5 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
Butter small rimmed baking sheet. Melt butter in heavy medium saucepan over low heat. Add both sugars, ⅓ cup water, molasses, salt, and allspice; stir until sugar dissolves. Attach clip-on candy thermometer to side of pan. Increase heat to medium; boil until thermometer registers 290°F, stirring constantly but slowly and scraping bottom of pan with wooden spatula, about 20 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Mix in 1½ cups nuts. Immediately pour candy onto prepared sheet. Spread toffee to ¼-inch thickness. Immediately sprinkle chocolate over toffee. Let stand 1 minute. Using back of spoon, spread chocolate over toffee. Sprinkle with remaining ½ cup nuts. Chill 1 hour. Break toffee into pieces.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 weeks ahead. Refrigerate in airtight container. Let stand at room temperature at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour before serving.Storage Tip: Why Airtight?Even if you’re presenting the toffee as a gift, it’s important to keep the candy in an airtight container or bag. Otherwise, the toffee will draw moisture from the air—and extra moisture makes candy turn unappealingly soft. The toffee should be kept refrigerated until 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving.
Brittle is essentially caramelized sugar that is stirred together with nuts and baking soda (which aerates the candy) and then spread out on a large sheet of aluminum foil. In this brittle, the decadent sweetness is balanced by a sprinkling of sea salt. Cut the brittle into large pieces to enjoy on its own, or chop it into smaller pieces to sprinkle over ice cream. Makes about ¾ pound
1 cup unsalted macadamia nuts, toasted, chopped, cooled
1 tablespoon chilled butter, diced
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fleur de sel or other coarse sea salt
1 cup sugar
½ cup water
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
Place large sheet of aluminum foil on work surface; butter foil. Combine nuts, butter, baking soda, and fleur de sel in medium bowl.
Stir sugar, ½ cup water, and corn syrup in medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Boil without stirring until syrup is deep amber color, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 10 minutes. Remove caramel from heat. Immediately stir in nut mixture (caramel will bubble vigorously). Pour caramel onto prepared foil; spread thinly. Cool brittle until hard; cut into pieces.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 week ahead. Store brittle in airtight container at room temperature.
A southern delicacy dating back to the mid-1700s, pralines (pronounced prah-leens) are an addictive mix of pecans, brown sugar, butter, and milk. Unlike other candies, their texture is meant to be somewhat grainy and sugary. For less molasses and more caramel flavor, use golden brown sugar in place of the dark brown. Makes about 24
1½ cups sugar
¾ cup (packed) dark brown sugar
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (or more) canned evaporated milk
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups pecan halves, toasted
Line 2 baking sheets with waxed paper. Butter paper. Stir both sugars and ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons evaporated milk in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Attach clip-on candy thermometer to side of pan. Continue cooking over medium heat until thermometer registers 240°F, stirring constantly but slowly, about 5 minutes. Add butter and vanilla; stir until thermometer registers 240°F, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add nuts and stir until mixture is creamy, about 1 minute.
Working quickly, drop mixture by rounded tablespoonfuls onto prepared sheets (if candy mixture begins to set in saucepan, add 2 tablespoons evaporated milk and stir over medium heat until softened). Let candies stand until firm, about 30 minutes. Peel candies off waxed paper.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 weeks ahead. Store pralines in airtight container at room temperature.
More to TryPralines are so great on their own that it might not occur to you to eat them any other way. But if you happen to have some left over, coarsely chop them and sprinkle over vanilla ice cream or a pan of chocolate-glazed brownies.
Before the cream becomes caramel, it’s steeped in a fragrant mix of coffee, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. The caramels are great on their own—but they’re even better with a chocolate coating. Makes about 42
2 cups (about) heavy whipping cream, divided
⅓ cup (packed) freshly ground (medium-grind) coffee
20 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick, cut into small pieces
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1½ cups sugar
¼ cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons (¼ stick) unsalted butter
1 pound bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
3 ounces high-quality milk chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina), chopped
42 (about) paper candy cups
Line 8×8×2-inch metal baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving overhang. Generously butter foil. Bring 1¼ cups cream, coffee, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg to boil in heavy 2½-quart saucepan. Remove pan from heat. Cover and let steep 30 minutes.
Return mixture to boil, stirring constantly. Strain through fine sieve into measuring cup, pressing with back of spoon to extract all liquid. Add enough additional cream to measure 1½ cups. Return mixture to same saucepan. Add sugar, corn syrup, and butter. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Attach clip-on candy thermometer to side of pan. Increase heat to medium and bring to boil, brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush. Boil over medium heat until candy thermometer registers 242°F, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Pour into prepared baking pan (do not scrape saucepan). Cool caramel mixture until firm enough to cut, about 2 hours.
Line baking sheet with waxed paper. Using foil as aid, lift caramel from pan. Fold down foil sides. Using buttered heavy large knife, cut caramel into 1×1¼-inch rectangles. Transfer to prepared sheet, reshaping caramel into rectangles if necessary. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
Line 2 baking sheets with waxed paper. Melt bittersweet chocolate in top of double boiler over barely simmering water, stirring occasionally, until candy thermometer registers 115°F. Remove from over water. Working quickly, submerge 1 caramel in chocolate. Using dinner fork, lift out caramel. Tap bottom of fork on sides of pan, allowing excess chocolate to drip back into pan. Using small knife, push caramel off fork and onto prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining caramels, setting double boiler over hot water occasionally to rewarm chocolate as needed. Refrigerate candies until chocolate is firm, about 30 minutes.
Stir milk chocolate in top of double boiler over barely simmering water until melted and smooth. Immediately transfer to parchment cone or small resealable plastic bag; cut off tip. Pipe chocolate in diagonal spiral pattern on surface of each caramel. Refrigerate until firm. Transfer to paper candy cups.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 4 days ahead. Refrigerate in airtight container. Let caramels come to room temperature before serving.