Yield: 16
Almond Roca Recipe
This buttery toffee with chocolate and almonds puts all other toffee recipes to shame! Homemade Almond Roca is perfect for Christmas or any occasion.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 1 ½ cup chopped toasted almonds, divided
- 6 (1.55 oz) milk chocolate bars, unwrapped, or dark chocolate
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Instructions
- Line a 9x13 inch cookie sheet with waxed paper or parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, mix together butter, sugar, water and molasses. Bring mixture to a slow boil, stirring with a wooden or silicone spoon. Do not use a whisk, as overstirring will ruin the toffee and make it separate.
- Attach a clip-on candy thermometer and continue cooking until the thermometer reaches 295°F, stirring often to prevent burning or sticking. Slow and steady will win this race. I kept my burner at medium-low heat, with a steady, slow boil, and it took me 20 minutes. If you try turning up the heat to speed it up, it will burn before it reaches the correct temperature.
- As soon as you reach 295°F, remove the pan from the heat. Stir in 1 cup of the almonds and immediately pour toffee mixture onto prepared pan.
- Lay unwrapped chocolate bars evenly on top of the toffee. Wait a few minutes to let the heat melt the chocolate and then, using a spatula, swirl the melted chocolate to the edges of the candy. Sprinkle the remaining almonds along the top and gently press into the melted chocolate.
- Let candy cool and harden completely and then break candy into pieces and serve. (To speed up the cooling time, you can place the pan in the fridge for 20 minutes.)
Notes
Store: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks. You can use a cookie tin, a plastic food storage container, or just a zip-top bag.
Freeze: Place the pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet or plate, and freeze until solid (this should only take an hour or two). Once frozen, transfer the candy to an airtight container or freezer bag, using parchment paper between layers if needed. Freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to serve, let the bark thaw for a few minutes at room temperature, and enjoy!
Know Your Recipe: You might have heard that candy can be hard to make, but in this case, it’s only difficult if you don’t follow directions. (I know from experience! When I was learning to make toffee and caramel, there were definitely times where I decided to wing it without a candy thermometer… and wound up with a big pan of burnt toffee in my sink.) Make sure to measure and follow the instructions as written, and you’ll be golden.
Stir, Stir, Stir: Make sure that you use a wooden spoon or spatula, not a whisk. You have to keep slowly stirring the toffee as it cooks, which makes this a good recipe to make with a friend. That way, you have someone to chat with while you stand there stirring – and they can take a turn stirring, too!
Chocolate Chips: I used Hershey’s chocolate bars because they work perfectly to lay right on top of the toffee layer, but chocolate chips will work just as well! Just scatter them evenly, let them melt, and spread into an even layer.
Nutrition
Serving: 1, Calories: 312kcal, Carbohydrates: 26g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 0.5g, Cholesterol: 31mg, Sodium: 5mg, Potassium: 166mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 22g, Vitamin A: 355IU, Calcium: 46mg, Iron: 1mg