Do you have a temperature reading for the crackle stage? I would love to try this with Special Dark (I think that's the type of chocolate you mean), but I'm not very good at judging candy stages.

Hi Ginny, sorry, I don't have a temperature reading for this. The best we can do is "crackling".

How much does this make? I have about 8 21-26 year old guys to accomodate. I need to know if I need to double, triple or quadruple the amounts.

Hi Melissa, the recipe makes one cookie sheet full. Cookie sheets come in different sizes obviously, and the smaller ones will make a thicker roca. I haven't weighed the output, but I would guess that you might want to make two batches of the recipe for these young men, if you want to send them home with some. If this is just a snack, a single recipe should do the trick. ~Elise

FYI if you have a candy thermometer: Hard crack stage - which is what you want for this candy - is 300 degrees F.

Try leaving the nuts out- make the toffee- do the chocolate thing and while it is warm press sliced or ground almonds in the chocolate. Sometimes the almonds in the toffee seem to get too dark- almost burned- this also helps the pieces from sticking together ;)

This is really close to a family recipe we call toffee. We use pecans and ice both sides with the milk chocolate. The recipe is so old it calls for a 25-cent Hershey bar which was a 1/2 lb. bar at that time. To get it really thin I use a rolling pin. It's very rich so for me the thinner the better. Mama's version was thicker. I roast the pecans separately to bring out their flavor and add them to the mixture when I take it off the heat when it reaches hard crack stage. To test your candy thermometer, see if it registers 212 deg in boiling water. Then adjust by adding or subtracting that amount when cooking to higher temps. And someone asked about doubling -- never do that with a candy recipe. Just make more batches. This makes quickly. It's waiting on the chocolate to reset that takes some time. And don't make it if it's really humid; candy is affected by temperature. This is the best candy on the planet. Enjoy!!!

I just tried to make this and I don't know what I did wrong. I followed every step exactly and after it had only been cooking for 5 minutes or so it started to get really dark and produced a lot of smoke. I took it off the burner but it already had turned to black, inedible mush. What went wrong?

I felt so sad when I read sarah's comment, so I looked up some other recipes to see if there were any major differences. Maybe a little less water, maybe a little less heat. Cooks.com posted this recipe which is nearly identical except that it seems to make twice as much and doesn't use chocolate (which makes it unacceptable, in my opinion ;) ). I was going to give this a shot as Christmas goodies.

Hi Bree - thanks for your advice, especially the advice on gauging the candy thermometer. I just wrecked a batch of caramels because both of the thermometers I was using were off. Particularly annoying is the CDN instaread thermometer I used; the actual probe is a full inch and a half from the tip of the thermometer, making it practically useless for candy making.

Hi Sarah - I think the temperature was probably too high. Although Myke had said put the temp on high, I've adjusted it now in the recipe to medium high. Make sure you are using a thick-bottomed pan, that will help the mixture heat evenly. Every stove is different - high on one is med high on another. I adjusted the recipe to note that it is hard (at least more me) to distinguish a crackling sound from regular boiling/bubbling. After overcooking one batch, I've gone to a visual method. Given the variability of humidity, altitude, peoples' stoves and pans, I think the best thing to do is experiment and see what works best given your set up.

Hi Annie - thanks for the link!

If I had dentures I would eat Almond Roca every day!! I loved it as a child.

candy making can be daunting, it's great that you've inspired so many people to try it out.

I have to say that I am very surprised that there is no salt in this recipe though. Caramel without salt is hard for me to eat, too sweet generally.

Caramel should not be put in the fridge to cool it. It's almost as hot as lava-- dangerous for you and anything that should remain cold in the fridge. Also sugar is hydroscopic, (=attracts moisture), so it gets limp and soggy in there.

