Toffee Butter Crunch
Ingredients
Unflavored vegetable oil
8 ounces unsalted butter
1 1/3 cups (265 grams) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
3 tablespoons water
10 ounces toasted hazelnuts, chopped (to yield 2 cups) see Note
4 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
Instructions
Line a 10 x 15 x 1-inch baking pan with aluminum foil and lightly coat with flavorless vegetable oil or spray. Set aside. Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed 2 1/2-quart saucepan. Add the sugar, corn syrup and water, stirring to blend. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low, and continue to cook; mixture will return to a boil (a slow, steady bubbling on the surface).
Let it boil, stirring occasionally until a candy thermometer registers 300 degrees, about 17 to 20 minutes. If candy syrup does not cover thermometer completely, tilt the saucepan briefly to get an accurate reading. (At close to 250 degrees the mixture becomes light tan in color, and by the time it registers 300 degrees it changes to a rich deep tan.)
Quickly stir in 1 cup of the nuts; pour into the lined baking pan, without scraping the saucepan. Spread evenly (the light coating of oil makes this easy). Lift the foil by both ends and transfer to a cooling rack; set aside for about 5 minutes, or until toffee is firm but still hot.
Sprinkle the chocolate over the top (the heat of the toffee will melt the chocolate right away). Using a metal decorating spatula, spread the chocolate thinly over the toffee. Without delay, sprinkle the remaining 1 cup nuts over the chocolate, gently pressing the nuts into the melted chocolate with the palm of your hand.
Place toffee (still in the pan) in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 minutes, or just until the chocolate appears set. Remove from refrigerator to a cool place for at least 1 hour. Wrap securely in aluminum foil until ready to cut into pieces.
Gently lift the toffee from its foil to a cutting board. To cut strips, place a cleaver or large sharp knife 1 1/2 inches in from edge of toffee. With a single motion, gently tap top blunt edge of knife with a mallet or the curved portion of a rolling pin. Repeat to cut remaining toffee into 1 1/2-inch strips.
With the cleaver or knife (you no longer need the mallet), cut strips crosswise into 1 1/2-inch squares.
Store in layers, separated by strips of aluminum foil, in an airtight metal or plastic container for up to 2 weeks.
Note: To toast hazelnuts, place them on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 350 degrees oven for 10 minutes, or until skins split and the nuts are straw to pale golden in color; shake the sheet occasionally. Wrap the nuts in a cloth towel for about 10 minutes, then rub them to remove as much skin as possible. For this recipe you want the nuts chopped somewhere between fine and coarse. You can achieve this best by using a nut mill.
Yields about 2 pounds