Chewy Chocolate Maple Brazil Nut Toffees
The only thing more delicious than the combination of maple syrup, Brazil nuts and chocolate in these toffees is their luscious, chewy texture.
Chewy Chocolate Brazil Nut Toffees. With these toffees being such a mouthful, I made their name one too, didn’t I?!
Believe it or not, this toffee recipe didn’t make the cut when we were doing final changes to my cookbook, ‘Chocolate’! We shot 120 recipes but only 90 made it in. But that doesn’t mean these toffees weren’t worthy. They are so good that I can’t actually remember why we left them out – I blame it on the chocolate coma! 😉
Toffees are always a bit of effort to make, but the result is so worth it! There are a few tricks to perfecting toffees:
- Don’t be afraid of the toffee. It senses your fear and will crystallize!
- Always stir the sugar syrup over low heat (don’t boil) in the beginning stages to melt the sugar crystals. Once they’re all melted (I use the back of a metal spoon to check), THEN you can bring it to the boil. Any sooner, and you’ll just end up with a crystally mess.
- Brushing down the sides of the pot with hot water will also help prevent crystals and ensure your toffee is on point!
- A sugar thermometer will make life easier, but if you don’t have one, I’ve also provided ways to test the temperature without one.
- You know those little sachets you get when you buy shoes and handbags? SAVE THEM! They absorb humidity and if you pop a few in the airtight container you store your toffees in, it will stop them turning into a sticky mess. You’re welcome!
If you haven’t yet got a copy of my book, it’s available online at Takealot and Loot or at all major bookstores including Exclusive Books, Bargain Books and Wordsworth. Its packed full of 90 brand new recipes with jaw-dropping food photography from my friend Hein van Tonder of HeinStirred.com. If you have your copy already, I’d love to hear what you’ve made from it so far!
- 200 ml water
- 500 g (625ml) white sugar
- 5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla extract
- 1 x 385 g tin sweetened condensed milk
- 330 g (245ml) glucose syrup (available from baking shops)
- 100 g (70ml) maple syrup
- 150 g (150ml) unsalted salted butter, at room temperature
- 100 g The Kate Tin Dark Baking Chocolate, melted
- 100 g Brazil nuts, toasted and chopped
- Grease and line a deep 30 x 30-cm cake tin with non-stick baking paper.
- Combine the water, sugar, vanilla and condensed milk in a large, heavy-based saucepan. Slowly bring to the boil while stirring constantly
- Add the glucose and maple syrups and continue cooking over a medium heat while stirring until the mixture reaches 110 °C(test for thread stage by drizzling a small amount of the sugar syrup from a spoon into a cup of cold water – the syrup will form fine threads instead of instantly dissolving in the water). Add the butter and cook until 118 °C (or until the syrup forms a firm ball when dropped into a cup of cool water).
- Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and allow to cool completely. Cut the toffee into 3-cm squares. Dip each toffee into the melted chocolate, then sprinkle over the Brazil nuts. Allow to set on a lined baking tray.
- Store in an airtight container in a cool place (not the fridge) for up to 2 weeks.