The Story of This Delicious Chocolate Almond Toffee
I was never a candy person. However, I love chocolate and I used to be a serious chocoholic according to my mom. About a year ago when we visited Utah to ski, our family had the pleasure of meeting my blogger friend Rachael of La Fuji Mama and her family. She is a Japanese cuisine advocate and shares Japanese recipes on her site, as she and her husband spent years living in Japan. When we met up for dinner, she gifted us with her Fuji Nana’s Deadly Chocolate Almond Toffee (the picture above is from my Instagram). When I had the first bite, I really couldn’t believe how delicious the toffees tasted. Did toffees always taste this good? Well, this toffee sure did. Since then I’ve been addicted to this particular toffee. It’s completely over the top and I’m sure if you try, you’ll have a hard time staying away from getting another piece. According to Rachael, this recipe was originally developed by her great aunt who was an amazing cook as well as a food writer for the Salt Lake Tribune or the Dessert News. The recipe was passed down to Rachael’s mom and to her. With her permission, I’m so happy to share her recipe on my site with you today. Thank you, Rachael!
5 Tips to Make Chocolate Almond Toffee
1. Use a Heavy-Bottomed Saucepan
The saucepan needs to be thick (heavy) and deep, so it can withstand the heat needed to make toffee. If it’s a thin pan, you will burn it so make sure to use the heavy-bottomed pot you have in your kitchen for this recipe. It’s required.
2. Use a Long Wooden Spoon
The wooden spoon is recommended because it has a high heat tolerance, and is insulated so it won’t cause a sudden crystallization.
3. Use Medium High Heat and Stir Constantly
I’ve seen some recipes with different instructions, such as using medium heat (vs. medium-high heat in this recipe) or not stirring while making toffee (vs. constant stirring in this recipe). I assume everyone’s recipe, if you follow it precisely, should work as it’s been tried and tested many times to be shared online. I follow this recipe to make my toffee every year and it comes out perfectly.
4. Remember the Color of Raw Almond
This recipe does not require a candy thermometer. I never made candy before and didn’t know it’s pretty standard to use a candy thermometer. Rachael told me the best thing about this recipe is that you don’t need a candy thermometer and it’s so true! I’ve made so many batches and never ever failed even once. You have to hold a piece of whole raw almond and compare the color of your candy in the pot with it. When it’s the same color, the toffee is done! As simple as that.
5. Do Not Change Ingredients.
Last but not least, since candy making is like chemistry, I do not recommend substituting ingredients (except for the type of nuts), or changing the portion of ingredients I shared in the recipe. Once you made this recipe several times and feel confident, you can double the recipe. However, I do not recommend tripling the recipe.
Troubleshooting for Toffee Separation
I make this recipe every holiday since 2016 and I can confirm that this recipe (based on Rachel’s recipe) works every single time. Although I have no personal experience in toffee separation, it’s the most common pitfall.
Possible Causes
Abrupt temperature changes. Don’t change the stove’s heat or move the pot around. The liquid in the mixture has evaporated too quickly. You omitted salt. Salt in the recipe helps to stabilize the mixture. Different brands of butter (different fat %). Heat imbalances. Did you use a small burner that’s smaller than your pot? Make sure to use a heavy-bottomed pot, not a thinner (cheaper) pot that causes hot spots.
If the toffee separates:
If somehow your butter is separated, there are a lot of online resources available but I shared quick troubleshooting inside the recipe. A lot of my friends and family enjoyed this toffee as my food testers, and I hope this Chocolate Almond Toffee recipe will bring you and your loved ones joy this holiday season! Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.