I've ruined a few batches, too. Be sure to use real butter. You want a 100% fat product and too many so-called margarines are actually spreads. You want a medium heat. You want a really good, heavy-bottomed pot. It took me years to find a good one. I now use the 4 qt. All-Clad and love it, love it, love it. It's pricey, though. If you can find a heat diffuser, that will work if your pot isn't heavy-bottomed. Also, be sure you use pure cane sugar for candy-making. If it doesn't say pure cane on the package, it isn't. Beet sugar is not good for candy making; it will fail. Also, only stir occasionally. I learned this the year I taught my daughter how to make this recipe. We stood at the stove and chatted and stirred and stirred and chatted. It was a strange, granular batch. We crumbled it up and added it to cookies, biscotti and ice cream.
Oh, and in response to someone wanting to add salt for a better caramel -- this isn't caramel, it's toffee. But I don't know what effect adding salt would have, if any. Making candy isn't any different than making bread, jelly. a good pot roast -- it takes practice and confidence.

Hi
I made a double batch of almond roca and it turned out sticky on the bottom I did every thing the recipe said and I even used a candy thermometer. Is there any thing I can do with it besides throw it in the garbage? Someone must have a recipe for "didn't work out roca"

Jennifer

Hi Jennifer - the first bit of advice is don't do double batches. The second is, make sure you are attempting this on a clear day. If it is too humid, the candy will have a hard time hardening.

I also tried this last night and Sarah took the words out of my mouth:

> I just tried to make this and I don't know what I
> did wrong. I followed every step exactly and after
> it had only been cooking for 5 minutes or so it
> started to get really dark and produced a lot of
> smoke. I took it off the burner but it already had
> turned to black, inedible mush. What went wrong?
> Posted by: sarah at December 2, 2005 04:36 PM

Thanks for the advice, folks. Back to the drawing board. =) -j.

My first batch seriously failed, too. But after reading Elise's comments on looking for a warm amber color, the second batch was fantastic. I was so amazed at how much it tasted like the almond roca they sell in those pretty pink canisters. But of course, this is coming from someone who hardly cooks anything, i.e. just water in my refrigerator.

In any case, thanks Elise for this recipe! I'm giving it away for Christmas. I'll let you know how it goes.

I tried this yesterday and it turned out a little soft, not as crunchy as I would have liked. I know now that it was because I didn't let it get enough color. I pulled it off the heat as it started to turn color because I was afraid to burn it. Now I know that I need to let it color more. Sometimes you need to try something once to learn what exactly to do next time. By the way...we practically ate the whole thing.

If you don't want to rely on listening for crackling, buy a candy thermometer. The almond roca needs to reach 300 degrees or "hard crack" stage. Even then, you need a bowl of ice cold water, drop a teaspoonful of the goop into the cold water and form it into a ball, take it out and throw it hard into your sink. If it cracks, the stuff is done. I made it once and it reached 300 but I didn't do the hard crack test and it was gooey, not hard. Tricky but when it turns out good it's wonderful!!

This is almost identical to my recipe except I as soon as I have taken the mixture off of the heat, I add the almonds. I use a glass of cold water next to my stove and after about ten minutes of constant stirring, I keep dropping bits into the water. I just reach in the water and feel the drop. If it's hard, it's perfect, if it's chewy/toffee like, it needs about five more minutes. Also, I use chocolate chips. Much easier to distribute. I make one batch with milk chocolate and one batch with dark. The key with this is to be organized. Have everything ready next to the stove, including your hot pads for under your pan as it gets very hot. You cannot stop stirring, even for a moment.
V.

I made this tonight and it turned out pretty good but there was a very oily substance that floated off to the sides and when cooled looked and tasted like white cold lard? Did I not cook it long enough or too long it seems to be the right hardness!

Hi Angie, that sounds like cocoa butter separating from the chocolate. Did you use Hershey's or another brand? Do not use a premium brand of chocolate for this recipe. ~Elise

I made this tonight and it was great but there was a lard type substance on the sides white in color and tasting like pretty much nothing why did this happen did I not cook long enough or perhaps too long? The candy seems just right in hardness and crunch!

