'Luxury Valrhona Illanka 63% Chocolate Buttercrunch Toffee'

Although I made this recipe in December, and yet again later in December for some Christmas presents, I could not forget Rose's recent remarks about Valrhona's new chocolate, Illanka 63% from Peru, that had caught her attention in a ganache at a party late last year, and which she wrote glowing reports about on her blog. Rose called it 'enticing' and 'creamy and well-balanced, it is intensely chocolaty with an enticingly fruity finish that makes me want to reach for more.' She explains that the chocolate is made from very rare white cocoa beans called Gran Blanco found in the Piura region of Peru ... My imagination now had been piqued. Rose does have a way of doing that as we all happily realize!

So, recently, when a dear friend revealed that her daughter will be celebrating her 18th birthday on 13 February - I immediately thought, what a fine time to try this new, lovely chocolate coated on Rose's favorite chocolate butter crunch toffee recipe. And more fun still, this young lady just happens to love to bake and appreciates things of this nature. 

Immediately, I called Valrhona since overnight delivery is what they require for this chocolate that must come from them directly. It arrived in a flash the next day . . .  in all its fruity, fragrant glory! 



You will notice here, I had acquired a probe ChefAlarm after I last made the toffee. It was helpful this time by more easily alerting me to the temperature with its flexible wire clamped to the pot during the necessary consistent stirring.




Since I have posted this recipe before with other chocolate, I will just insert a few photos here of the toffee preparation. Nothing changes about that.

          And so, finis! Now on the evening of 10 January, my first batch of  'Luxury Valrhona Illanka 63% Chocolate Buttercrunch Toffee' is packed and ready to go to California in the morning -

                         ~~~~~  Happy Birthday Katie!!!!!  ~~~~~