Independent Chocolate

• Buttercrunch, because it is two types of candy stuck together, is usually made in stages. First, a thin layer of toffee is made, and, once it hardens, melted chocolate is spread on top. If you have ever made buttercrunch, you may have experienced first hand the issue that the chocolate “pops off” the top of the toffee once it cools. The culprit is butter.

Blame Butter

• A small amount of fat separation when making toffee is normal, so when toffee hardens, there is frequently a bit of extra of butterfat on top of the toffee. But when melted chocolate is poured directly onto that buttery toffee surface, the chocolate will be floating on a thin layer of fat, which means it won't stick.

Quick Fix

• To remedy this issue, blot the surface of the hardened toffee with lint-free paper towels to remove any excess butterfat before applying the melted chocolate. Without that extra fat, your toffee and chocolate should stay happily married.

Extra Tips

• Toffee should be at room temperature when the chocolate is applied, and also when it’s time to break the toffee into pieces and serve. Lower temperatures are more likely to make the chocolate separate from the toffee. Finally, don’t chill your finished pecan buttercrunch, store it at room temperature and protect it from excessive heat and humidity in an airtight container.