toffee

I know, I know.  Shouldn't I be starting 2010 with some kind of zero calorie, healthy vegetable thing so you guys won't be tempted away from your New Years Resolution diets in the first week of the year?

I am a bad influence on you.  You should just close your browser window right now, and don't even bother to read this recipe.

Because if you read it, you might just realize that this toffee takes about 15 minutes to make, requires about five ingredients, is basically foolproof, and is completely delicious.

Do I have your attention yet?  I thought so.

I decided I wanted to make this after I stopped in the Vosges chocolate store in Soho shortly after Christmas.  They had toffee on sale with crushed almonds, and while it was completely delicious, I couldn't help but think how much better it would be if they didn't bother with the nuts -- so my version is just butter toffee and chocolate, nothing more, and it's completely delicious.

Toffee Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup butter

1 1/4 cups sugar

3 tablespoons water

3 tablespoons dark corn syrup

1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 tsp sea salt

Directions

Butter a baking sheet or put Silpat on a baking sheet, and set aside.

Melt the butter in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, stir in the sugar, water and corn syrup, until the sugar has dissolved. Once the mixture starts to boil, stop stirring. Set a candy thermometer to the side of the saucepan and cook, without stirring, until the mixture reaches about 300 degrees (it took me 8-10 minutes).

When the mixture hits 300 degrees, remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the toffee in an even layer onto the baking sheet. Sprinkly the chopped chocolate over the hot toffee. After a few minutes, the chocolate will be soft enough to spread with an offset spatula in an even layer over the toffee. Sprinkle the sea salt over the melted chocolate once it's spread evenly.

Cool completely in the refrigerator, and then break into pieces.

Store the toffee in an airtight container for about a week. It can also be frozen for about a month.