Bonus: Almond Roca Recipe

Here’s a tutorial with the secrets to successful candy making at home.

And here’s our family Almond Roca Recipe or Almond Toffee:

Almond Roca Recipe

Tasty almond and chocolate candy, perfect for the holidays.

• Author: Chris Dalziel
• Prep Time: 15 min
• Cook Time: 45 min
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 8 1/4 lb bags
• Category: Candy
• Method: unknown

Ingredients

• 1 lb. butter (don’t substitute margarine for the butter)
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. honey
• 1/3 cup cold water
• 1 cup blanched and slivered almonds
• 1 1/2 chocolate chips or dark chocolate melted over a double boiler (ensure that no water or steam gets into the chocolate or it will seize)

Instructions

• Mix butter, sugar, water and honey together in a large, heavy pan.
• Cover and boil for 5 minutes.
• Remove the lid and wash down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in water.
• Do not stir the mixture.
• Insert candy thermometer.
• Cook until the candy thermometer reaches 290F — cook to 300F if you prefer a butterscotch toffee base.
• Remember to adjust the temperature to account for your elevation, by subtracting 2 degree F for every 1,000 feet in elevation above sea level that you live.
• Once candy reaches temperature, take off heat.
• Stir in almonds.
• Pour onto a well buttered baking sheet and spread out thinly.
• Allow to cool for a few minutes until a crust forms on top.
• Spread melted chocolate on top, sprinkle with more almonds, if desired or decorate with a small amount of white chocolate.
• Allow to cool over night.
• Break into pieces and package in 1/4 lb. gift giving bags.
• Makes 1 1/2 lbs of Almond Roca.

Almond Roca Recipe

1 lb. butter (don’t substitute margarine for the butter)

2 cups brown sugar

2 tbsp. honey

1/3 cup cold water

1 cup blanched and slivered almonds

1 1/2 chocolate chips or dark chocolate melted over a double boiler (ensure that no water or steam gets into the chocolate or it will seize)

Mix butter, sugar, water and honey together in a large, heavy pan.  Cover and boil for 5 minutes.  Remove the lid and wash down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in water.  Do not stir the mixture.  Insert candy thermometer.  Cook until the candy thermometer reaches 290F — cook to 300F if you prefer a butterscotch toffee base.  Remember to adjust the temperature to account for your elevation, by subtracting 2 degree F for every 1,000 feet in elevation above sea level that you live.

Stir in almonds.  Pour onto a well buttered baking sheet and spread out thinly.  Allow to cool for a few minutes until a crust forms on top.  Spread melted chocolate on top, sprinkle with more almonds, if desired or decorate with a small amount of white chocolate.  Allow to cool over night.  Break into pieces and package in 1/4 lb. gift giving bags.  Makes 1 1/2 lbs of Almond Roca.

Enjoy!

This is part of an ongoing series of frugal, sustainable, hand made gift giving ideas.  You can see more in the series here.

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