Cashew Toffee Food

CASHEW TOFFEE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Line 15x10x1-inch pan with foil. Spread cashews in pan. Bake 6 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until light brown. Pour into small bowl; set aside. Set aside pan with foil to use in step 3.
• Meanwhile, in 2-quart heavy saucepan, cook granulated sugar, brown sugar, butter and water over medium-high heat 4 to 6 minutes, stirring constantly with wooden spoon, until mixture comes to a full boil. Boil 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until candy thermometer reaches 300°F or small amount of mixture dropped into cup of ice water forms a hard brittle strand.
• Stir in 1/2 cup of the cashews; immediately pour toffee into same foil-lined pan. Quickly spread mixture to 1/4-inch thickness with rubber spatula. Sprinkle with baking chips. Let stand about 1 minute or until chips are completely softened. Spread softened chips evenly over toffee. Sprinkle with remaining cashews.
• Refrigerate about 30 minutes or until topping is firm. Break into 2x1-inch pieces. Store in tightly covered container.

EASY CASHEW SEA SALT TOFFEE

Steps:

• Butter the top edges of a 2-quart microwave-safe casserole. Add butter, 1 teaspoon of the Diamond Crystal® Sea Salt, sugar, and water to the casserole. DO NOT STIR. Microwave on high for 6 to 8 minutes. Check contents for color change. Continue microwaving on high a minute at a time until the mixture just begins to turn a tan color. You need to watch it carefully, and remember: DON'T STIR.
• Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the chopped cashews into a 9-into circle on a Silpat mat, parchment paper, or on a buttered baking sheet.
• Carefully pour the liquid mixture evenly over the top of the cashews. Immediately sprinkle on the chocolate chips. Allow to sit for 1 minute to melt the chocolate.
• Use spatula to smooth out chocolate over the entire sheet of candy.
• Sprinkle the remaining cashews and 1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal® Sea Salt over the top. Refrigerate to cool completely. When cool, break into bite-sized pieces. Store tightly covered in refrigerator.

WHITE CHOCOLATE TOFFEE

Steps:

• Generously grease a 9-by-12-inch metal cake pan with butter, making sure all the sides and corners are greased. Combine the butter, sugar, vanilla and kosher salt in a medium (10- to 11-inch) pot or Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter melts. Continue cooking for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the mixture turns a pale golden color. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture turns a deep caramel color. (Be careful, it will be extremely hot!) Immediately pour the mixture into the prepared pan, tilting the pan to distribute it evenly. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes, then use a paring knife to score lines in large irregular serving pieces. Allow the toffee to cool for 5 minutes, then retrace the lines you drew with the paring knife.
• Meanwhile, melt the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (see Cook's Note). Pour the chocolate over the toffee, using a spatula to spread it evenly. Immediately sprinkle on the cashews, pistachios, ginger and cranberries so they're evenly distributed. Sprinkle with fleur de sel and set aside at room temperature for at least 2 hours, until the chocolate is completely set. Break into pieces along the scored lines and serve at room temperature.

MOCHA TOFFEE CASHEW BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Beat together butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at moderately high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in yolk and vanilla, then gradually add espresso mixture, beating until combined well. Add flour and salt and mix at low speed until just combined.
• Spread batter evenly in an ungreased 15 1/2- by 10 1/2-inch baking pan (1 inch deep) and bake in middle of oven until top puffs slightly and sides pull away from edge of pan, 16 to 22 minutes. (Watch carefully toward end of baking; base can burn easily.)
• While base is baking, melt chocolate in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally, then remove top of double boiler or bowl from heat. Spread chocolate over warm base and immediately sprinkle with cashews. Cool completely in pan on a rack, then cut into 48 bars. Chill until chocolate is firm, about 15 minutes.

TOFFEE CASHEW TREASURES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in the remaining ingredients. , Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 3 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks.

CHOCOLATE-CASHEW TOFFEE

Steps:

• In a heavy 2-quart saucepan combine the brown sugar, the corn syrup, the butter, the vinegar, and the water, bring the mixture to a boil over moderate heat, stirring and washing down any sugar crystals clinging to the side with a brush dipped in cold water, until the sugar is dissolved, and boil the syrup, undisturbed, until it is deep golden and a candy thermometer 290°F. Stir in the vanilla, pour the mixture into a buttered 13- by 9-inch metal baking pan, tilting the pan and spreading mixture with a wooden spoon, and let the toffee cool completely.
• In the top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water melt the chocolate chips, stirring until the chocolate is smooth, and spread the chocolate evenly over the toffee. Sprinkle the cashews evenly over the chocolate, pressing them gently into it, and chill the confection for 30 minutes, or until the chocolate is firm. With a thin knife loosen the confection from the pan and, using the knife as a lever, remove it in one piece from the pan. Cut or break the toffee into serving pieces. The toffee keeps, separated by sheets of wax paper in an airtight container lined with wax paper, in a cool dry place for 2 weeks.