Recipe: Old-Fashioned Buttercrunch

The crunchy toffee studded with almonds and coated in a dark, rich layer of chocolate immediately caught our attention. Cooking the sugar in the candy to the correct temperature and tempering the chocolate can seem like a challenge, but the end results are worth it.

Ingredients:

• ½ pound unsalted butter
• 12 ounces sugar
• 1 1/2 fluid ounces light corn syrup
• 1 1/2 fluid ounces water
• 5 ounces toasted granulated almonds or other nuts

Topping:

• 1/2 pound semisweet chocolate
• 5 ounces toasted granulated almonds (optional)

Instructions:

1. For the buttercrunch mixture, melt the butter in a saucepan. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining ingredients.
2. Cook, stirring occasionally until the mixture reaches 300ºF on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat, stir in almonds, and pour out on a buttered parchment lined half-sheet pan to cool and harden.
3. For the topping, melt and temper the chocolate. Brush on one side of buttercrunch and sprinkle with half of the chopped nuts if using. Allow it to set, and repeat coating on other side. After both coatings have set, break into coarse pieces and store in a tin.