Chef Gigi Gaggero

For quick and delicious Chocolate Almond Toffee, use high-quality chopped chocolate instead of chocolate chips. This ensures better adherence to the toffee. Adding corn syrup helps prevent hard crystals, especially for beginners. Keep a wet pastry brush handy to wipe down any sugar crystals that form! You will be a pro in no time!

You’ll need:

2 cups sugar

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons corn syrup ( optional to prevent crystallization )

11/2 cups butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

12 ounces good quality semisweet chocolate, grated very fine

1 cup chopped almonds, toasted

Here’s how :

Step 1

Place the butter, sugar, corn syrup, and salt in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan; make sure the tip is submerged in the ingredients but doesn’t touch the bottom so you can get a proper read of the ingredient temperature and not the pan. Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until a very clean fork until the butter has melted.

Step 2: Bring to a bubbly boil. Continue to cook, stirring only occasionally, if at all. Cook until the sugar has melted and the mixture has turned golden brown. The toffee on the thermometer is ready at 295′ F to 305′ F degrees, which is called the hard crack stage in candy making. Cooking time should be 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the temperature of your room.

Step 3: Stir in vanilla and salt.

Step 4: Carefully and quickly pour the sugar mixture onto a 1/4-sheet baking pan covered with parchment paper or a small 12×12 Pyrex dish lined with parchment paper. Spread the mixture to a free-form shape. Rest a few minutes.

Step 5: Sprinkle chocolate over warm toffee. Spread melting chocolate in an even layer over the toffee. Immediately sprinkle with chopped almonds and press into the chocolate and toffee. Allow to harden. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container.

Chef Tip: Always keep a small bowl of ice water nearby when working with cooked sugar. If you get any molten sugar on your skin, quickly plunge into the ice water to prevent a bad sugar burn.