Ingredients
- 1 lb whole, skin on raw almonds
- 1 lb unsalted Plugra (European butter)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 12 ounces good quality bittersweet chocolate, such as
- Lindt
Preparation
Step 1
Chop half of the almonds (2 cups) into large chunks.
Grind the remaining almonds into a coarse meal. Set aside.
Melt the butter with the salt in a medium saucepan over a medium flame. Stir the sugar in slowly with a wooden spoon.
Continue cooking, stirring pretty constantly, for about 15 minutes. The sugar will at first sink to the bottom of the pan. It will gradually melt and begin to incorporate into the butter. The mixture will turn from yellow to off-white and begin to look like taffy gaining slightly in volume and turning slightly elastic. It will then gradually darken to tan, keeping a pearlescent appearance. When it turns tan, stir in the large chunks of almond and the vanilla, which will darken the toffee. Continue stirring until the almonds begin to toast and become very fragrant and the toffee is a golden brown color, about 5-10 minutes (your nose will tell you when it's ready). If it begins to "sweat " a few beads of butter on the surface, take off the heat and stir vigorously. Pour toffee into an ungreased nonstick 11X15 inch baking sheet and help it into the corners of the pan.
Cut chocolate into chunks and melt over a double boiler. Spread half the chocolate over the surface of the cooling toffee with a pastry spatula. Cover with half of the finely ground almonds. When chocolate has hardened (about 20 minutes at room temperature) invert the pan over another pan and bent it to loosen the toffee. (Don't worry if it cracks). Spread the other side with melted chocolate and dust with the remaining ground almonds.
Place in refrigerator to harden thoroughly. Break into pieces and pack with any excess ground almonds into airtight containers or bags. Refrigerate or freeze until ready to serve.