Chocolate-Covered Toffee with Pumpkin Seeds and Sea Salt

Ingredients

serves makes about 1 1/4 pounds, active time 25 minutes, total time 2 hours, including setting/cooling

• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cubed
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 3/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds, toasted
• Sea salt

Procedures

1. Line a large baking pan with parchment paper. Put the pan on a flat surface and protect the surface—because toffee is sugar cooked at a high temperature—with a trivet or a towel underneath. In a small saucepan, combine the butter, sugar, and 2 tablespoons water (being careful not to get sugar on the sides of the pan, where it can crystallize) and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Boil the mixture, stirring constantly, until it turns a beautiful caramel color (about 295°F on a candy thermometer), about 7 minutes. Immediately remove from the heat.
   
2. Add the salt and stir to combine, then add the vanilla and stir to combine. Be careful: the mixture is very hot and will sputter. Immediately pour the toffee onto the parchment paper–lined pan and, with a heatproof spatula, quickly spread it in an even layer almost to the edges. (This is very hot, so resist the temptation to stick a finger in it.)
   
3. Let cool completely.
   
4. Temper the chocolate. Bring 2 inches of water to a bare simmer in a medium pot. Set a medium metal bowl over it, add two-thirds of the chocolate, and gently melt it. Remove the bowl from the heat and stir in the remaining chocolate until melted and smooth.
   
5. Pat the surface of the cooled toffee dry to make sure the chocolate will adhere properly. With the heatproof spatula, spread the melted chocolate in an even layer over the toffee, then quickly scatter the pumpkin seeds on top and sprinkle with sea salt. Let stand until the chocolate hardens.
   
6. Break the toffee into large pieces. The toffee will keep, covered, for up to 2 weeks.

Salted Dark Chocolate Toffee Cookies

Special equipment

baking sheets, parchment paper, stand mixer, cookie scoop

Ingredients

serves makes about 30 cookies, active time 10 minutes, total time 25 minutes

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/4 cups dark chocolate chips (such as Guittard Extra Dark Chocolate Chips)
• 1/4 cup toffee bits (see note)
• Fleur de sel

Procedures

1. Adjust oven rack to upper and lower middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
   
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
   
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter, dark and light brown sugars, and sugar, about 3 minutes. Add eggs and beat until incorporated, then add water and vanilla and beat to combine. Add dry ingredients and beat just until evenly incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips and toffee.
   
4. Drop dough with 2 1/2 ounce cookie scoop (or by rounded tablespoon) onto prepared baking sheets. Top each cookie with a sprinkle of fleur de sel. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.