I found it easier to look for the darkening color than the crackling noise--although it was not a dramatic color change. I also thought I could smell the nuts roasting when it was at the correct stage. Mine also got very, very thick.

I was afraid it might not harden as it said you can't make this on a humid day--I live in the Willamette Valley in Oregon and October through March it's impossible to find a day that's not damp. Also, I have never made candy before in my life and a friend told me Almond Roca is the hardest kind to make. But it turned out absolutely perfect!

I am wondering how I can ice both sides of the almond roca with the chocolate, I read the commentary from Bree, but have not been able to do it.

I made a batch and brought it to my office. Huge hit. I've found that the 11 minutes is a perfect amount of time.

Ana, it's a little time-consuming but well worth the effort. Our recipe is as follows: 2 sticks butter, 1 and 1/3 c. pure cane sugar, 1 T. corn syrup and 3 T. water. Melt the butter, add the sugar, water and syrup. Stir occasionally and cook to hard crack on a good candy thermometer. Remove from heat and quickly stir in 1 c. coarsely chopped pecans. Pour on a flexible cookie sheet. Allow to cool. Ice with melted milk chocolate and sprinkle with a 1/2 c. finely chopped pecans. When the chocolate sets back up flip the candy over and repeat the chocolate and nuts. Now, to flip it -- cover the candy with waxed paper and another cookie sheet. Flip it and then flex the cookie sheet so the candy will pop off. It usually breaks up a bit. You're going to break it up anyway, broken candy tastes just as good and provides the opportunity for calorie leakage. It takes about 8-10 oz. of milk chocolate. I prefer milk chocolate for this since I ice both sides. I love dark chocolate but on both sides it would overpower the buttery toffee. I've had some problems with the chocolate setting back up this year. I know it's not humidity because we're 12" below normal and under a fire watch. Go figure. Maybe Hershey's has changed their formula.

I have been making this recipe for years but was interested to learn that using the wrong kind of sugar mattered. I have burned several batches, but finally learned that I had the heat up too high. I turn the burner on #3 and keep it there for the entire time. I put the toasted almonds on the buttered pan and pour the candy over it. Also I frost with 1/2 semi sweet chocolate and 1/2 milk chocolate (melted)and sprinkle crushed toasted almonds over chocolate.

i made a batch, then another with salt--mmmm, much tastier. i would think the purpose of adding salt would be obvious (flavor) and it did resolve the 'something's not quite right...' feeling i had about the first batch. most gourmet toffee/caramel recipes i've seen call for some.

by the way, the reason for the grittines or granular texture of some attempts is that sugar's very unstable as a liquid. if you stir and happen to knock hardened bits (crystals) in from the side, you will set of a chain reaction that results in gritty caramel/toffee. it's still good for making a sauce out of, though. add some cream/milk or water & reheat until the crystals melt.

I've had the best luck using my electric frying pan, setting it to 300 degrees.
I judge mine by color and leave it cooking longer than you want to, ( the 2nd batch usually turns out the best).

Gayle

Completely forgot to put in the corn syrup and yet it still turned out completely delicious! The dark chocolate on top was a perfect compliment to the flavor of the roca/toffee.

I did the whole "guage your thermometer" thing and luckily my mercury candy thermometer from target was right on the money. Kept it at 300 degrees, just right.

There was the occasional white streak in my chocolate topping as well, I think it is separated fats from the butter rising up or something.

The one thing I was confused about was that this sort of grease like clarified butter separated from the "main goo," the toffee stuff, but that just seemed to grease the pan. Did I do this right? Did leaving out that tablespoon of corn syrup screw things up? The stuff turned out fine and hardened nicely...yet you can crack off pieces easily as the nuts make easy break points...

Any ideas on why that grease separated?

