Sauce Magazine // Guide to the Holidays 2019

holiday recipes, p. 23

Holidays GUIDE TO THE

Guide to the Holidays INDEPENDENT 2019 saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I1 ST. LOUIS’ CULINARY AUTHORITY // SAUCEMAGAZINE.COM // FREE, GUIDE TO THE HOLIDAYS 2019

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Guide to the Holidays 2019

Guide to the Holidays 2019

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when you want to spend

$25 OR LESS

Schlafly Oatmeal Stout Beer Lotion Beer lovers with winter-weary hands can pop this on the kitchen sink to keep dry skin at bay and smell great doing it. $17. Maven, 7328 Manchester Road, Maplewood, 314.600.0939, mavenstl.com

Let’s Get Toasted on The Hill Shirt Whether you’re thinking toasted ravs or temporarily toasted sobriety, we’re here for it. $20. Benton Park Prints, bentonparkprints.com

DottieQ Beer Mitten Part koozie, part glove, this locally made knitwear ensures drinks stay cold while hands stay warm. $25. Mac’s Local Buys, 1821 Cherokee St., St. Louis, 314.479.8155, macslocaleats.com

Ten Thousand Villages Salt and Pepper Shakers These palewa stone salt and pepper shakers are hand-carved in India and feature beautiful painted copper accents. $19.

Plowsharing Crafts, 6271 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314.863.3723, plowsharing.org

Soup Bone This nifty gadget made of foodgrade silicone is ideal to infuse soups, stews and more with whole spices and fresh herbs without losing those pesky pieces in the mix. $10. Urban Matter, 3179 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 314.769.9349, urbanmatterstl.com

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Guide to the Holidays 2019

KITCHENPHOTO TOOLS,BY BISCUIT MIX AND JAM PHOTOS BY JONATHAN GAYMAN LOTION JONATHAN GAYMAN

by lauren healey

Guide to the Holidays 2019

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Guide to the Holidays 2019

when you want to spend

$ 2 5 - $ 5 0 by lauren healey

MoonSpoon Martini Picks Fancy up your favorite cocktailloving friends’ next night in with these hand-carved, cherry wood martini picks. $40. Craft Alliance, 6640 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314.725.1177, craftalliance.org

Tie-dye produce bags This set of three reusable produce bags helps eradicate unnecessary plastic waste while lending an air of whimsy to any shopping trip. $29. Garden District STL, 3203 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 314.261.4577, gardendistrictstl.com

AL WESCOTT PHOTO BY JONATHAN GAYMAN

Al Westcott Pottery These beautiful, locally made plates, bowls and mugs are a great gift for anyone on your list. $16 to $28. Union Studio, 1605 Tower Grove Ave., St. Louis, 314.771.5398, stlunionstudio.com

Guide to the Holidays 2019

Spice grinder A porcelain spice grinder is not only great for the freshest spices possible, its sleek and modern design also make it ideal for countertop display. $32.

Urban Matter, 3179 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 314.769.9349, urbanmatterstl.com

Small Circle Recipes Subscription Featuring home recipes from celebrated local chefs like James Beard semifinalist Ben Grupe, this cookbook series is perfect for anyone interested in the local dining scene. One-year subscription: $50. Small Circle Recipes, smallcirclerecipes.com saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 7

when you want to spend

$50-$100 by lauren healey

Phillip Finder pot Perfect for odds and ends, this locally made ceramic pot can store almost anything inside. $90.

Urban Matter, 3179 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 314.769.9349, urbanmatterstl.com

Handmade Teapot For the tea lover who already has everything, this handmade pot will make teatime a little more charming. $85. Garden District STL, 3203 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 314.261.4577, gardendistrictstl.com

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Timber-Echo Picnic Set This upcycled walnut set made by Kurt Miller can hold two bottles of wine, and the lower portion pops out to serve as a cutting board. $65. Craft Alliance, 6640 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314.725.1177, timber-echo.com

ModHome Ceramics serving tray Perfect for a charcuterie spread, this ceramic serving tray made

by Nicole Pepper upgrades any dinner party. $75. Urban Matter, 3179 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 314.769.9349, urbanmatterstl.com

Guide to the Holidays 2019

SUCCULENT PHOTO BY JOAN FISHER; PHILLIP FINDER POT, SERVING TRAY AND PICNIC SET BY JONATHAN GAYMAN

LoKey Designs Succulent Bring the great outdoors inside with some living art. Any kitchen window will benefit from one of these artfully designed succulents.

