Taffy Chocolate Covered Almonds Recipes

TAFFY CHOCOLATE COVERED ALMONDS

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
• Place taffy candy pieces onto a microwave-safe plate, and heat in microwave oven until warm and soft, 5 to 10 seconds. Check after 5 seconds to prevent candy from becoming too hot.
• Place a warmed taffy piece onto a flat work surface and pat out to form a 1 1/2-inch circle.
• Cut the circle into quarters.
• Place an almond onto each quarter-circle, and enclose the almond in the taffy. Repeat for remaining taffy and almonds. Let the taffy-covered almonds cool.
• Place chocolate chips into a small microwave-safe bowl, and heat chips in microwave oven until shiny and beginning to melt, about 10 seconds. Stir, then repeat microwaving and stirring in 5-second intervals until the chocolate is warm and smooth.
• Dip each taffy-wrapped almond in chocolate, place onto the parchment paper, and allow to set until the chocolate is hardened, about 20 minutes.

ALMOND AND CHOCOLATE CLUSTERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Lightly grease the mini-muffin tins with vegetable oil spray. Place 1 teaspoon of slivered nuts in each of the muffin cups. Unwrap the caramel candies, cut each candy into quarters and place 4 quarters (1 candy) in each of the muffin cups on top of the nuts in a single layer. Bake in the oven until the caramel is just melted and beginning to spread, about 8 minutes. Be careful not to over melt the caramel or it will bubble, burn, and become too hard. Place the mini muffin tins in the refrigerator for 5 minutes to cool. Remove the nut clusters from the tins and set aside.
• Meanwhile, melt the bittersweet chocolate in a double boiler over low heat. Wisk 2 to 3 tablespoons of cream into the chocolate to slightly thin the chocolate for coating the clusters. Dip half of the nut clusters in the bittersweet chocolate and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Return the clusters to the refrigerator to harden, about 30 minutes.
• Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler over low heat. Wisk 2 to 3 tablespoons of cream into the chocolate to slightly thin the chocolate for coating the clusters. Dip remaining half of the nut clusters in the white chocolate and place on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet with the other chocolate-covered clusters. Return the clusters to the refrigerator to harden, about 30 minutes.

CHOCOLATE TAFFY

Steps:

• In heavy medium saucepan, combine sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Stir until thoroughly combined. Add corn syrup, water, and vinegar to pan and place over medium heat. Stir until sugar and cocoa dissolve, raise heat to high and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to low, clip candy thermometer to side of pan and cook until mixture reaches 260 degrees F. Remove pan from heat, add the butter and stir. Butter edges of sheet pan, line with silicone baking sheet and pour on taffy. Allow to cool until you are able to handle it.
• Once you are able to handle the taffy, don vinyl gloves, butter them, and begin to fold taffy in thirds using the silicone mat. Pick up taffy and begin to pull folding the taffy back on itself repeatedly twisting as you go. Taffy is done when it lightens in color, takes on a sheen, and becomes too hard to pull. Roll into log, cut into fourths, roll each fourth into a 1-inch wide log, and cut into 1-inch pieces. Making sure to keep pieces separated or they will stick to each other. Wrap individual pieces of candy in waxed paper. Store in airtight container 3 to 5 days.

TAFFY CHOCOLATE COVERED ALMONDS

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
• Place taffy candy pieces onto a microwave-safe plate, and heat in microwave oven until warm and soft, 5 to 10 seconds. Check after 5 seconds to prevent candy from becoming too hot.
• Place a warmed taffy piece onto a flat work surface and pat out to form a 1 1/2-inch circle.
• Cut the circle into quarters.
• Place an almond onto each quarter-circle, and enclose the almond in the taffy. Repeat for remaining taffy and almonds. Let the taffy-covered almonds cool.
• Place chocolate chips into a small microwave-safe bowl, and heat chips in microwave oven until shiny and beginning to melt, about 10 seconds. Stir, then repeat microwaving and stirring in 5-second intervals until the chocolate is warm and smooth.
• Dip each taffy-wrapped almond in chocolate, place onto the parchment paper, and allow to set until the chocolate is hardened, about 20 minutes.

CHOCOLATE-COVERED ALMOND PRALINES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet until fragrant, about 15 minutes. Let cool.
• Bring sugar and 1/4 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Continue to cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer reaches 235 degrees, about 3 minutes.
• Add toasted nuts. Cook, stirring constantly, until sugar begins to crystallize, about 1 minute. Stir in 1 1/4 teaspoons salt. Continue to cook, stirring, until sugar forms a thin, sandlike coating on nuts, 2 to 3 minutes more. Pour mixture out onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and let cool for 30 minutes.
• Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring constantly.
• Working in batches, sift nuts in a colander to remove excess sugar, and transfer nuts to a large bowl. Add chocolate, stirring to coat nuts completely. Pour mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and separate clusters into individual nuts using a fork. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Toss pralines with cocoa in a large bowl, tapping off excess. Fill 75 mini baking cups with 4 pralines each.