toasted coconut, pinenuts, walnuts, and almonds make this salty-sweet buttercrunch toffee a delight

This toffee is a “kitchen sink” type of toffee–there was shredded coconut, pinenuts, walnuts, and almonds in my pantry that I wanted to use up, and it was amazing how easily this recipe came together. The salty-sweet taste is absolutely addictive–I’m hooked, and so are my friends!

What sets this toffee apart is a high proportion of nuts, which helps balance out the sweetness in the caramel. There’s a little more salt in the toffee than most recipes, to offset the one-dimensional taste of sugar. A little baking soda helps aerate the toffee to keep it light and crunchy, while a layer of bittersweet chocolate adds depth.

Feel free to substitute the nuts I’ve used in this recipe for your favorite combination–chopped cashews would be lovely, as would pistachios or macadamia nuts.

9 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Arrange the nuts on a baking sheet, in an even layer. Place the coconut on a separate baking sheet in an even layer. Toast the nuts and the coconut in the oven for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until both are golden brown. Set aside to cool, then coarsely chop the nuts. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, combine the sugar, corn syrup, butter and water on medium-low heat. When the butter and the sugar have dissolved, increase the heat to medium-high, and stir the mixture with a wooden spoon occasionally for approximately 15 minutes, until the mixture has bubbled and turned a dark amber in color. (If you have a candy thermometer, let it cook until it reads 290 degrees.) Turn off the heat, and remove the pot from the burner. Stir in the baking soda–it will bubble up, but keep stirring. Add the salt and the nuts. Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet.

Sprinkle the chopped chocolate directly on top of the toffee in an even layer. Allow the heat from the toffee to soften the chocolate for about two minutes, then spread the chocolate evenly over the surface until the chocolate is completely melted. Sprinkle the surface of the chocolate with the toasted coconut.

Place the baking sheet in the  fridge to chill until set, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Break the toffee into pieces. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.