Prices vary. Seta, 2207 S. 39th St., St. Louis, 314.960.2706, setastl.com

Guide to the Holidays 2019

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when you want to spend

A LOT by lauren healey

Wine & Dine with Sauce Magazine Class For the ultimate Sauce lover, recipients of this gift will enjoy a meal prepared by art director Meera Nagarajan and managing editor Heather Hughes Huff while learning new recipes. Prices vary.

Dierbergs School of Cooking, 1080 Lindemann Road, Des Peres, 314.238.0400, dierbergs.com

Sir|Madam Elemental Cocktail Set The mixologist-in-training on your list will be set up for success with a beautiful mixing glass, beechwood muddler, bar spoon, strainer and jigger. $120. AO&Co. Market, 1641 Tower Grove Ave., St. Louis, 314.899.0991, bengelina.com

The Kudu Grill Blaze Package The Big Green Egg is so 2018.

This open-fire cooking system and its many attachments are perfect for grilling, searing, smoking, steaming and even frying and sauteing. $599. Kudu Grills, kudugrills.com

Punch Bowl Know a hostess with the mostest?

They’ll love this elegantly lavish Williamsburg by Tiffin Franciscan set. $160. Intoxicology, 4321 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314.833.3088, intoxicologystl.com

Custom Foodscaping With experience in everything from herb gardens to vegetable farms, Matt Lebon will create your dream garden so you can “have your landscape and eat it too.” Prices vary.

Custom Foodscaping, customfoodscaping.com

Guide to the Holidays 2019

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Guide to the Holidays 2019

ILLUSTRATION BY VIDHYA NAGARAJAN

BOSS MOVES B Y

H E A T H E R

H U G H E S

H U F F

Holiday wine purchases can be a challenge. Any bottle needs wide-audience appeal at parties and family gatherings. They’re often half gift, half something you’re hoping to enjoy yourself. You want a bottle to impress – but also be affordable. Let us help you navigate the holiday winescape.

Guide to the Holidays 2019

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CHARDONNAYS YOU AND YOUR MOM CAN AGREE ON Estate De Wetshof Limestone Hill $18. Chateau Maplewood Alois Lageder $14. The Wine Merchant Wagner Vineyards Unoaked $12. Parker’s Table 2016 Domaine Drouhin RoseRock $28. The Wine and Cheese Place

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Guide to the Holidays 2019

JUST DO IT

CABERNET SAUVIGNONS FOR PEOPLE WHO DON’T LIKE FRUIT BOMBS

Nothing feels better than walking into a party with a large-format wine – except maybe watching someone else walk in with one.

Magnums (1.5 liter bottles) are a great place to start, but when you go bigger, so does the party.

Champagne has the best names for these options – they’re biblical kings and patriarchs: Jeroboam (3 liters), Methuselah (6 liters), Salmanazar (9 liters), Balthazar (12 liters), Nebuchadnezzar (15 liters) and, the largest, Melchior (18 liters). That’s 24 standard bottles of wine.

Jones of Washington $18. Chateau Maplewood Leeuwin Estate Prelude Vineyards $23. The Wine Merchant Star Lane Vineyard $45. The Wine and Cheese Place

The Wine and Cheese Place coowner Aaron Zwicker recommends a Leviathan magnum for a party.

The crowd-pleasing red blend is appropriately large and festive, but will definitely be drained even if not everyone is drinking wine. “I like it in a magnum because you get out under $75,” he said. Everyone’s happy. If price is no problem, The Wine Merchant does some serious large-format business. Owner Jason Main said most are private orders, but the shop does carry some kingsize bottles you can pick up for royal prices.

PHOTOS BY JONATHAN GAYMAN

WINE TO MAKE YOUR MOM’S FRIENDS HAPPY

We’ve all met them (or been them): people who will only drink chardonnay or cabernet sauvignon.

Wine can be confusing and expensive. If someone has a good experience with a bottle, it’s hard to blame them for sticking with what they know. But if you don’t like the stereotypical, inexpensive cab or chardonnay grabbed from the grocery by holiday hosts, you don’t have to just smile and sip it. We’ve given up trying to make our mom’s friends try a grüner vetliner or albariño, but that doesn’t mean we’re showing up with a buttery oak bomb.

Guide to the Holidays 2019

“Oregon’s a nice source of good chardonnay that is West Coast, but not the overdone California style,” said Zwicker. Try the 2016 Domaine Drouhin RoseRock for round floral and peach notes and solid minerality.

