Crunchy, buttery toffee topped with a blanket of chocolate and a dusting of almond meal, this is English Toffee at its best. It's gluten-free and easy to make, using just 7 ingredients. Perfect for the holidays, Valentine's Day, Passover, or just for a treat!
Line a quarter sheet baking pan (preferably 9- x 13-inches) with foil and grease with canola oil spray or butter.
Make the toffee: In a 2-quart heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the butter, sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, and salt. Cook over medium heat until the butter is melted and the sugar has dissolved, stirring constantly. The mixture will be bubbling by this point.
When everything is melted, increase the heat to medium-high and cook while continuously stirring until the mixture reaches 300 °F (hard-crack stage), about 9 to 15 minutes. The toffee will be golden-brown, but it's best to check with a digital thermometer. If the candy appears to separate (with a layer of melted butter on top) stir vigorously to make it come back together again.
Once the toffee has come to temperature, immediately pour it onto the prepared pan. Use a large offset spatula to spread it out evenly as soon as possible. You don't need to go to the edges of the pan, although you can. Allow to cool for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the toppings: Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the surface of the hot toffee and let sit for 5 minutes or until the chocolate appears glossy. If the toffee has cooled too much, popping the toffee with the chocolate into a low oven (say 200 °F) for about five minutes will help melt the chocolate enough to be spreadable.
Spread the melted chocolate evenly over the surface with the same large offset spatula. Dust the top of the melted chocolate with the almond meal.
Allow the toffee to cool completely in the pan, about 1 to 2 hours.
Once the toffee is cool and the chocolate is set, start breaking the toffee into irregular shards with your hands or a butter knife.
Storage instructions: Store the candy at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a week. In the refrigerator, the candy will last for a few weeks, and in the freezer, a few months.
This recipe makes about 1¼ pounds of toffee, with each piece weighing about ⅔ ounces (20 grams).
Recipe Notes
For a crunchier nut topping, replace the almond meal with ¼ cup toasted chopped almonds. You can also use chopped pecans, cashews, macadamia nuts, or walnuts, whatever you prefer.Some recipes call for putting 1 cup of whole toasted almonds on the baking pan before adding the toffee. It's a personal preference of course, but I'd focus on the toffee this time (no judgements!).Experienced candy makers can tell by the toffee's golden-brown color if it's ready, but I prefer the precision of using a digital thermometer or a candy thermometer clipped to the side of the pan to make sure the candy reaches hard-crack stage (at least 300°F).