So Good Chocolate Toffee
Submitted by martharu
So good chocolate toffee cooks sugar, corn syrup, and cream to soft-ball stage in three additions, then folds in melted unsweetened chocolate for a chewy, fudge-toffee hybrid candy. 64 small squares per batch.
YIELD
64 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
40 minREADY
60 minThis is technically a Scottish-style chocolate toffee, but it lands somewhere between an old-fashioned caramel and a creamy fudge. The texture is chewy rather than brittle, and the chocolate flavor is deep and only lightly sweet thanks to using unsweetened baker’s chocolate rather than chocolate chips.
The technique is what separates this from amateur candy attempts. The cream goes in three separate stages, each one dropping the temperature back down before climbing again. This staged addition is what gives the toffee its silky, smooth texture; dumping all the cream at once would shock the syrup and risk crystallization. A candy thermometer is essential. Soft-ball stage at 236-238°F (113-114°C) is non-negotiable for the right consistency.
The recipe includes an unusual warning: even if the temperature stays low, if a drop firms in cold water, pull the pan immediately. Trust the cold-water test over the thermometer when they disagree.
Pro Tips
- Use a heavy-bottomed saucepan; thin pans scorch the milk solids and ruin the toffee with bitter notes.
- Stir constantly during the chocolate stage; chocolate burns easily once added.
- Have a small bowl of ice water ready for the cold-water test from the start of cooking.
- Cool completely before cutting. Warm toffee tears instead of slicing cleanly.
Variations
- Stir in 1 cup of toasted, chopped almonds or pecans right before pouring for a nutty version.
- Sprinkle flaky sea salt on top before cooling for a salted chocolate caramel finish.
- Use dark chocolate (60-70% cacao) in place of unsweetened for slightly sweeter, more nuanced flavor.
Ingredients
Directions
Combine the sugar, corn syrup, and ½ cup of cream in a large saucepan set over moderate heat. Stir the mixture until the sugar dissolves completely.
Insert a candy thermometer, reduce the heat to low, and cook the syrup, stirring frequently, until the thermometer registers 238 F.
Blend in another ½ cup of the cream, which will cause the temperature to drop, and continue to cook and stir until the thermometer reaches 236 F or until a bit of the hot toffee dropped into a little cold water forms a soft, pliable ball.
Mix in the remaining ½ cup cream and the melted chocolate. Cook the toffee, stirring constantly lest it scorch. Cook toffee until the mixture becomes quite thick: A drop of it should firm up quickly in cold water.
(NOTE: Even though the temperature of the toffee may not exceed 230F, if it firms in cold water, remove the pan from the heat at once).
Quickly mix in the vanilla and salt, then pour the toffee into a well-buttered 8-by-8-by-2-inch pan. Cool the toffee completely, then cut it into 1-inch squares.
Wrap each one in waxed paper or plastic wrap. Makes 64 candies.
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