Salted Pretzel Toffee
Adapted from Faith from Thought 4 Food
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About 2 cups salted mini pretzels (just enough to cover the bottom of the pan)
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1 cup/2 sticks/225g unsalted butter
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1 cup white sugar
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2 tablespoons water
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1/8 teaspoon salt
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2 teaspoons vanilla
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8 oz/240g good quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped (or about 1 1/3 c chips)
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1/2 cup macadamias (optional)
Candy thermometer
9 by 13-inch (22.5x 32.5cms) baking dish lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
Step 1 - Arrange the pretzels in an even layer on the bottom of a parchment lined swiss roll tray. Cook the butter, sugar, water, and salt over medium heat until the temperature reaches 305F (hard crack stage), stirring occasionally. Place baking on a heatproof surface. Stir in the vanilla and pour the mixture over the pretzels, spreading evenly (work fast because it starts to harden quickly). I took a corner of the baking dish and tipped some of the caramel to the edges. Don't use your fingers - it's hotter than lava (not that I've touched lava).
2a. If youre not using the nuts: Right after spreading the toffee in the prepared pan, sprinkle the chocolate on top and let it sit for a couple minutes to melt the chocolate (you can cover the pan with a baking sheet to help the chocolate melt faster). Once the chocolate is melted, spread it in an even layer. Let the chocolate set, then break into pieces.
2b. If youre using the nuts: Toast the nuts, either in a dry pan on the stovetop, or in a 350F oven for oven for 6-8 minutes. Allow the nuts to cool slightly, then finely chop them. Right after spreading the toffee in the prepared pan, sprinkle the chocolate on top and let it sit for a couple minutes to melt the chocolate (you can cover the pan with a baking sheet to help the chocolate melt faster). Once the chocolate is melted, spread it in an even layer, then sprinkle with the chopped nuts, pressing lightly. Let the chocolate set, then break into pieces.