- Matt

Matt, thanks for the information about not putting corn syrup. I have always wondered how the candy will turn out without corn syrup. The grease was not caused by the lack of corn syrup. I had the same result with corn syrup.

The first time I used this recipe I cut it in half and it turned out perfect;however, the next time I made it, I followed the recipe exactly and it didn't come out like the first batch. Then I tried it again and it still didn't turn out, so I went back to cutting the recipe in half and it turned out perfect. My husband loved it, and said just to make it the way I did the first time. Also, the half batch I can spread it pretty thin so my children can eat it. So, for those of you having problems with this recipe try it this way. Cut everything in half except for the almonds. I used the small pack of whole almonds (2/3c.), and I had my 3 year old son take a meat tenderizer hammer and smash the package until all the almonds were crushed. He had fun doing it, and the pieces came out just the right size for him to eat.

Dear Elise,

I tried your recipe and also cut it in half and used a a small saucepan. Everything turned out great and surprised me since it was my first time, but I had learned to carmelized sugar for flan before so maybe that's why things went smoothly.

It tasted just as expected, but is there anything I can do to keep the toffee side from being so oily/greasy? I used one stick of organic butter, so I'm wondering if that was too much. It didn't turn out as dry as the packaged ones. Also, I just remembered I didn't use the corn syrup, so might that have been a factor?

I'm gonna try it again since I bought the Karo syrup, but your feedback would be great! This is also first time I've seen your site, and look forward to trying many more of your recipes posted. I'm still very new to cooking, baking, etc... so this candy making recipe was soooooo fun =)

Thanks!

Just found this blog and recipe. In our family this is known as almond butter crunch and no family Christmas is complete without it. We actually have been known to use *unsweetened* chocolate to coat it, as even bittersweet was deemed too sweet by some (I find that a lot of U.S. candy recipes are considered too sweet for Canadian tastes). To coat both sides, just wait until the first side has completely dried and the toffee is well set, then turn it over (should be easy enough to do if you have buttered the pan well). You might have to reheat the second portion of chocolate to get it back to spreading consistancy.

I have found that warming the sugar slightly prior to cooking it helps to prevent it breaking. I have also started eyeballing for doneness as I had the same problem with candy thermometers that others describe here. I use a jelly roll pan (with sides) to prevent toffee creep.

Elise, I really have enjoyed visiting your blog, and plan to check out more of your recipes.

Hello,
We've been making almond roca and lately the chocolate has been separating from the toffee when we're breaking it or cutting it up. Do you know why it's doing this?

I have been making candy for the holidays for over 10 years, and consider myself something of an expert on toffee. While the types of candy I make each year varies, I rotate new ones in and old ones old, the toffee always stays. In fact, I'm up to 3 batches because it's so good! So I'm adding this to my repertoire for 2006. I feel I have to say, to ensure you're going to get the proper hardness, that nice "snap", inexperienced candy makers in particular should not fool around with listening for a "crackle" (which incidentally I never heard) or the looking for a subjective right color. This candy goes from "delicious" to "burned & ruined" in the blink of an eye, and so I cannot stress enough the importance of a candy thermometer - no professional would attempt toffee without it. You want medium low heat, keep stirring, and it must hit the 300 degree mark - and then whisk it off the stove. You can easily leave the nuts out of this recipe, when allergies are a concern and I recommend making a batch one time without the corn syrup - the difference is subtle but noticeable, and some may prefer to leave it out. Incidentally, this makes about 1 1/2 lbs. of toffee - and by the way, this is NOT a caramel, for anyone who thought it may be. It reaches the hard crack stage and has no cream. Caramels are delicious, and tricky too, but this is a fairly authentic English toffee.

I really enjoyed this recipe, My husband and I had never made candy before we tried this last year, and It came out wonderful.. So wonderful in fact, I found myself looking for the recipe all over again, since I had misplaced it.. I am super excited to have found it again!

