This is a simple homemade Almond Roca recipe. Very similar to chocolate-covered English toffee. An easy to make almond toffee covered in dark chocolate, a sprinkle of sea salt and toasted almonds.
It is hard to believe that something that tastes this good is made from five ingredients. A recipe that pays homage to a favourite toffee candy of mine.
I do need to warn you that this recipe makes the most addictive toffee crack on the planet.
What is unusual about this almond toffee is that it is made from brown sugar and butter. For those of you that dread having to make toffee or caramel from white sugar, this recipe will bring you joy.
The whole disaster of crystalising the mixture by some rogue sugar, or stirring while on the boil is a nonfactor. Instead, you need to stir this baby while on the boil to prevent burning.
It is the crystalising of the sugar mixture that gives the set toffee its wonderful crunch factor. The crunchy shattering texture as you take a bite.
Why is this the best Almond Roca recipe?
That's a good question. What indeed makes my Almond Roca recipe superior to all the others out there?
In my usual style, I have tweaked the plethora of mainstream recipes out there to come up with something a little more decadent.
I take the boiling toffee candy mixture to the brink of burning. This gives it a wonderful deep flavour with a hint of bitterness. The final product delightfully retains the butter factor.
The almond flakes are toasted. By toasting the almonds you bring out their flavour. It increases the nuttiness of the Almond Roca recipe.
Dark chocolate is a must. The toffee is already sweet enough and the dark chocolate balances it.
A sprinkling of salt flakes over the top of the chocolate also adds another wonderful dimension. The salty sweet factor we all love.
How do you know when your toffee is ready?
If you don't already have a candy thermometer in your cooking arsenal, I suggest you buy one.
After breaking so many of the cheap test tube looking candy thermometers, I now own one that looks like it is attached to a metal ruler. I also own a digital thermometer, but when making candy I like to leave the thermometer attached to the side of the pot.
The toffee needs to come to a temperature point just before the hard crack stage. Your bubbling sugar mixture needs to reach 145°C (300°F).
If you don't have a thermometer grab yourself a glass of iced water. Add a small drop of the toffee to the water. If it firms up straight away, you are good to go. If not, keep boiling a little longer.
Why is my Almond Roca chewy?
If you are using a candy thermometer you will be pretty safe from this happening. Trust the temperature guys.
If your almond toffee ends up being on the chewy side it means it hasn't come up to the right temperature. Don't panic if it is chewy, it will still be delicious.
Almond Roca Recipe Pressure Points
The biggest pressure point you are going to have with this Almond Roca recipe is getting your toffee candy to the right temperature. All without burning or panicking that you will.
This toffee needs to be stirred. It will go against all you know in regard to regular toffee making with white sugar. If you don't stir, the mixture at the bottom of the pot will catch and burn.
As this is a toffee recipe using brown sugar, it will instantly be darker in colour than one using white. Therefore it is hard to judge when to take the toffee off the heat from sight.
It will quickly go from the stage you need it to be (145°C/300°F) to burnt. Watch the temperature of the bubbling liquid gold like a hawk.
This recipe may not replicate the commercially bought Almond Roca completely. Which is a good thing, as it is far tastier.
Not only tasty but economical using basic pantry ingredients. You will end up with plenty of this chocolate coated almond toffee candy. This recipe is also a great one to have up your sleeve for homemade edible gifts.
Sara xxx
More Homemade Candy Recipes
Quick Easy Chai Fudge - using white chocolate
Lemon Myrtle Macadamia Nougat - flavours of Australia
Speculoos Butter Cups - peanut butter cups were so yesterday
Quick Easy Caramel Walnut Fudge - damn tasty and super easy
Almond Roca Recipe
Special Equipment
- Lamington/brownie pan20cm x 30 cm (8" x 12")
- candy thermometer
- heavy base medium size pot
- glass bowl
- baking tray
Ingredients
- 400 grams (2¼ cups) brown sugar light, not dark
- 450 grams unsalted butter
- 150 grams (1½ cups) flaked almonds toasted
- 300 grams 70% cocoa dark chocolate roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt flakes (kosher salt)
Instructions
- Line a 20cm x 30 cm (8" x 12") lamington/brownie pan with baking paper.
- In a medium size pot/saucepan, with a heavy base, place butter and brown sugar.
- Place pot/saucepan on stove over medium heat. Stir until butter melts and sugar is well combined. Attach candy thermometer to the side of the pot/saucepan in order to keep an eye on the temperature. Ensure the bulb/end of the thermometer is in the bubbling sugar mixture.
- Bring mixture to a medium boil and continue cooking for 8 -10 minutes. Stir the mixture regularly to stop it catching and burning.
- Remove mixture from heat when it reaches 145°C/300°F. If not using a candy thermometer please see notes.
- Reserve ⅓ cup of the toasted flaked almonds. Add remaining almonds to the toffee mixture and mix well.
- Pour mixture into the prepared lamington/brownie pan. Be careful the toffee mixture is extremely hot. Allow the almond toffee to cool on the kitchen bench while you melt the dark chocolate.
- In a glass bowl place roughly chopped chocolate. Melt chocolate in the microwave. First for 1 minute, then give the mixture a stir. Then in 30 second bursts mixing well in between. Remove chocolate from microwave when there are a few lumps left and stir until they melt.
- Pour chocolate over almond toffee and level it out with a spatula.
- Sprinkle evenly with the sea salt. Don't be too heavy handed!
- Gently crush the remaining toasted almonds with your hand. don't over do it, just a gentle smush is needed. Then sprinkle almonds over the chocolate.
- Place Almond Roca in the fridge for a couple of hours or until set. Using a heavy sharp knife cut into desired size pieces.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Notes
Nutrition
Kelly
I can't wait to make this over Easter. I love Roca!
Sara McCleary
Hi Kelly, hope you love it!
Carol
Hi Sara,
This is my favourite candy and now I am drooling. I am trying to eat healthy during this corona virus isolation so if I was to make this I would just eat it all especially as my husband does not like nuts, (yes I know he is nuts) so I will pin this for when we can go out into the world again and see my friends and family, and yes I could probably pass some over the fence to neighbours but would I, NO!!!.
Thanks for the wonderful recipe.
Carol.
Sara McCleary
Hi Carol
One of my favourites too. Now, do I tell you that you could make this quite successfully without the addition of almonds? You probably didn't need to know that 😉 But that would make for a way too easy treat to make, simply brown sugar, butter and chocolate, plus the salt flakes......... I'll stop now.
Cheers Sara