Pecan and Almond Chocolate Toffee

Would you like to know the story of how I become a food blogger?

A little over a year ago I was spending a few days in Disneyland and California Adventure with my family. Sure, I was thrilled about going on rides and meeting Minnie Mouse, but the biggest reason I was excited this year was because we would be there during the California Food and Wine Festival! 

A few months before, my dad signed my mom and I up for a cooking demonstration titled "Sweet Sundays" (my dad is great! Happy Fathers Day Dad!). The demonstration was put on by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito, owners of Baked Bakery in Brooklyn, New York. 

After a fabulous brunch the audience was educated and entertained by these two master-bakers as they showed how to make some of their most popular and favorite recipes. My favorite recipe they made that day was their peanut butter chocolate bars, which I will definitely blog about soon! 

After the demonstration I had to go right out and purchase their cookbook. I desperately wanted the recipes, but I also wanted their autographs. There is just something about getting a personalized autographed cookbook that makes it TEN TIMES better! 

While they were autographing my cookbook somehow the subject of my fascination with food came up (Ok, who are we kidding, I'm sure my mom blurted it out!). Anyway, they asked me what I wanted to do with a "food and nutrition in business" degree. I told them I had no clue, but I wouldn't change my major for anything, I LOVE FOOD!

Out of the blue one of them said "I think you should be a food blogger"! (Um, excuse me, is that even a real career?) He then proceeded to tell me about how food blogging was the new big thing in the food world (yes, this was even before Julie and Julia came out), and that there were a lot of great food blogs out there. 

Next, he wrote down the name of four of his favorite food blogs for me to go to (David Lebovitz, The Amateur Gourmet, Smitten Kitchen and Orangette). In fact, I still have that piece of paper!

Now, you would think that divine inspiration like that would prompt me to start blogging the moment my plane landed back down in Portland. Wrong, I waited almost nine months before I started my blog. But I haven't looked back since. 

This pecan almond chocolate toffee recipe was from their cookbook I purchased that day. I made it on a whim a few weeks ago to bring to a friend's birthday celebration. After one taste I knew it was a keeper recipe. This toffee tastes just like Almond Roca--only better! 

This recipe is a lot easier than most toffee recipes because you do not have to temper the chocolate. You just chop the chocolate and spread on top of the hot candy layer, and viola! it melts perfectly. I ended up only making a half-batch because I did not have enough pecans and almonds for a full batch, but trust me, you will want to make a full batch--and even then it will be gone too soon!

Pecan and Almond Chocolate Toffee

From Baked

1 cup sliced almonds

1 cup toasted pecans

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 cup sugar

5 ounces dark chocolate (60 to 72% cacao), coarsely chopped

4 ounces milk chocolate, coarsely chopped

Butter a 9 by 13 by 2 inch glass or metal baking pan (do not use nonstick spray)

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the almonds until they are a fine powder. Place the powdered almonds in a small bowl and set aside. In the same food processor bowl, pulse the pecans for just 1 or 2 seconds, or until they are coarsely chopped by not powdered. Set aside.

Put the butter in a medium pan over low heat. When the butter is halfway melted, add the sugar and 1 tablespoon water and cook over low heat, stirring very gently with a silicone or rubber spatula, until completely combined. Clip a candy thermometer onto the side of the pan, turn the heat up to medium-high, and wait for the mixture to reach 300 degrees F., about 15 minutes. The mixture will start to bubble and turn brown. If the browning seems uneven, swirl the pan during the cooking process but do not stir.

Meanwhile, toss the dark and milk chocolate pieces together.

When the mixture reaches 300 degrees F., remove the pan from the heat and remove the candy thermometer. Stir in the pecan pieces and pour the mixture into the prepared pan. After the mixture has evened out in the pan, wait 1 minute, then sprinkle the chocolate pieces all over the toffee. Wait about 3 minutes for the chocolate to melt, then use an offset spatula to spread the chocolate into an even layer. Sprinkle the almond powder over the melted chocolate, then carefully put the whole pan in the freezer for about 30 minutes.

Remove the pan from the freezer and break the toffee into pieces with a sharp knife. Store the toffee, between layers of parchment, in an airtight container at room temperature.

The toffee will keep for up to 5 days.

Yield: 1 1/2 pounds

Cacao, a Great Place to Eat and Drink...Chocolate

 

The day I discovered real drinking chocolate was a great day. The only other exposure I had had to it was a few sentences about it on the back of a tin of cocoa mix from Trader Joe's. The box explained how to make this "European delight." Of course I did not follow instructions and added too much milk, making it like any other hot chocolate. Nothing special. 

Cacao's large store on 13th avenue

But now I know what real drinking--or sipping--chocolate is. I stumbled across Cacao a few months back and was completely in awe! Cacao (pronounced Ka-Cow) is a chocolate boutique serving downtown Portland with two locations. When I say chocolate boutique, I mean the interior appears like it should be an upscale clothing boutique, except that it sells chocolate. The color-scheme and decor are cozy and inviting, beckoning me to sit down and stay a while. 