Parker’s Table’s Simon Lehrer recommended butter haters look to the Finger Lakes region in New York for “light, crisp, clean” wines – like Wagner Vinyards’ unoaked version. Both Main and Chateau Maplewood owner Brian Hobbs suggested South African bottles like Estate De Wetshof Limestone Hill. “You’d almost think you’re drinking a more expensive Chablis,” Main said. He also called out the

northern Italian Alois Lageder as a unique bottle combining Italian winemaking creativity with a lively Germanic style reflective of the region’s close neighbors.

If you can’t fool your guests with a cabernet franc, look for cabernet sauvignons from Washington.

Lehrer said they’re a little more balanced and earthy than a classic Napa Valley bottle. “[They] have dark fruit and spice, but it’s not a massive fruit bomb that’s crushing your palate,” Hobbs said, recommending Jones of Washington.

For a little elegance, Main suggests Australian cabernet sauvignons, calling out Leeuwin Estate Prelude

Vineyards from the Margaret River region. “They don’t just rest on the fruitiness of the grape,” he said.

“They have a minty, eucalyptus note and an earthiness that pairs well with food.”

If you got the uncle who will only drink cabs from California for the gift exchange this year, Zwicker said to go for a Star Lane Vineyard bottle. “It’s a cool juxtaposition to a Napa cab,” he said. Better known for pinot noir, the Santa Barbara winery owned

by St. Louis’ Dierberg family grows in a cooler climate than Napa. “To me, their wines have more of that Old World, leathery element – more acid, not big fruit.”

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WINES NATURAL ENOUGH FOR THE COOLEST FRIEND ON YOUR GIFT LIST Delinquente Wine Co. Tuff Nutt $20. The Wine and Cheese Place Sablonnettes Menard le Rouge $19. Parker’s Table 2Naturkinder Black Betty $48. Parker’s Table Yetti and the Kokonut Savagnin $43. Parker’s Table

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Guide to the Holidays 2019

WHAT TO BUY YOUR COOL WINE FRIEND

Whether it’s for a gift or a dinner party, trying to pick out a bottle for someone who’s into wine is terrifying. If you have a trendy drinker in your life, you probably already know they want a natural wine, but might get a little lost in the details. Along with organic or biodynamic growing methods and little intervention in processing, the natural wine trend is characterized by young, iconoclastic growers with wild branding and small-name varietals. These four bottles will please even the hippiest wino.

Delinquente Wine Co. Tuff Nutt Pét-nats are the darling of the natural wine world. This naturally sparkling bottle is fresh and drinkable, made with a regional Italian grape (bianco d’alessano) surprisingly grown in an organic Australian vineyard.

Sablonnettes Menard le Rouge A plummy, earthy, unfiltered red made from hand-harvested grapes, this is a weird one. Lehrer described it as “intensely funky,” which would make it ideal for natural wine lovers who enjoy a challenge.

GO GET IT Chateau Maplewood

7326 Manchester Road, Maplewood, 314.899.0105, chateaumaplewood.com

2Naturkinder Black Betty Lehrer described this red as funky, fruity, light and bright. It’s made in Bavaria from foot-crushed grapes and is named after the first lamb born and raised in its biodynamic vineyard.

Parker’s Table

7118 Oakland Ave., Richmond Heights, 314.645.2050, parkerstable.com

The Wine and Cheese Place

The Wine Merchant

7817 Forsyth Blvd., Clayton, 314.863.6282, winemerchantltd.com

Guide to the Holidays 2019

PHOTO BY JONATHAN GAYMAN

7435 Forsyth Blvd., Clayton, 314.727.8788, wineandcheeseplace.com

Yetti and the Kokonut Savagnin Made by a couple friends also growing crazy varietals in Australia, this 100% savagnin comes with wild tropical fruit notes to match its pineapple color.

THE GOOD STUFF YOU CAN AFFORD

No shade on cava and prosecco (where you can typically find more bang for your buck when it comes to quality), but it feels so good to gift someone a bottle from the French region for which all sparkling wines are nicknamed. Collet is a solid, realdeal Champagne for under $30.

Lehrer said it’s light, soft, has mild toastiness and the tiny bubbles you want from Champagne. “It’s not over-the-top in any direction,” he said – not super yeasty or acidic – which makes it a great crowdpleaser. $30. Parker’s Table

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Guide to the Holidays 2019

H O L I D A Y B A K I N G by marianne moore // photos by carmen troesser

Guide to the Holidays 2019

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Growing up, I’d anxiously wait for the tin of goodies to arrive from my Aunt Sarah every year. She treated holiday baking as part sport, part opera, pushing herself, her oven and her girls to the limit every December.

