Description
Barefoot Contessa white chocolate toffee elevates classic dessert with Ina Garten’s signature touch of elegance. Crisp, buttery layers meld rich chocolate and caramel notes for an irresistible sweet experience you will crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
- ½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the pan
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 ½ tsps pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 12 oz white chocolate (such as Callebaut), roughly chopped
- ½ cup salted, roasted cashews
- ½ cup shelled, salted, roasted pistachios
- ½ cup crystallized ginger (not in syrup), ¼-inch diced (3 oz)
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- Fleur de sel
Instructions
- Pan Preparation: Meticulously butter a 23×30 centimeters metal pan, ensuring comprehensive coverage of interior surfaces.
- Caramel Creation: In a medium pot, combine butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and kosher salt. Heat over medium flame, stirring periodically until butter melts. Continue cooking for 8-10 minutes, maintaining consistent stirring while watching the color transition from pale to golden amber. Quickly pour the molten caramel into the prepared pan, gently tilting to achieve uniform distribution. Allow 5 minutes of resting, then delicately score horizontal and vertical grid lines using a sharp knife.
- Chocolate Transformation: Employ a double boiler technique to melt white chocolate. Position white chocolate in a heatproof bowl over simmering water, stirring gently until achieving a silky, luminous texture.
- Topping Assembly: Cascade the melted white chocolate over the partially cooled caramel foundation. Utilize a spatula to spread chocolate evenly. Artfully scatter cashews, pistachios, crystallized ginger, and dried cranberries across the surface. Conclude by delicately dusting fleur de sel over the entire confection.
- Setting and Serving: Allow the toffee to stabilize at room temperature for a minimum of 2 hours, ensuring complete chocolate solidification. Once fully set, strategically fracture the toffee along pre-scored lines, creating rustic, irregular pieces ready for indulgence.
Notes
- Butter Pan Perfectly: Use softened butter and coat every millimeter of the pan to prevent sticking and ensure easy removal of the toffee.
- Caramel Color Watch: Monitor the caramel closely during cooking; color shifts from pale to golden indicate ideal caramelization, which impacts overall flavor and texture.
- Chocolate Melting Technique: Gentle, indirect heat prevents chocolate from burning or seizing, maintaining a smooth, glossy consistency for perfect coating.
- Topping Distribution Strategy: Sprinkle nuts, fruits, and ginger evenly across the surface to guarantee balanced flavor in every bite, ensuring each piece has a mix of textures and tastes.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 17 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg