Almond Rock Toffee is a crunchy almond brittle with a smooth, buttery finish. It's a treat that's perfect for special occasions or gifting.
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The Recipe
I found this recipe in the archives of my local paper, The Maitland Mercury. I sometimes browse the older versions, looking for recipes that Nana Ling sent into the paper back in the day.
Published back in 1939, this recipe for Almond Rock seemed easy enough to follow – and it is hard to resist a nut brittle recipe.
Ingredient notes
All you'll need are these basics:
- brown sugar
- caster sugar
- butter
- blanched or slivered almonds (or a combination of both)
- hot water
- cream of tartar.
The ingredient measurements can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
How to make Almond Rock
Start by greasing a slice tray.
If you have a sweet thermometer, get that out too. It's not essential, but will help get the timing precise.
Next, place the butter in a saucepan and melt over low heat.
TIP: Make sure you use a large saucepan as the mixture will froth up a lot!
Add the two types of sugar, hot water and cream of tartar and stir over medium heat to dissolve the sugar.
Bring to the boil and then adjust the temperature so it maintains a steady boil. You may need to reduce the temperature to the lowest available.
Now, if you have a sweet thermometer, use that and keep boiling – without stirring – until the temperature of the mixture reaches 135-140 degrees celsius/275-285 degrees fahrenheit.
If you don't have a sweet thermometer, boil for 15-20 minutes.
Once the sugar mixture is ready, remove from heat and pour into the greased tray immediately. Sprinkle almonds evenly over mixture and leave to cool completely.
When cool and completely set, invert the tray and tap the bottom of tray with a rolling pin or similar to release the almond rock from the tray.
Once released, it's time to have a bit of fun. Hit sharply with a meat tenderiser or similar to break into pieces.
Woohoo! So satisfying.
Storing your sweets
Store Almond Rock in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
It should keep up to a few weeks. Unless you have a dad like mine – it'll be gone in 24 hours.
Other recipes for gifting
Looking for more ideas for edible gifts? Check out these popular recipes:
Made this recipe and love it? Please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe. (And it really makes my day to hear how Nana Ling's recipes are being made, shared and loved all around the world! - Libby x)
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Almond Rock (Almond Toffee) Recipe
Equipment
- sweet thermometer (useful but not absolutely essential)
- slice tray (27 x 17cm approximately)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar (290 grams)
- ½ cup caster sugar (100 grams)
- 125 grams butter
- 170 grams blanched almonds or slivered almonds (or a combination of both)
- ½ cup hot water (125 ml)
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
Instructions
- Grease a slice tray.
- Place butter in a saucepan and melt over low heat.
- Add sugars, hot water and cream of tartar and stir over medium heat to dissolve the sugar.
- Bring to the boil and then adjust heat to continue boiling for 15-20 minutes or until the temperature reaches 135-140 degrees celsius/275-285 degrees fahrenheit.
- Pour into the greased tray and sprinkle almonds evenly over mixture. Leave on the kitchen bench to cool completely.
- When cool, invert the tray and tap bottom of tray with a rolling pin or similar to release the almond rock from the tray. Once released, hit sharply with a meat tenderiser or similar to break into pieces.
Sandie says
Can I change the almonds to other nuts?
Libby Hakim says
Absolutely!