The DIY Pantry (66 page)

1. Blend the coconut oil, honey, and peppermint extract in a food processor or whisk vigorously by hand until smooth.
   
2. Spoon by heaping tablespoons into mini-muffin tins and smooth down the top as you are able. Place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes to harden.
   
3. Melt the chocolate and cocoa butter over very low heat, adding coconut milk if needed to thin it to a consistency that’s easy for dipping. When the chocolate is melted, set aside until cool to touch but still liquid. Have a plate or parchment paper at the ready.
   
4. Pop the coconut oil patties out of the muffin tin; then submerge them in the chocolate with a fork and place them on the plate. Return them to the freezer to firm up the chocolate, about 10 minutes.
   
5. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month.
   

This classic buttercrunch toffee will keep you coming back for more because of its richness and delightful texture. The lemon juice in this recipe is used to keep the toffee as smooth as possible, like corn syrup would. If you live in a damp climate, a sugar syrup is much more trustworthy than a honey-based one to maintain its shape over the course of several days. Likewise, if you live in a damp climate, you can substitute up to 2 tablespoons of the butter with palm shortening to keep the candy from weeping, but the flavor won’t be as rich.

1. Place a sheet of parchment paper in a 9" × 5" loaf pan and smooth it into the corners. Make it as flat as possible. Set aside.
   
2. Grind the almonds into a coarse meal and place in a medium bowl. Set aside.
   
3. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat; then add the sugar, lemon juice, and salt, and stir until the sugar dissolves.
   
4. Once the sugar melts, start a timer and boil the syrup for 7 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. If you’re using a thermometer, take the syrup off the heat once it reaches 305°F. If you don’t have a thermometer (or just to double-check), have a bowl of cold water nearby. When the timer dings at 7 minutes, drip a drop of syrup into the bowl; then squish it with your fingers. If it’s soft, it’s not ready, but if it beads up into a hard candy ball, it’s ready.
   
5. When the syrup is ready, stir in the vanilla; then scrape the butter-sugar syrup into the prepared loaf pan—it should be in a layer about
   ¹
   ⁄
   ₂
   " thick.
   
6. When the syrup is cool enough to hold an indentation, about 5 minutes, use a sharp knife to cut the toffee into 24 bars by cutting one long cut down the length of the toffee and twelve cuts across the short width. Repeat this step about 5–7 minutes later as the toffee hardens.
   
7. Once the toffee is cool enough to handle, lift out the parchment paper and cut it into pieces along the lines you made. Smooth out or break off any sharp edges.
   
8. When the toffee is completely cooled, melt the cocoa butter over medium-low heat. Add the chocolate and turn off the heat. Stir occasionally until the chocolate is completely melted; then let sit until it’s cool but still liquid.
   
9. Set a cooling rack over a piece of parchment paper and have the chopped almonds at hand.
   
10. Dip each piece of hard toffee in the melted chocolate; then roll it in the bowl of nuts. Place on the cooling rack. Repeat until all the toffee pieces are coated with chocolate and nuts and let them sit until the chocolate is completely hardened. (If you’re working in a warm room, pop them in the refrigerator to set the chocolate, about 10 minutes.)
    
11. For best results, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. Serve at room temperature.
    

Wanting to know where you can find ingredients, supplies, and more information about feeding your family simply and well? Saw an ingredient in one of the recipes that you’re not sure where to find? Here are a few resources and ideas to get you started.

Mountain Rose Herbs:
www.mountainroseherbs.com

Frontier Co-op:
www.frontiercoop.com

Morton & Bassett:
www.mortonbassett.com

Bulk Herb Store:
www.bulkherbstore.com

Frontier Co-op:
www.frontiercoop.com

Wilderness Family Naturals:
www.wildernessfamilynaturals.com

Azure Standard:
www.azurestandard.com

Redmond Trading:
www.redmondtrading.com

Amazon.com:
www.amazon.com/grocery

Cultures for Health:
www.culturesforhealth.com

New England Cheesemaking Supply:
www.cheesemaking.com

Leeners:
www.leeners.com