Hello

Just read all the comments and found some good suggestions. My husbands Grandparents used to make trays and trays of Roca to give as gifts at Christmas. We got one Christmas to learn the family secret before they passed away. That was years ago. We only use a pound of butter, 2 cups sugar and 1 1/2 cups Almonds. For some reason lately the mixture seperates into the sugar and oil. Makes a real mess. We have tried different butters thinking the butter was changing but it doesn't seem to help. We are seriously considering giving up the making of Roca as it gets very expensive to ruin 2 or 3 batches. Do you have any suggestions as to what could be causing this? It never used to seperate and was fairly easy to make. Any help would be very much appreciated by us and all the friends who might not get their Roca this year. Thank You!

I made almond roca using the exact recipe Bree gave for years - with only very occasional ruined batches. For the past about 3 years, I haven't been able to make 1 good batch! It sounds like I have the same problem as Michele, as the butter separates and the candy goes sugary. I've read around a bit (after ruining another batch today) and found that the corn syrup is not there for taste, but to keep the sugar from re-crystalizing. The big difference across recipes seems to be how much to stir and how fast to cook. I've always stirred a lot and done it on medium heat, but maybe I'll try Bree's suggestion to stir only a little. Does anyone know if the type of pot matters - i.e., coated or not? Any other pointers? I'm going to try one more batch this year before going back to chocolate chip cookies. Thanks.

If the butter and sugar separate....just keep stirring. Don't stop stirring until they go back together (this will take about 10 minutes). When they go back together...your roca is done. Throw in the almonds and pour it in a pan.

Also, there are a lot of different recipes for roca (AKA: butter toffee).......but I follow this simple guideline...25% more sugar than butter. Nothing else....just sugar and butter.

Well, I think I got a reasonable batch tonight! Buoyed by Orson's directive to 'just keep stirring' if the sugar and butter separated, I tried again. Little less sugar (25% more than the butter!) and no scraping the edges of the pot as I stirred moderately. It may be a little more chewy than I'd like, but at least recognizable as 'roca'. Any last pointers to go from slightly chewy to crackly? More heat? I didn't have to try the 'keep stirring' plan B.

I made a batch of toffee and placed hershey bars to melt on top of the toffee while it was still hot. I let the batch cool at room temperature for about an hour and then put it in the refrigerator overnight. This morning I tried to break it apart and the chocolate would not adhere to the toffee -- it separated. Anybody know what I should do differently?

Nancy....Oops, my math failed me. I just realized that 25% more sugar isn't what I use. I use 2 1/4 cups sugar and 2 cups (1 lb) butter....so I guess that's 12.5% more sugar.

It shouldn't be chewy. You need to cook it longer. When it is done...it will change consistency and it will actually start to harden on anything that is cooler...like the handle of the spoon or the sides of the pan. I don't use a thermometer at all.

Temp should be between medium and med-high.......like 6 out of 10.

Also, you need to stir constantly...in a manner that promotes the mixing of the sugar and butter...like a figure 8 pattern. Just stirring in a circle keeps the mass of goo moving...but it doesn't mix it together.

It is actually EASIER when it separates because when it goes completely back together it is pretty much done.

Done worry about scraping the sides...I scrape the sides and it turns out fine.

I tried this tonight and it looked like it came out right, but when I tried a piece it took one of my crowns off! I got it to 300 degrees and it also passed the hard crack test. It set nicely and I tried it before doing the chocolate to make sure it was edible. It's hard when you first start chewing it, but them it gets extremely chewy and sticky. Did I not cook it enough?

Any suggestions as to what I can do with it other than throw it away? I would just be too worried to serve it!

I've tried making butter toffee several times. The first time it turned out perfect and five times after that the butter separated from the sugar and I ended up with a grainy mess. I didn't do anything different and I feel soo frustrated, any advice?

