Almond Toffee Tart Food

WHISKY TOFFEE ALMOND TART

Steps:

• Whizz the flour, butter and a pinch of salt in a food processor until it forms fine crumbs. Tip into a bowl, add 4 tablespoons cold water and mix until it comes together. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead into a ball. Roll out to a large flat circle - large enough to line a 23cm round, deep, fluted tart tin. Prick the pastry in the bottom of the tin with a fork and transfer to the fridge for 30 minutes to chill.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. Line the tart with baking paper and baking beans, place on a baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and bake for a further 5 minutes or until pale golden.
• Meanwhile, put the almonds, cream, sugar, whisky and a pinch of salt into a medium, heavy-based pan. Stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat slightly and simmer, stirring frequently, for 20 minutes or until the mixture thickens and turns a pale gold. Remove from the heat.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C/fan160°C/gas 4. Pour the filling into the pastry case and bake for a further 10 minutes or until golden - it won't be fully set until cooled. Cool in the tin slightly, drizzling with a little more whisky while still hot. Carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Cut the tart into slices and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of crème fraîche, if you like.

ALMOND APRICOT TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• To make the frangipane, place the almonds and the sugar in a food processor and grind until sandy. Add the butter and continue mixing then add the egg, vanilla, and the flour and mix until smooth.
• To make the tart, on a floured work surface pass your rolling pin over the pastry just to flatten any ridges.
• Place it on a parchment paper lined sheet pan and cut out a 9-inch disk. Spread the almond frangipane in the center of the tart leaving a 1-inch border. Firmly place the apricot halves into the frangipane spacing them evenly around the tart. Dot the spaces between the apricots with the whole almonds.
• Bake until golden brown on the top and puffy, about 30 to 40 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.

AUNT ROSE'S FANTASTIC BUTTER TOFFEE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a shallow baking pan, toast almonds until golden brown, 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool. Pulse chocolate in a food processor until finely ground (do not overprocess); transfer to a bowl. Pulse almonds in food processor until coarsely chopped. Sprinkle 1 cup almonds over bottom of a greased 15x10x1-in. pan. Sprinkle with 1 cup chocolate., In a heavy saucepan, combine butter, sugar and water. Cook over medium heat until a candy thermometer reads 290° (soft-crack stage), stirring occasionally., Immediately pour mixture over almonds and chocolate in pan. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate and almonds. Refrigerate until set; break into pieces.

CHOCOLATE-COVERED ALMOND TOFFEE BARS

Steps:

• Position rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Spread nuts on a baking tray and bake until toasted, 10 to 15 minutes, turning nuts after 7 to 8 minutes to ensure even toasting. Cool and chop coarsely. You should have about 2 cups. Set aside. Clean baking tray and coat with vegetable oil or vegetable oil spray. Spray both sides of the offset spatula with vegetable oil spray. Set aside.
• Make the toffee: Place sugar in a small deep saucepan. Add the corn syrup and water or rum and, over medium heat, bring to a boil. Let boil until large bubbles form on the surface, 3 to 4 minutes. Cover with foil and boil 5 minutes longer.
• Add the pieces of butter and continue cooking, uncovered, over medium heat until temperature reaches 300 degrees F on a candy thermometer, about 30 minutes. (The candy thermometer has a clip on the side that can be slid up or down. If desired, you can fit the thermometer on the side of the pan, making sure that it rests in the mixture, not on the bottom of the pan, so that the reading is accurate.) Remove from heat and immediately add the salt, baking soda, and 1 cup of chopped nuts. Stir with a wooden spoon until well combined.
• Pour the toffee mixture on the oiled baking tray and, using the offset spatula, spread the mixture out, making a block about 10 by 13 inches. The toffee will thicken very quickly, so work as fast as you can. When cool, blot some of the oil or vegetable spray with a clean towel.
• While the toffee mixture is cooling, melt the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl placed over simmering water. When almost melted, turn off heat and let the chocolate continue to melt, stirring occasionally. Keep warm.
• When you can lift up the block of toffee, transfer it to a flat work surface or to a clean baking tray. Pour the melted chocolate over the toffee, spreading to cover the entire surface and, before the chocolate cools, sprinkle with the remaining chopped nuts. If the chocolate takes a long time to harden, refrigerate for about 10 minutes to set the chocolate.
• Return the block of toffee to the work surface and break up into pieces approximately 1 to 1 1/2 inches wide. Then cut into smaller pieces, as desired. Use as needed.

COFFEE TOFFEE TART

Steps:

• HEAT oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 9-inch round fluted tart pan with removable bottom with no-stick cooking spray.
• COMBINE shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla. Sift flour into small bowl; add to shortening mixture. Mix on low speed until mixed.
• TRANSFER to lightly floured surface; shape into disk. Press onto bottom and up sides of prepared pan (make sure the finished edge is flat). Chill until firm.
• PLACE a square of aluminum foil over crust; fill shell with 2 cups dried beans or rice to keep crust flat. Bake 20 minutes. Remove foil and beans; bake about 20 minutes longer or until lightly browned. Cool.
• HEAT 3/4 cup cream and 1 tablespoon shortening in microwave in medium bowl until boiling (about 90 seconds). Add chocolate chips; whisk until smooth. Set aside.
• RESERVE 1/2 cup chocolate mixture. Pour remainder into cooled crust. Refrigerate 1 hour. Remove from refrigerator. Beat cream cheese in large bowl with electric mixer until fluffy.
• ADD remaining 1/2 cup cream, 1 cup whipped topping, coffee crystals, cocoa powder and powdered sugar. Beat on high 2 minutes (or until coffee has dissolved), scraping down sides occasionally.
• STIR in 1/2 cup toffee bits. Spread over chocolate layer. Refrigerate 2 hours (or overnight, if desired). Spread remaining whipped topping over coffee layer; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup toffee bits.
• CUT tart into 8 slices; place slices on serving plates. Place remaining chocolate mixture in small resealable plastic food storage bag. Microwave until warm. Cut small corner off bag; squeeze to drizzle over tart slices; serve.

CHRISTMAS ALMOND TOFFEE

Steps:

• Grease a 15x10x1-in. pan with 1 tablespoon butter; set aside. In a large heavy saucepan, melt remaining butter. Add sugar, slivered almonds, water and salt; cook and stir over medium heat until a candy thermometer reads 295° (approaching hard-crack stage). Remove from heat; stir in vanilla., Quickly pour into prepared pan. Let stand at room temperature until cool, about 1 hour., In a microwave, melt 1 cup chocolate chips; spread over toffee. Refrigerate 45 minutes or until set. Invert onto an ungreased large baking sheet. Melt remaining chips; spread over toffee. Sprinkle with chopped almonds. Let stand 1 hour. Break into bite-size pieces. Store in an airtight container.

ALMOND TOFFEE

Steps:

• Line the bottom and sides of a 15x10x1-in. pan with foil. Grease foil with 1-1/2 teaspoons butter; set aside., In a large heavy saucepan, melt remaining butter. Add the sugar, water and corn syrup. Cook and stir over medium heat until a candy thermometer reads 290° (soft-crack stage)., Pour into prepared pan. Cool for 4 minutes. Sprinkle with chocolate chips; let stand for 3 minutes. Spread melted chocolate evenly over candy. Sprinkle with almonds; press down lightly. Cool until chocolate is firm. Break into bite-size pieces. Store in airtight containers.