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Crunch: Chocolate Butter Crunch

Source of Recipe

Bruce


Recipe Introduction

This is a fairly complicated recipe, and the temperature watching is critcal. Take it one step at a time though, have all your gear set up before you start, and follow the recipe through, and you will make wonderful candy. Heat oven to 300 degrees. In two separate baking pans, toast:


3/4 cup whole almonds with skins- toast till lightly colored, chop coarsely, leave in turned-off oven.
1 1/2 cup almonds, finely chopped- lightly toasted, cool and reserve.

Warm and butter a baking sheet, and butter a spatula. In a heavy pan, bring to a boil together:


1/3 cup water
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup

Cover and simmer for two minutes, add:


1/2 lb unsalted butter

Stir until butter is melted, bring to a moderate boil. If you have a candy thermometer, use it. If not, see notes at end of recipe. Stir occasionaly until 240 degrees is reached. Then stir continuously until the thermometer reaches 300. Don't let it go over 300. Be careful, temperature goes up rather rapidly toward the end of the cooking. At 300, remove the pot from the heat and stir in:


1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda

Pour onto the prepared baking sheet. With the buttered spatula, spread it out into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Let it cool till pliable, and cut it into one inch by two inch pieces with a sharp knie. Push the pieces a little bit apart, and let cool completely. Push pieces tightly back together. Then melt gently together in a double boiler:


6 ounces dark sweet chocolate
4 squares, (ounces) unsweetened baking chocolate
1 1/2 tsp peanut or light salad oil

Stir till well blended, cool until thick enough to spread but still thin enough to pour. Pour over the candy, spreading evenly with the spatula. Then sprinkle the finely chopped almonds evenly over the chocolate and press in gently. Let it all cool and set up well, break the candy pieces apart, and store carefully.

Note: If you don't have a candy thermometer, these are from my notes as to what it looks like when you get to the critical temperatures:

240 degrees: ...the point at which it loses it's "bubblyness" and becomes "jiggly-glossy" and begins browning around the edges as you stir it down...
300 degrees: ...point when boiling slows, color is like a ginger snap, consistency like lava...