Recipe
Espresso Toffee
Coffee, caramel, salt. The "I'm not hungry but I can't stop" blend.
Why this is addictive
Toffee crunch is the closest thing in the snack world to chip crunch. Add espresso for bitterness and you get the same sweet-bitter-salt loop as a good mocha — except you're eating, not drinking.
Ingredients
For ~7 oz / 200g — scale up proportionally for larger batches.
- 1 cup roasted cashews unsalted
- ⅓ cup dark chocolate pieces 70%+
- ¾ tsp flaky salt
- — for the espresso toffee —
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp water
- 2 tsp instant espresso powder Medaglia d'Oro or similar
- ¼ tsp salt
Method
- 01
Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or oiled parchment. Have it ready before you start — toffee moves fast.
- 02
Combine sugar, butter, water, espresso powder, and salt in a heavy saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring until butter melts, then stop stirring.
Note Use a candy thermometer if you have one. You want 300–305°F (hard crack stage). Without a thermometer: drop a small amount in cold water — it should form hard, brittle threads.
- 03
Cook to 300°F (or hard crack), about 10–12 min. The mixture will go from pale yellow to deep amber. Swirl the pan (don't stir) occasionally.
- 04
Pour immediately onto the prepared sheet. Tilt to spread thin. Don't spread with a spoon — let it flow.
- 05
Let cool completely, at least 20 min. Break into irregular pieces.
- 06
Combine toffee pieces, cashews, and dark chocolate. Finish with flaky salt.
What to watch for
Common failure points and how to read the batch.
- Toffee goes from amber to burnt in seconds. Pull it at the first smell of deep caramel.
- Humidity is the enemy of toffee — it gets sticky. Make this on a dry day, and store in an airtight container.
- The toffee pieces will soften slightly after mixing with the cashews due to moisture exchange. Best eaten within 2 days.
- For a test batch, you can also use store-bought toffee bits (Skor chips) to skip the toffee-making step.
Variations to try
- Use hazelnut instead of cashew for a Ferrero Rocher vibe.
- Add flaked dried orange peel for a mocha-orange flavor.
Development log
Add an entry each time you test a batch. Date → what you changed → how it landed.
No batches tested yet. Add entries to src/data/blends.ts in the log array for this blend.