toffee

Milk Chocolate Toffee

Daniela Weiner grew up in Austria’s Tyrolean mountains—a land of legendary snowscapes and kitchens scented with vanilla and cinnamon. As a child Weiner baked with her grandmother, then went on to train in Chicago before moving to Traverse City where she’s cultivated a loyal following. Try her toffee, then devour more of her decadent holiday recipes.

Daniela's Tips: This may sound like a very complicated and scary recipe but it's really easy once you get the hang of working with the candy thermometer and hot sugar. Do not walk away from the boiling sugar... I know from experience the second you turn your back on the pot, it will burn. You will need a candy thermometer and a heatproof spatula for this recipe. Buy a digital thermometer, which is a lot easier to work with since you can set an alarm at the desired temperature.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups sliced almonds, divided use
  • 8 ounces unsalted butter
  • 12 ounces granulated sugar
  • 4 ounces honey
  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for garnish
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread the almonds on a non-stick cookie sheet and bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until toasted and aromatic. Set aside. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set next to stove. Combine butter, sugar, honey, warm water and salt in a medium-sized pot and cook over a medium heat. Set a candy thermometer in pan, but be careful that it is not touching bottom of pan. Cook mixture over medium heat, stirring once in a while, until mixture reaches 240 degrees. At 240 degrees, add 1 cup sliced almonds to sugar mixture. After adding almonds, stir constantly with a heatproof spatula or wooden spoon, keeping heat at medium, until mixture reaches 295 degrees. At 290 (make sure it’s no less than 290 and no more than 295 degrees), immediately remove from heat and stir in baking soda. It will bubble up and lighten a bit and seem almost fluffy. Pour on to the parchment lined cookie tray and use an offset spatula to spread evenly over the tray. Do NOT touch the caramel because it is boiling hot and caramel burns are not fun. While candy is still very hot and in the process of setting, sprinkle the chocolate over it and let the chocolate melt. Using back of a spoon or an offset spatula, spread melted chocolate evenly over candy. Crush your toasted almonds and sprinkle over melted chocolate along with 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt. Allow to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes before transferring to the fridge. This will take maybe 1 hour until it's totally set and ready to eat. I use the bark (if not eaten just alone) as a garnish for cupcakes and cakes, or I fold it into ice cream (this is how the Milk Chocolate Toffee Crunch Ice Cream served at Hanna was created).

Photo(s) by Todd Zawistowski