Easy Almond Roca
This Easy Almond Roca can be made from a few simple pantry ingredients and yields snappy, sweet and salty gourmet candy!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2/3 cup chopped roasted, unsalted almonds
Instructions
- Line an 8x8 square pan with parchment paper and allow the parchment sides to hang over the edges of the pan for easier removal later. Set aside. Meanwhile, measure out your vanilla and set it out next to your stove so it is ready when you are.
- In a medium heavy bottomed pot, add the cubed butter, granulated sugar, water, and salt and turn the stove to medium heat. Cook, stirring gently occasionally with a wooden spoon, until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Once the mixture begins to come to a boil, attach a candy thermometer to the pot.
- Allow the mixture to boil, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon until mixture reaches 305° degrees F on the candy thermometer, also known as hard crack stage. The toffee should be the color of a raw almond. Depending on your stove, this could take anywhere from 10-20 minutes. Once it reaches 305° degrees, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract; note that the vanilla will cause the mixture to bubble and foam violently, so be careful.
- Pour the toffee into the prepared parchment-lined pan in an even layer. Let set for about 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, sprinkle the top of the toffee with the semi-sweet chocolate chips in an even layer. Cover the pan with foil and let set for another 5 minutes. Remove the foil and spread the now melty chocolate chips in an even layer using an offset spatula. Sprinkle with the chopped almonds.
- Allow the toffee and chocolate to set completely at room temperature, or you can expedite this process by refrigerating the pan.
Notes
I recommend using roasted, unsalted almonds for a great toasted almond flavor. If you can't find these, you can lightly toast your own almonds by purchasing raw almonds and toasting them over medium-low heat in a dry skillet for a few minutes or until nutty and fragrant.