I was curious if the butter seperating was during the cooking process? I thought someone was saying it was when they were frosting with the chocolate.

and to amber, you can either go up and read or follow what i do... make sure to use a large pan as said in the recipe. Mix constantly while the butter is melting and first combining with the sugar, water, corn syrup (make sure to get every drop because it prevents crystalization) mixture. Also make sure that you are using quality ingredients for butter I suggest "challenge" grade AA butter with salt so it gives it a better toffee flavor, C&H Cane sugar. when it reaches the rolling boil continue to stir in a figure 8. I suggest waiting until the mixture is totally bubbling across the surface and is turning more white to add the slivered almonds... otherwise they may start to burn when getting to the warm amber color. And once the almonds are in, stir occassionaly to prevent burning but not too often because it can cause the sugar molecules to collide and start a domino effect crystalization. continue to cook until warm amber color move out onto a jellyroll type pan and place chocolate etc... same as recipe.

But I do have to say my technique was helped by reading the above posts and taking bits out that worked for me and for the area I live in (Bay Area, CA, USA).

Also I HIGHLY suggest Silpat mats. They are SO useful especially in multiple batch situations. :D I bought one tonight for my cooking purposes and I think I'm going to hurt anyone who tries to touch it... it's my own... my precious...

I made this almond roca tonight to give to my neighbors and family. It turned out great and everyone loved it! Best part was it only took me about 15 minute to make. Thanks

My friend and I tried this today - with both of us begin first time candy cooks our batch of almond roca came out really well. Thanks Elise for putting this recipe up!

There's something I meant to be asking, but I don't see it in the comments (I may have missed it). Why shouldn't this be attempted on humid or rainy days? It worked well for us as where we live is humid and rainy all year round.

Anyway, while making the candy we didn't exactly cook it at med high heat at first. We started off with low heat and increased it slowly once it started boiling. Somehow, it gave us a greater control over the mixture. Hope this helps anyone out there wanting to try this out.

Last month I made four double batches of a very similar toffee recipe, the first batch had gooey separation and never came back together, and I feel pretty confident it was due to melting the butter too fast resulting in separation.

Nick, the humidity warning pretty much applies to most candymaking, as sugar is hygroscopic, which means that it absorbs moisture from the air. For toffee this results in a less crisp toffee over time that gets chewey and sticks in your molars. I store my toffee in airtight containers between wax paper until I'm ready to enrobe in chocolate. Completely dipping in chocolate goes a long way to protecting the toffee from moisture.

Alexandra, I stir like a madman after I add the almonds and haven't had any issues with crystallization.

Love the site, Elise!

While still warm but not brittle, try taking a cookie cutter to the mixture to make fun shapes like hearts and christmas trees!

Great site! Love your recipes!!!!

I just read ALL the above comments and tried my own version of this recipe. I cooked the sugar Karo and butter (ommitting the water) to 300 degrees, stirring in a figure eight and avoiding the sides of the pan. While the mixture was cooking I set chopped walnuts to soak in 1.5oz of Kahlua. When the toffee was ready I quickly stirred in the liquer soaked nuts. I spread the toffee in a buttered foil lined cookie sheet and topped with chocolate chips then I folded the toffee back over itself (using the foil) so that now the chocolate is marbled through out. It's yummy. Thanks for all the suggestions.

I have made toffee/roca many times over the past
several years, and here is a tip that may help: if my butter starts to separate from the sugar when it is cooking, I toss a tiny bit of baking soda into the mix...(maybe a 1/4 of a teaspoon?)..this normally helps the mixture to bind together once again (without having to
stir vigorously.)

Thank you for your recipe for Almond Roca! I made it yesterday and it
turned out perfectly--I watched for the color change and checked with a
candy therm. I'm so excited about this recipe...Last minute/forgotten
Christmas gifts are no longer a worry! Thank you again.

I took some of it to work and once people discovered it, it was gone in about twenty minutes! Coworkers were actually taking it to other coworkers saying, "you have to try this...it's sooo good!"

