Aunt Janets White Trash Toffee Recipes

Steps:

• Generously grease a 9-by-12-inch metal cake pan with butter, making sure all the sides and corners are greased. Combine the butter, sugar, vanilla and kosher salt in a medium (10- to 11-inch) pot or Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter melts. Continue cooking for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the mixture turns a pale golden color. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture turns a deep caramel color. (Be careful, it will be extremely hot!) Immediately pour the mixture into the prepared pan, tilting the pan to distribute it evenly. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes, then use a paring knife to score lines in large irregular serving pieces. Allow the toffee to cool for 5 minutes, then retrace the lines you drew with the paring knife.
• Meanwhile, melt the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (see Cook's Note). Pour the chocolate over the toffee, using a spatula to spread it evenly. Immediately sprinkle on the cashews, pistachios, ginger and cranberries so they're evenly distributed. Sprinkle with fleur de sel and set aside at room temperature for at least 2 hours, until the chocolate is completely set. Break into pieces along the scored lines and serve at room temperature.

Steps:

• Grease 2 sheet pans with butter.
• Heat the butter, sugar, kosher salt and 1/4 cup water in a medium saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon. When the mixture starts to boil, turn the heat up to medium. Cook until the mixture reaches 302 degrees F, 15 to 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the vanilla, stirring to incorporate. Be careful not to burn yourself or the mixture.
• Immediately pour the hot toffee into the 2 prepared baking sheets and smooth until evenly coated and 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Put the pans into the fridge to let the toffee cool (this will take several hours, or leave the toffee in overnight, uncovered).
• Once the toffee has cooled, carefully loosen the pieces (you can do this by hand or with a knife). If it cracks, it's not a big deal.
• Melt the chocolate over a double boiler, stirring to combine. Use a spatula to coat one side of the toffee with the chocolate, and then immediately top with a heavy sprinkle of the pecans and a sprinkling of flaked sea salt. This must be done immediately, because the cold toffee can cause the chocolate to harden before the pecans can stick. Put the toffee back in the fridge to cool the chocolate. Once it has hardened (it takes about an hour), flip and coat the other side with the chocolate, pecans and sea salt. You will probably have chocolate and pecans left over, which you can use for more toffee. Let the toffee cool in the fridge until hardened again.
• When the toffee is ready, crack it into irregular pieces with your hands. Bag them or stick them in a tin for your own enjoyment.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a shallow baking pan, toast almonds until golden brown, 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool. Pulse chocolate in a food processor until finely ground (do not overprocess); transfer to a bowl. Pulse almonds in food processor until coarsely chopped. Sprinkle 1 cup almonds over bottom of a greased 15x10x1-in. pan. Sprinkle with 1 cup chocolate., In a heavy saucepan, combine butter, sugar and water. Cook over medium heat until a candy thermometer reads 290° (soft-crack stage), stirring occasionally., Immediately pour mixture over almonds and chocolate in pan. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate and almonds. Refrigerate until set; break into pieces.