I had the urge to cook but not the urge to go to the grocery store. This easy treat can be made simple with things already in your pantry! (Plus a Candy
thermometer)
1 cup butter
1cup sugar
3 tablespoons light-colored corn syrup
1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces (I used chips and I worked fine)
½ cup finely chopped pecans or almonds, toasted
Line a 15x10x1-inch baking pan (standard cookie sheet) with foil extending foil over the edges of the pan and set aside.
Butter the sides of a 2-quart heavy saucepan. In saucepan melt butter; add sugar, water, and corn syrup. Cook and stir on medium-high heat until mixture boils. Clip candy thermometer to side of pan. Reduce heat to medium; continue boiling at moderate steady rate, stirring frequently, until thermometer registers 290˚F, soft crack stage. Remove saucepan from heat; remove thermometer. Pour candy into prepared pan, spreading quickly.
Let candy stand about 2 minutes or until set. Sprinkle with chocolate pieces. Let stand 1 to 2 minutes. When chocolate has softened, spread over candy. Sprinkle with nuts. Chill about 20 minutes or until firm. When firm use foil to lift out of pan; break into pieces. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
No candy thermometer not problem:
Using the cool water test you can see if you mixture has reached the right stage.
Thread stage:(230 to 233 F) when a spoon is dipped into the hot mixture, then removed, the candy falls off the spoon in a long, fine, thin thread.
Soft-ball Stage: (234 to 240 F) when the ball of candy is removed from the cold water, the candy instantly flattens and runs over your finger.
Firm-ball Stage: (244 to 248 F) when the ball of candy is removed from the cold water, it is firm enough to hold it's shape, but quickly flattens.
Hard-ball Stage: (250 to 266 F) when the ball of candy is removed from the cold water, it can be deformed by pressure, but it does not flatten until pressed.
Soft-crack Stage: (270 to 290 F) when dropped into cold water, the candy separates into hard but, pliable and elastic threads.
Hard-crack Stage: (295 to 310 F) when dropped into cold water, the candy separates into hard, brittle threads that snap easily.