Antjie

Antjie

Monday 27 August 2012

Cocoa Nib & Almond Toffee.....Yummy!


Ingredients:

  • 1 cup ground almonds or almond flour
  • 2 sticks (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter
  • 1 cup granulated cane sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

How to:
1. In the bottom of a small quarter sheet baking pan or a 13 x 9 inch pan, spread almond flour in an even layer. Set a small bucket of ice water on the counter next to the stove within easy reach of where you’re stirring. This is in case any of the hot butter or candy splashes out of the pan and you get a tiny burn (if it’s a big burn, please turn off the stove and get the proper medical attention). In a heavy bottomed saucepan with high sides, melt butter and stir in sugar and salt. When this mixture starts to bubble around the edges, use a long handled wooden spoon, and start stirring . . .
 
2. . . .and stirring. Keep stirring. After you’ve stirred about 10 minutes, the mixture should start breaking up and looking like crystalized sugar in a sea of melted butter. That’s exactly what it is, and perfectly fine. Just keep stirring. But be extra careful though, because this is when the butter like to start splashing up along the sides of the saucepan. After awhile, the sugar will start to melt back into the butter and the candy will start to come together. If you want to switch to a good quality whisk at this time, that would be great. Keep stirring, and just as the mixture starts to turn beige, clip the candy thermometer to the saucepan, and keep stirring, but being careful now not to knock the thermometer out of the pan. When the candy comes to 310 degrees, remove from heat, stir in vanilla extract, and pour mixture over the almond flour in the pan. Allow to come to room temperature. While it’s cooling, sprinkle on about 1/4 cup of cacao nibs. When the toffee is cooled completely, break up into smaller pieces. Place in the freezer for twenty minutes if you want the texture of the toffee to be crumbly.

Enjoy!!!