I just made this recipe tonight and it turned out great! I kept checking the temperature and was nervous about burning it. However, the color change was very clear and, probably the most helpful was checking for the "hard crack" stage by dropping a little bit into a bowl of water like Rebecca (12/10/2005) suggested: "The almond roca needs to reach 300 degrees or "hard crack" stage. Even then, you need a bowl of ice cold water, drop a teaspoonful of the goop into the cold water and form it into a ball, take it out and throw it hard into your sink. If it cracks, the stuff is done."

I have been inspired to make caramels and almond roca this holiday season, as my mother used this time of year. They really do make a sweet treat for someone special...including yourself!! While searching for a recipe that seemed reasonable, I came across this site, and after reading a handful of comments, some good and some disasterous, I don't know if all this is because of the many different variables used by enthused candy makers, or simple human error. I guess I'll give this one a try and see how it works out for me...hopefully as savory and delightful as my mom's was! Thanks!

Well how our almond roca worked is we did every thing right and it tasted good but it was a lil chewy but hard. What should I do next time?

I have been making roca for years and it turned out perfect until recently the butter separates from the mixture. Does anyone know why this is happening. I have tried lower heat, higher heat different pots, and i use pure sugar and real butter unsalted. can someone help me!!!!

These comments make me feel better.....I am only 1 for 4 with my almond roca. (Misery loves company, I guess.) My recipe is a lil different...no Karo syrup and 2 tsp almond flavoring. My first batch was nearly perfect....maybe a lil chewy. But the next three have all flopped....with the the roca being grainy/crystalized. I used a candy thermometer...301 degrees. I'm thinking I heated it too fast. And I will use the ice water suggestion, the figure 8 technique and this recipe. I will report back.

So I was searching because I too have made a recipe for almond roca for the past forever and have never had any issues until the last 2 years where it seperated and was just all around not good. I will try the keep stirring method next but a little tip for the temp, we cook it until it is the color of peanut butter. I have watched my grandma and mom do it for years, pull the jar of peanut butter out and place it right next to the pan, when it turns that color, it is perfect. We also use the 2 cups of sugar, 1 lb of butter and almond recipe but we add a tsp. of vanilla right after it turns peanut butter color and then add the almonds after that. Thanks for the tips.

Is there anything you can do when you don't cook candy (peanut brittle) long enough and it is sticky? I wondered if putting it in a oven would help.

For many years, I've made a recipe that is similar but just butter, sugar, almonds and of course the chocolate for the top. But that was on an electric stove and this year I tried it for the first time on gas and the butter totally separated out. As per the advice above, I just kept stirring and it eventually reabsorbed and turned out OK, much to my surprise. Anyway, over the years I have discovered that cooking it in the oven actually works pretty well. A fact I discovered when I too had made a batch that didn't set up hard but it had solidified into the setting pan too much to try to get it back into the saucepan. So, I just put it into the oven at 300 and it actually boiled right in the pan (it was like a jelly roll pan, not a cookie sheet. It had sides), turned brown and went to hard crack without any stirring necessary! After that realization, I played around with using the oven some more and found if I just mixed everything in the saucepan and then immediately poured it into the jelly roll pan and put it into the oven for a fixed time, I got consistently good results! But I think exactly what temp you set and how long to cook it for is going to be extremely dependent on your oven as they vary widely in temperature control. (I don't trust my current oven so I haven't tried it in there, yet so I don't really know if I was just lucky with my other one or not). But, if you've botched a batch, by all means try fixing it in the oven!
Also, I too have had the chocolate chip off if I left the candy in the fridge overnight. Seems as though if the chocolate gets too cold it becomes too brittle itself and won't stick. Best to use the fridge in moderation... I put the candy on the stone counter which cools the candy down a lot then only use the fridge until the chocolate sets (If I'm in a hurry, like making a last minute potluck item :) then take it out. Normally, if you have the time it's easiest to just let everything set at room temp.

