
• Candy thermometer
• Whisk
• Offset spatula
• Latex gloves (for dipping the toffee in the chocolate)
• Food processor (if you dont have one, you can chop the slivered almonds by hand with a chefs knife, use a spice grinder, or even use a mortar and pestle, if you have one)
• Make your dinner party hostess love you forever!

1. Prep:
2. Preheat the oven to 350F and toast your 2 pounds of slivered almonds by roasting them on a dry baking sheet at 350F for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
3. Make the toffee centers at least the day before you plan to finish the recipe to ensure that the toffee has cooled completely before dipping it in chocolate.
4. If youre in a rush, you can always pop the centers in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes before dipping.
5. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
6. To Make the Toffee:
7. Place the butter in a saucepan and melt it on low heat.
8. Add the sugar, salt, water, and corn syrup, and cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally with a whisk, until the mixture reaches 6F.
9. Add 1/8 of the almonds and cook until the mixture reaches 305F.
10. Remove from heat.
11. Using an offset spatula, remove the toffee from the saucepan and spread it on 2 of the lined baking sheets to cool.
12. Melt the chocolate in your microwave at 50% power for 3 to 5 minutes (in 1-minute increments, stirring well in between).
13. The chocolate should reach 90F when thoroughly melted.
14. How to Dip the Toffee in the Melted Chocolate:
15. Once the toffee has cooled completely, break it up into smaller pieces and place it in a bowl.
16. To speed up the cooling process, you can place the toffee in the freezer for 15 to 30 minutes.
17. (I dont recommend putting it in the refrigerator because of the condensation factor there.).
18. Its up to you how big or small you would like your pieces to be.
19. I personally like them to be on the smaller side, because you get a better chocolate-to-toffee ratio.
20. Keep in mind that the pieces will get bigger once they are dipped in chocolate.
21. Note: If you plan to use some of the cooled toffee to make Rafaels Toffee Sugar Cookies recipe, set that amount of toffee aside now, because the toffee in the cookies should not be dipped in chocolate.
22. Reline the baking sheets you cooled the toffee on with parchment paper.
23. Grind or finely chop the remaining 1 3/4 pounds of toasted almonds with a knife.
24. Spread them on 1 of the 3 lined baking sheets.
25. Using your left hand, pick up each piece of toffee and dip it into the chocolate.
26. Wipe off the excess chocolate and place the piece of toffee on the tray containing the chopped almonds.
27. Using your right (chocolate-free) hand, quickly cover the chocolate-covered toffee with the almonds.
28. Once the chocolate has set (after about 15 minutes), you can transfer the toffee pieces to the remaining lined baking sheet (feel free to pile them on top of each other).
29. If the chocolate isnt set by 15 minutes, you can pop it into the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

unsalted butter, sugar, salt, water, light corn syrup, almonds, chocolate, pyrex bowl, baking sheets, paper, thermometer, whisk, spatula, latex, processor, party

Taken from www.cookstr.com/recipes/decadent-chocolate-almond-toffee (may not work)