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Toffee-Coffee Crunch Brittle

Source of Recipe


From "The New Complete Coffee Book"






List of Ingredients



• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus additional to grease pan
  
• 1 cup sugar
  
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
  
• 1/4 cup water
  
• 2 tsp instant coffee powder
  
• Pinch salt
  
• 3 Tbsp (about 22) chocolate-covered espresso beans, crushed
  
• 1-1/2 tsp finely ground espresso beans
  
• 1/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted, skinned, chopped *
  
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
  






Instructions



1. Generously butter a rimmed baking sheet. In a 2-quart heavy saucepan, combine 1/2 cup butter, sugar, corn syrup, water, coffee powder and salt. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until butter has melted. Continue to cook to 250° on a candy thermometer (hard-ball stage), about 15 minutes. Add crushed espresso beans and ground espresso, and continue to cook to 280° (soft-crack stage), 7 to 8 minutes.
   
   
2. Remove at once from heat and quickly stir in nuts. Stir in baking soda until well blended. Syrup will foam and expand.
   
   
3. Immediately pour syrup onto prepared pan. With a metal spatula, spread hot candy evenly over pan. When cool, break into pieces. Store in an airtight container.
   
   Makes about 1 pound.
   
   






Final Comments


* To toast and skin hazelnuts:
Preheat oven to 350° F. Spread nuts on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until skins crack and nuts brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Wrap nuts in a kitchen towel and let steam 5 minutes. Rub towel firmly between hands, causing most of the skins to flake off.