After two failed attempts at making Almond Roca, it finally worked out. In the first two tries, the butter separated from the rest of the mix once it hit about 250 degrees and it was just grainy slop.

The two things I changed in my first batch were: 1 used salted butter (I used unsalted in my two previous attempts); and I also used my heaviest pot. I had been using a good pot, but not my heaviest one so I switched. I'm not sure if it was the pot or the salted butter that made a difference, or a combination of the two, but my third batch was absolutely delicious! Also, if you are at a higher elevation, it takes a lot longer than 10 minutes!

Success! Last night's batch of Almond Roca turned out perfect. I think heat is the key to this recipe. Previously, I cooked it on a fairly high setting on my gas range...between medium and high...and it failed three times. This time I turned it way down...between low and medium. Naturally, it took longer to reach 301 degrees...but it had much better color than when I used the higher heat setting. I also used other suggestions from here...used peanut butter to get proper color and dropped a dollop in cold water. Also, I doubled the recipe...and forgot to put in the water...and it still was perfect.

I followed the recipe carefully. I never saw an amber color because the syrup bubbled too much. When I took it off the heat after about 13 minutes, it separated as if the butter clarified. I used a candy thermometer and it registered 290. Any suggestions?

For those who do not have a good quality heavy bottomed pan, you can try what I do when making candies. I use a good pan (though not heavy enough for candy making), and put it on top of a large cast iron frying pan or on a cast iron skillet. I have not scorched candy yet doing this. This method works for anything that needs a heavy bottomed pan, like recipes where you have to boil milk without scorching it. I have not tried this recipe, but I love almond roca and will try it soon.

Robin,
If butter seperates, You can try:
1. Pull it off heat,
2. At a bit hot water to the mixture,
3. Put it back on heat, and stir stir stir, it will come back together eventually.
Bonne chance!

This is a super recipe. I Just followed the instructions and it came out perfect. I've never made candy before. You'll notice when the mixture turns into like a blob (crackle stage) you're almost there,follow recipe.

For those of you getting grainy toffee, your sugar is crystalizing. What you should do is leave the mixture, stir only a few times and then with a clean pastry brush and cold water, wash down the sides of the pot.If not the sugar left on the side crystalize and in turn ruin your toffee.
Also if the chocolate is getting white streaks its called fat bloom. Normally it means the chocolate is not tempered. Just try stirring it better.

THANK YOU EVERYONE for all your help. Your comments have made my night! I have tried about 6 botched pots of toffee for Almond Roca and I couldn't get it to work out; no matter what I did it kept separating or over cooking. I finally used someone's tip and put a cast iron pan under my pot, left it at med-low temp, and did not hardly stir it. Come to find out, my 2 candy thermometers are really off (obviously price means nothing!!). I used salted butter and washed the sides of the pot down with a wet brush. It finally cooked enough after about 30 mins!!! It is my husbands favorite. He is away at RCMP training and has been gone for almost 3 months now. I am SOOO happy to be able to surprise him with a package containing his favorite treat! THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN!

In response to a comment posted by Strangette: (This tip came from one of the many fabulous candy-makers and bakers on eGullet)
To solve the problem of the toffee side being oily or greasy, simply sprinkle some cocoa powder on it, and then coat with chocolate. The cocoa powder absorbs the extra oil, and helps the chocolate adhere better.
Hope this helps in your next batch.

Great tip, thanks! ~Elise

Hello, I've got a question about this recipe - I would love to try it, but I cannot get anything like corn syrup here. Is there anything what could replace it? Or could I skip it?

Can someone help me? When i make my english toffee, and pour it over the cookie sheet, it comes out to thick, what can i do to make it thinner?

How do you fix toffee or brittle after humidity sets in and makes it sticky or un-crunchy? Will putting it in the oven work? How hot, how long? I bought some and it wasn't stored correctly so it absorbed moisture and went gooey on us.