Toffee-Coffee Crunch Brittle

Description:

The chocolate covered espresso beans and toasted hazelnuts make this brittle a scrumptious after-dinner tidbit with coffee or espresso.  You can use this a garnishing in ice cream sundaes, frosted cakes and cookies as well.
Makes about 1 pound

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
½ cup light corn syrup
¼ cup water
2 teaspoons instant coffee powder
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
Pinch of salt
3 tablespoons chocolate-covered espresso beans, crushed (about 22 beans)
1 ½ teaspoons finely ground espresso beans
¼ cup hazelnuts, toasted, skinned and chopped
½ teaspoons

Method:

Generously butter a rimmed baking sheet and set aside. (Pre heat the band in a warm oven for a few minute. This will make the candy spread more easily).

In a 2 quart heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, water, instant coffee powder, butter and salt. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter had melted. Continue to cook to 250 degrees F on a candy thermometer (hard-ball stage), about 15 minutes. Add the crushed espresso beans and ground espresso beans and ground espresso, and continue to cook to 280 degree F. (soft-crack stage), 7 to 8 minutes.

Remove the mixture at once from heat and quickly stir in the nuts, then stir in the baking soda until blended. The syrup will foam and expand. Immediately pour the syrup onto the prepared pan. With metal spatula, spread the hot candy evenly over the pan. When cool, break the slab into pieces. Store in an airtight container.

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