Cacao's Drinking Chocolate

Since this was my first real experience with drinking chocolate I had to do it right. And it had to try it all. Cocao offers three varieties of drinking chocolate: rivoli dark drinking chocolate, cinnamon infused drinking chocolate, and a special spicy dark drinking chocolate (infused with cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, and ginger). 

Now in case you aren't familiar with drinking chocolate, like me two months ago, let me try to describe it to you. Imagine you take the most delicious, creamy, and wonderful chocolate you can find. You carefully warm this chocolate over a low heat until it is all melted, smooth and creamy. Next you pour a very small dash of cream or whole milk into it. You put it into a very small cup and you drink it. That is how I imagine drinking chocolate is made. Essentially we are just drinking melted chocolate...what genius thought of THAT idea?!

At Cacao a small shot of drinking chocolate is $2, or I suggest trying a flight of all three varieties for $6. If you are very brave larger sizes of drinking chocolate can be purchased for $4, like the one above--which I am proud to say I finished every last delicious (yet rich) drop of.

If you want a slightly less rich option, Cacao also sells dreamy hot chocolate (slightly less chocolate-y) in the standard size for $4. Varieties include everyday hot chocolate with 65% Venezuelan chocolate, or dark hot chocolate with 72% arriba dark chocolate. They also serve a full range of espresso drinks, including a delightful white chocolate mocha!

A pack of specialty chocolate from around the world

Although their drinking chocolate is the main reason I have visited, Cacao also has a selection of artisan chocolates that is hard to beat this side of Europe. When speaking with a very knowledgeable employee (which I hear describes virtually all of their employees) I learned that their specialty chocolate sales is the main reason owners Jesse Manis and Aubrey Lindley opened Cacao a few years back. They wanted to provide an outlet for these small chocolate producers to sell their wonderful selection to the public. And what better place to do that than Portland? 

The employee also told me that they "want to be a place for people to come at night if they don't feel like going to a bar." Cacao stays open until 10PM on Friday and Saturday nights making it a great date spot. 

Cacao has two locations in downtown Portland. Their main location is at 414 SW 13th Avenue in Portland, between Burnside and Washington, 2 1/2 blocks West of Powell’s Bookstore. Their second, and much more petite location, is located in the Heathman Hotel on 712 SW Salmon St. 

Cacao is a place I have found myself going to again and again. I have impressed many friends with their luscious drinking chocolate and have made my father very happy with a Cacao gift card for his birthday! You simply must try it out! Don't know what to order? Try my favorite: the cinnamon infused drinking chocolate!

Portland ChocolateFest!

 

I attended the Portland ChocolateFest with some friends yesterday, and we had a great time indulging our sweet tooth! I, like most people, am a huge fan of good chocolate--preferably good dark chocolate. Ironically, my friend who went with me  isn't much of a chocolate fan and exclaimed, "I'm just going for the caramels!" 

After each paying an $8 admission fee (which was totally worth it!) and donning our "I love chocolate" stickers, we eagerly went in with the goal of tasting as much chocolate as humanly possible. There were almost 50 booths with everything from fudge, chocolate bars, chocolate truffles, chocolate sauce, drinking chocolate, and chocolate frosting! IKEA was even there with Swedish chocolates! 

The "hot" new thing in the chocolate world today is spicy chocolates. I tried cayenne pepper chocolates and a personal favorite was the Hachez Cocoa D'Arriba Mango & Chili Chocolate Bar. It starts off with a sweet mango flavor and then at the very end a spicy flavor lingers. It is not your little sister's chocolate bar!

One of the most interesting booths at the ChocolateFest was Choffy, which is very similar to coffee but instead of roasting coffee beans, cacao beans are roasted! It is very light like coffee (unlike hot chocolate)  and considering that it is only the "essence" of chocolate it only contains 20 calories per serving and no caffeine (which, hello! is great because caffeine is like a drug to me).  I added cream and sugar to it like I would to a cup of brewed coffee.  When I remarked that it was a totally foreign idea to me and asked the man if anyone else is doing anything like this, he told me that no, they were the only ones. I would have to try it again to know for sure if I really liked it or merely liked the concept of it. 

My friend and I both agree on our favorite booth, Ladybug Chocolates. And it seems that we have excellent taste because the judges all agreed too! Ladybug Chocolates was awarded Best Confection, Most Innovative Ingredient, and Best in Show for the ChocolateFest 2010! The one that we tasted and both loved was the applewood smoked salted caramel (which won the best confection). We were both in heaven because it was a chocolate covered caramel with smoky salt on top! DELICIOUS! The most innovative ingredient award was given to their Vermont Shortstack Truffle (pan fried bacon & pure maple syrup in a milk chocolate ganache coated with handmade buttermilk pancake crumbs). 

I would definitely say my first time visiting the Portland ChocolateFest was a success. After about two hours of stuffing my face with chocolate I was a little buzzed on caffeine and had most likely taken in almost my total daily allotment of calories, but I would do it again in a heartbeat! Long live the chocolate binges!