Roasted Hazelnut Toffee

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Yield: Makes 4-1/4 pounds of toffee (100 pieces measuring 1 x 2 inches)

Create candy magic in your own kitchen with this hazelnut coffee recipe. These delectable morsels are great for snacking, sharing at a party or giving away as individually wrapped treats. The signature textures of both toffee and hazelnuts pair immaculately to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound (4 sticks) butter
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup firmly packed golden brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2-1/2 cups raw Oregon hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 16 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
    (either chips, or squares that have been broken into chunks)
  • 2 cups chopped dark-roasted and skinned hazelnuts

Directions

Grease one large (12 x 17- inch) rimmed baking sheet or two smaller (10 x 15-inch or less) ones with butter.

Melt butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat.

While the butter is melting, combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar and corn syrup. Add this mixture to the melted butter, along with the water.

When the sugar has dissolved, increase the burner setting to medium high, stirring with a flat-edged wooden spoon. Attach a candy thermometer to the pot and cook the mixture, stirring constantly to keep it from scorching.

When temperature reaches 240 degrees F, add nuts and continue stirring. At 260 degrees, reduce the burner setting to medium-low and continue cooking and stirring occasionally, until toffee reaches 300 degrees (“hard crack”).

Remove the pot from the burner and stir in the vanilla and salt, stirring quickly because the toffee will become quite thick at this point. Scrape it out onto the prepared baking sheet(s) or marble slab, spreading it out to a thickness of about 1/4 to 1/2 inch. A silicon spatula is the best tool for spreading the sticky toffee.

Allow the toffee about 5 minutes to set up, then distribute the chocolate pieces evenly over the surface. The heat from the toffee will melt them. While it’s still soft, gently even out the layer of chocolate and then sprinkle it with the roasted and chopped hazelnuts.

At this point, you can refrigerate the toffee until it is cold and hard. Or you can just let it cool to room temperature over several hours or overnight. Once the toffee is very firm, it can be broken into smaller, irregular-sized pieces.

NOTE: If you use unsalted butter, increase the amount of salt in the recipe from 1/4 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon.