#MEwx Recipe correction

A few posts back I posted a recipe for Chocolate dipped buttercrunch candy. It was not complete. The complete and correct recipe appears below.

My thanks for the vigilance of the reader who caught the error.

 

Andrea’s Chocolate-Dipped Buttercrunch

Buttercrunch is a holiday tradition in Kathy Gunst’s family. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Kathy’s Note: My sister-in-law, Andrea Gunst, shared her buttercrunch recipe with me many years ago, and it changed my holiday traditions forever. This is the stuff that everyone begs for year after year – be sure to make multiple batches.

Buttercrunch, a caramel coated in chocolate and ground nuts, keeps for over a week and makes a great gift. You can double the recipe, but if you want to make more than that, don’t multiply the recipe by three or four – simply keep doubling.

Serves 6 to 8; once you taste it, it’s hard to stop!

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon light Karo syrup

2 tablespoons water

2 large (about 7 or 8 ounce) chocolate bars*

About 1 cup very finely chopped walnuts

Buttercrunch can be made successfully with regular, grocery store, milk chocolate or chocolate chips, but the better the chocolate the better the buttercrunch. Try to find good quality bittersweet or semi-sweet, 60% cocoa chocolate.

You can use walnuts, almonds, pecans, pistachio, or any type of nut so long as they are finely chopped to properly adhere to the chocolate.

Instructions:

Line a cookie sheet with a piece of well-greased aluminum foil or parchment paper.

In a medium saucepan, heat the butter, sugar, Karo syrup, and water over low heat, stirring frequently. The mixture will caramelize and is ready when it hits 290 degrees on a candy thermometer, which will take at least 15 to 20 minutes. Watch it carefully, particularly toward the end of the cooking process; the mixture can burn easily. Reduce the heat to very low and stir constantly if it seems to be cooking too quickly or turning darker than pale, golden brown.

When the candy hits 290 degrees, remove from the heat and pour out onto the greased sheet of foil or parchment. Carefully spread with a spatula in an even layer. Let cool and harden. (If you are really impatient, you can place the cookie sheet in a cold, protected place so that it will harden more quickly.) The caramel layer is ready when it’s no longer soft to the touch.

If you choose to let the buttercrunch harden outside or in a very cold spot, you must bring it back to room temperature before spreading with the chocolate. If the buttercrunch is too cold, or too soft the chocolate won’t adhere properly.

While the buttercrunch is hardening melt the chocolate in a saucepan over very low heat, stirring until smooth. If you choose to let the buttercrunch harden outside or in a very cold spot you must bring it back to room temperature before spreading with the chocolate. If the buttercrunch is too cold the chocolate won’t adhere properly. When the buttercrunch is hard to the touch (you shouldn’t feel any soft spots), use a soft spatula and spread a thin layer of chocolate over the entire thing. Sprinkle with half the nuts, pressing down lightly so they adhere. Again, if you are the impatient type, you can let the chocolate harden in a cold spot. The chocolate should be fully dry—no wet spots to the touch.

Carefully remove the foil with the candy from the cookie sheet; place the cookie sheet on top of the foil and candy. Gently flip the candy over onto the cookie sheet and peel away the foil. Spread the remaining chocolate on top of the other side of the buttercrunch. Sprinkle with the remaining nuts, pressing down lightly. Let the chocolate harden and set in a cool spot. When the buttercrunch is dry and hard break it into small pieces. You can keep it in a cool, dry tin or tightly sealed plastic bag for up to two or three weeks. Serves: 6 to 8. Once you taste it, it’s hard to stop!