Three Step Chocolate Coconut Toffee

This has quickly become one of Celia's favorite treats.  These chocolate chip cookies were in heavy rotation for her coconut trial, but she asked if we could try "Something different, maybe some kind of candy?"  I took toffee and peanut brittle recipes, adapted them to the ingredients we had to work with, and then tinkered some more.  I think I like this incarnation best of all.  I accidentally left the coconut oil out, and found the candy was slightly airier, plus there was no surface grease like the prior versions. 

Three Step Chocolate Coconut Toffee

2 c. cane sugar
1/2 c. coconut nectar (or an equal amount of golden syrup or light corn syrup)
1/2 c. water

1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt 
2 c. finely shredded coconut

1 c. mini chocolate chips

Pre-cooking prep:

• Measure out all ingredients. Once things get boiling, you don't have time to stop to measure the later ingredients.

• Line a cookie sheet with no-stick foil.  (If using regular foil, lightly grease the top of the foil so candy will not stick.)

Three steps:

1.  In a heavy saucepan, bring sugar, nectar and water to a boil.  Using a candy thermometer, boil until it reaches 300°F (hard crack stage).  Turn off burner (remove from burner if using an electric stove top).

2.  Add baking soda, salt, and coconut, stirring briskly.  (Be careful as it will foam up a little when you add them.)  Stir until combined, making sure there are no pockets of coconut, and turn onto cookie sheet.

3.  Let cool about 2 minutes, or until the top of the candy is set.  Top with chocolate chips, allow them to soften (the residual heat from the candy will soften the chocolate), and then spread chocolate over entire top.  Allow to cool completely, break and eat!

 
To break the candy up, I find the flat side of my meat mallet works the easiest.  Any heavy cooking implement (even a clean saucepan) will work.  I prefer to break it chocolate side down, so it stays pretty. You also can snap off large chunks and then drop them back onto the cookie sheet - the impact will break them into two- or three-bite pieces.

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