Food Recipes Desserts Candy Toffee with Sliced Almonds 5.0 (2) 2 Reviews Chocolate, maple syrup, and flaky salt take this toffee to the next level. By Nicole Hopper Nicole Hopper Nicole Hopper is a recipe tester and developer based in Birmingham, Alabama. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on December 5, 2024 Tested by Melissa Gray Tested by Melissa Gray Melissa Gray is a Recipe Developer and Food Stylist for Dotdash Meredith, working on titles such as Food & Wine, Southern Living, Real Simple, and Health. She has been cooking professionally since she was 16 years old but could always be found cooking and baking with her mom even from a young age. Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Save Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Food & Wine / Photo by Kelsey Hansen / Food Styling by Lauren McAnelly / Prop Styling by Joseph Wanek Active Time: 1 hr Total Time: 4 hrs 25 mins Servings: 12 Jump to recipe This chocolate and almond-topped toffee uses maple syrup and baking soda instead of traditional corn syrup to create a hard (but not too hard!) toffee perfect for snacking and gifting around the holidays. A generous amount of seasoning from the salted butter, the kosher salt in the toffee, and the flaky salt sprinkled on top helps to balance the sweetness. Be sure to have your parchment-line baking sheets ready before starting the toffee, as the process moves quickly once it hits the appropriate temperature. Frequently Asked Questions What is toffee? Toffee is a sweet confection made by caramelizing sugar with butter and heating to a specific temperature called hard-crack stage (300°F to 310°F) that allows it to harden when cool. What’s the difference between American toffee and English toffee? Both English toffee and American toffee heat sugar and butter to the hard-crack temperature, but English toffee is generally made with brown sugar while American toffee is made with white sugar. Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen “The biggest thing that can go wrong when making toffee is when the sugar and butter separate,” says recipe developer Nicole Hopper. “The most common cause of this is when your ingredients are at different temperatures, which is why we call for room temperature butter. It may feel slow to cook it over medium-low, but don’t be tempted to increase the heat or you risk the butter and sugar separating. Salt also prevents separation so if you use unsalted butter, add an extra pinch of salt at the beginning. If your mixture does separate, you can sometimes save it by whisking vigorously and adding one to two tablespoons of hot water.” Make ahead Store toffee in an airtight container between parchment paper at room temperature for up to two weeks. Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 1 1/2 cups sliced un-blanched, skin-on almonds Cooking spray 1 cup salted butter, at room temperature 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup pure maple syrup 2 tablespoons tap water 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 10 ounces 70 to 78% cacao dark chocolate, chopped (about 2 cups) 1 teaspoon flaky smoked sea salt, divided Directions Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread almonds in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake the almonds until toasted and lightly golden, about 8 minutes. Set aside. Line another large baking sheet with parchment paper, and lightly coat parchment with cooking spray; set aside. Lightly coat a second sheet of parchment with cooking spray; set aside. Combine butter, sugar, maple syrup, and tap water in a medium saucepan over low. Cook, stirring often, until butter is melted and sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes, brushing down sides of saucepan with a wet pastry brush as needed. Clip a sugar thermometer to side of saucepan, and increase heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture reaches 300°F, 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in vanilla, salt, and baking soda; cook, stirring constantly until combined, about 15 seconds; remove from heat. Immediately pour sugar mixture onto prepared baking sheet. Place second sheet of parchment over sugar mixture, greased side down. Use a rolling pin to roll sugar mixture into an even layer, 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick. Remove and discard top layer of parchment. Set toffee aside to cool, uncovered, to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, fill a small saucepan with water to a depth of about 1 inch. Bring to a simmer over medium, then reduce heat to low. Place chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl, and set over saucepan, ensuring bowl doesn’t touch water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes. Remove bowl from saucepan, and set aside to cool slightly, about 10 minutes. Blot any excess oil off toffee using paper towels. Pour half of the melted chocolate (1/2 cup) over cooled toffee. Spread into an even layer with an offset spatula, and sprinkle with half of the toasted almonds (3/4 cup). Let cool slightly, about 5 minutes, then sprinkle evenly with 1/2 teaspoon of the flaky salt. Set aside until chocolate is firm, 45 to 60 minutes. Flip toffee and chocolate sheet so that chocolate side is facing down. Blot any excess oil off toffee using paper towels. Pour remaining 1/2 cup melted chocolate over toffee, and spread into an even layer with an offset spatula. (If chocolate has hardened in bowl, place it back over a saucepan of simmering water until re-melted.) Sprinkle chocolate with remaining 3/4 cup toasted almonds. Let cool slightly, about 5 minutes, then sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/2 teaspoon flaky salt. Set aside until chocolate is completely firm, about 2 hours. Break toffee into 2- to 3-inch pieces, and serve. Rate It Print