John Wulff/Recipes/Almond Roca
🍬 Almond Roca
This is my grandma Hazel Wulff's famous almond roca. She made this buttery toffee every holiday season, and now the whole family carries on the tradition. The magic happens when butter and sugar transform at just the right temperature - you'll know it when you see it. Take your time, watch for the visual cues, and whatever you do, let it cool at room temperature.
Total time: 30 minutes (plus cooling time)
Shopping List
Pantry:
1 cup sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter
Nuts & Chocolate:
1¼ cups chopped almonds (buy 2 cups whole and chop)
5 oz Hershey's Milk Chocolate bars (3 standard bars)
Steps
1. Cook the toffee (8-10 minutes)
1. Set out your sheet pan and have 1 cup chopped almonds ready - once the toffee is done, you'll need to move fast.
2. In a heavy 1-quart saucepan, melt 1 cup butter over medium-high heat.
3. When butter melts completely, whisk in 1 cup sugar.
4. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon. The mixture will transform through several stages over about 8 minutes.
Watch for these stages: glossy and smooth → vigorous bubbling → may separate and look curdled → light smoke and peanut butter texture → smooth, runny peanut butter. Keep stirring through all stages!
5. When it reaches smooth peanut butter consistency and smells deeply caramelized, immediately remove from heat.
6. Quickly stir in 1 cup chopped almonds.
2. Add the chocolate layer (3 minutes)
1. Immediately pour hot toffee mixture onto your ungreased sheet pan.
2. Working quickly, use the back of a spoon to spread mixture to about ¼ inch thick.
3. Lay chocolate bars directly on the hot toffee.
4. Wait 1 minute for chocolate to melt from the toffee's heat.
5. Spread melted chocolate evenly with the back of a spoon.
6. Sprinkle remaining ¼ cup chopped almonds over chocolate.
3. Cool and break into pieces (2+ hours)
Grandma's rule: never refrigerate! The toffee and chocolate need to cool slowly at room temperature to bond properly.
1. Let sit at room temperature until completely cool and chocolate is set, about 2 hours.
2. Use a butter knife to tap and crack the roca into bite-sized pieces.
3. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Keeps for 2 weeks (but never lasts that long).
Tips from Grandma Hazel
• Every stove is different - watch for the visual cues, not the clock. When it looks like smooth peanut butter and smells like caramel heaven, it's ready.
• Stick with Hershey's chocolate. Fancy chocolate without stabilizers will set too soft and won't crack properly.
• For holiday gifts: layer pieces between wax paper in vintage tins. Add a handwritten note about the family recipe.
• My cousin adds a pinch of flaky sea salt on the chocolate before it sets. Grandma would've called it "fancy" but secretly loved it.