Sugar, and Cream, and Chocolate...oh my!

Dark Chocolate Toffees/Caramels, adapted from Milk Chocolate Caramels with Fleur de Sel from Chocolate Epiphany by F. Payard.

Ingredients & Equipment:
Parchment Paper
9 x 13-inch baking pan
large sauce pan, with deep sides
candy thermometer
cooking spray

1 cup heavy cream
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons salt
6 ounces dark chocolate, chopped and melted


Prepare the pan: Line your baking pan with either the parchment paper, leaving the parchment to overhang the edges of the tray. Spray the parchment with cooking spray.

Making the candy: Over medium-high heat, combine the cream, sugar and salt in your saucepan, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Once dissolved, attach your candy thermometer to the saucepan and cook the caramel to hard ball state (just past 250* F ... this may take a while, as you'll be reducing the cream down before the caramel can reach that temperature). As soon as the caramel hits the appropriate temperature, remove from the heat and stir in the melted chocolate.

Pour the candy into your baking tray, quickly spreading it out into an even layer. Allow it to cool to room temperature before cutting or breaking into bite sized pieces.

The finished candy is hard at first, then as you chew it or allow it to melt in your mouth, it becomes more caramel or taffee-like in consistency.

*for a softer more caramel-consistency of the finished candy, cook the caramel only to soft ball temperature before removing from the heat and stirring in the chocolate.