Toffee Chocolate Bark With Toasted Almonds Recipes

Steps:

• Position rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Spread nuts on a baking tray and bake until toasted, 10 to 15 minutes, turning nuts after 7 to 8 minutes to ensure even toasting. Cool and chop coarsely. You should have about 2 cups. Set aside. Clean baking tray and coat with vegetable oil or vegetable oil spray. Spray both sides of the offset spatula with vegetable oil spray. Set aside.
• Make the toffee: Place sugar in a small deep saucepan. Add the corn syrup and water or rum and, over medium heat, bring to a boil. Let boil until large bubbles form on the surface, 3 to 4 minutes. Cover with foil and boil 5 minutes longer.
• Add the pieces of butter and continue cooking, uncovered, over medium heat until temperature reaches 300 degrees F on a candy thermometer, about 30 minutes. (The candy thermometer has a clip on the side that can be slid up or down. If desired, you can fit the thermometer on the side of the pan, making sure that it rests in the mixture, not on the bottom of the pan, so that the reading is accurate.) Remove from heat and immediately add the salt, baking soda, and 1 cup of chopped nuts. Stir with a wooden spoon until well combined.
• Pour the toffee mixture on the oiled baking tray and, using the offset spatula, spread the mixture out, making a block about 10 by 13 inches. The toffee will thicken very quickly, so work as fast as you can. When cool, blot some of the oil or vegetable spray with a clean towel.
• While the toffee mixture is cooling, melt the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl placed over simmering water. When almost melted, turn off heat and let the chocolate continue to melt, stirring occasionally. Keep warm.
• When you can lift up the block of toffee, transfer it to a flat work surface or to a clean baking tray. Pour the melted chocolate over the toffee, spreading to cover the entire surface and, before the chocolate cools, sprinkle with the remaining chopped nuts. If the chocolate takes a long time to harden, refrigerate for about 10 minutes to set the chocolate.
• Return the block of toffee to the work surface and break up into pieces approximately 1 to 1 1/2 inches wide. Then cut into smaller pieces, as desired. Use as needed.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line a greased 15x10-in. rimmed baking pan with parchment paper coated with cooking spray. Arrange cookies in pan., Microwave butter until melted; whisk in brown sugar. Microwave 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until mixture is a thick caramel sauce. Pour sauce over cookies, covering each completely., Bake until puffed up and bubbly, about 10 minutes (do not allow to burn). Cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over hot caramel. Let stand 5 minutes; spread chocolate over caramel. Top with almonds., Refrigerate baking pan until chocolate and caramel have hardened, about 1 hour. Break or cut bark.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour three 9-inch cake pans. Cut parchment paper circles to fit the bottoms of the pans and fit into the bottom of the cake pans.
• In a free standing mixer, add both sugars and butter until light and creamy. Beat in eggs, vanilla, and tomatoes. In a separate large bowl, combine cocoa, cake flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Beat cocoa mixture into butter mixture alternately with the buttermilk, in 3 additions. Pour into prepared pans. Bake cakes for 32 to 35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean and tops of cake spring back at the touch. Cool cakes for 15 minutes. Carefully remove from pans and cool completely on racks.
• Meanwhile, Prepare whipped ganache filling: In a large saucepan, heat 1 cup cream to boiling. Stir in chocolate. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth. Cool ganache completely. In a separate bowl, whisk remaining 1 cup cream until soft peaks form. Stir in ganache mixtue, stirring gently to not deflate cream. Refrigerate until assembly time.
• Prepare frosting by combining butter and cream cheese in a large bowl. Beat until fluffy. Stir in buttermilk, salt, vanilla, and lemon juice. Beat in enough powdered sugar in 1/2 cup increments until light and fluffy, adding more buttermilk if necessary.
• To assemble cake, trim tops of cake with a serrated knife so that they are perfectly even and flat. Place 1 cake layer on cake platter. Spread with half of ganache filling, not quite to the edges. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup almonds, and 1/3 cup toffee bits. Repeat with next layer. Top with final cake layer. Frost entire tops and outsides of cake with cream cheese frosting. Sprinkle tops of cake with remaining toffee and almonds, and garnish with chocolate curls. Serve immediately, or refrigerate up to 24 hours before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Roast almonds on 1 baking sheet in the preheated oven, stirring occasionally, until toasted, about 10 minutes.
• Microwave white chocolate melting wafers and butter in a microwave-safe bowl on medium-high for 1 minute 30 seconds; stir. Microwave until completely melted, 20 to 30 seconds more. Add almond extract and stir until smooth. Stir in toasted almonds.
• Spread chocolate mixture evenly onto the second baking sheet. Chill in the refrigerator until hardened, about 1 hour. Break into small pieces by hand.

Steps:

• In a large heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the butter, sugar and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring until the butter is melted. Allow to come to a boil, and cook until the mixture becomes a dark amber color, and the temperature has reached 285 degrees F (137 degrees C). Stir occasionally.
• While the toffee is cooking, cover a large baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
• As soon as the toffee reaches the proper temperature, pour it out onto the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the chocolate over the top, and let it set for a minute or two to soften. Spread the chocolate into a thin even layer once it is melted. Sprinkle the nuts over the chocolate, and press in slightly. Putting a plastic bag over your hand will minimize the mess.
• Place the toffee in the refrigerator to chill until set. Break into pieces, and store in an airtight container.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. and oil a large baking sheet.
• In a large baking pan spread almonds evenly and toast in middle of oven, stirring nuts halfway through toasting, until golden, about 10 minutes. In a 3-quart heavy saucepan bring butter, sugar, water, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt to a boil over moderate heat, stirring with a wooden spoon. Boil mixture, without stirring, swirling pan occasionally, until deep golden, about 12 minutes.
• Remove pan from heat and stir in two thirds almonds. Immediately pour toffee onto baking sheet and with an offset spatula spread in a thin layer. Carefully transfer baking sheet (it will be very hot) to a rack and cool toffee.
• Chop chocolate. In a double boiler or a small metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt chocolate, stirring until smooth. Pour chocolate over cooled toffee and evenly spread with offset spatula. Sprinkle toffee with remaining almonds. Chill toffee, uncovered, until firm, about 1 hour.
• Break toffee into 2-inch pieces of "bark." Bark keeps, layered between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container at cool room temperature or chilled, 1 week.