My cousins keep her tradition alive with their own bake-apalooza, and I still wait for that tin filled with spritz cookies, Italian wedding cookies and thumbprints every year.

When it’s time to plan your holiday platter or tin, select recipes that are different from each other with regards to shape, flavor, texture and color. I have two nonnegotiables: The treats need to be easy enough to make in big batches and sturdy enough to travel to many a party because, as my Aunt Sarah taught us, giving them to friends and family is the best part.

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PEPPERMINT-KISSED SANDWICH COOKIES Peppermint is a staple flavor of the season. These crisp, bittersweet chocolate cookies are stuffed with a fluffy peppermint buttercream and coated in crunchy candy cane pieces.

ABOUT 24 COOKIES 1 cup sugar ½ cup room-temperature salted butter ½ cup room-temperature whole milk 1 room-temperature large egg 1½ cups all-purpose flour ¼ cup dark cocoa powder 1¼ tsp. baking powder Peppermint frosting, for filling (recipe follows) 12 mini candy canes, crushed • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, and line 2 baking sheets with parchment.

• In a large bowl, beat the sugar and butter with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth.

Add the milk and egg and mix until well combined.

• In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa and baking powder, then add to the wet ingredients and mix on medium speed until combined.

• Drop level tablespoons of cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets, then bake until the edges are set and centers look mostly done, 6 to 8 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets 2 to 3 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

• Assemble the cookie sandwiches by spreading or piping the frosting to the edges of the bottom of a cookie, then sandwiching with another cookie.

• Place crushed candy canes on a plate and roll cookie sandwiches so candy canes stick to frosting.

Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.

PEPPERMINT FROSTING ABOUT 3 CUPS 1 cup room-temperature butter 1 7-oz. jar marshmallow creme 2 cups powdered sugar, plus 1 cup more if piping 2 to 3 Tbsp. whole milk 1¼ tsp. vanilla extract 1¼ tsp. peppermint extract • Beat the butter with a mixer on medium-high speed until lighter in color, about 1 minute. Add the marshmallow creme and continue to beat 2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and beat 2 minutes. Add the milk and vanilla and peppermint extracts and beat 1 additional minute. Add additional powdered sugar, if desired.

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CHOCOLATE-APRICOT RUGELACH

Chewy, soft, melty and a perfect balance of spicy and sweet, this Jewish cookie typically served during Hanukkah is an absolute must when it comes to holiday baking.

ABOUT 30 COOKIES

•

the butter, cream cheese, 3 tablespoons sugar and salt until combined.

Add the flour and pulse until dough forms. Divide the dough in half, flatten into discs and tightly wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours or overnight.

Set aside.

In a small pot, bring the apricots, water, brandy and cinnamon to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 7 minutes.

Transfer to a clean food processor and pulse until finely chopped.

Stir in the walnuts and remaining ²∕³ cup sugar. Let cool, then fold in the chocolate chips.

Working with 1 disc at a time on a floured surface, roll the dough into a 12-inch circle. Spread with half the filling, leaving a 1-inch border.

Cut into 16 wedges. Starting from the outside edge, tightly roll each wedge; place on the baking sheets, seam side down. Lightly brush with the egg. Freeze 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees with the racks in upper and lower thirds. Bake until golden brown, about 30 to 35 minutes, rotating halfway through. Transfer to wire racks and let cool completely.

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, cubed 8 oz. room-temperature cream cheese ²∕³ cup plus 3 Tbsp. sugar, divided ¼ tsp. fine salt 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting 1 cup dried apricots ½ cup water ¼ cup brandy ½ tsp. ground cinnamon 1 cup finely chopped walnuts ½ cup bittersweet chocolate chips 1 large egg, lightly beaten • Line 2 baking sheets with parchment and set aside.

• In a food processor, blend

Guide to the Holidays 2019

Rugelach

C H O C O L A T E - A P R I C O T

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GINGERBREAD-WHITE CHOCOLATE BLONDIES ABOUT 4 DOZEN 2-INCH SQUARES 2¾ cups plus 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour 1¼ tsp. baking soda 1¼ tsp. kosher salt 1¼ tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp. ground ginger ¼ tsp. ground cloves 1¼ cups (2½ sticks) room-temperature butter 1¼ cups light brown sugar, packed ½ cup plus 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar 2 large eggs, plus 1 large egg yolk ¹∕³ cup mild molasses 1¼ tsp. vanilla extract 10 oz. white chocolate, coarsely chopped • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 17-by-12-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray, then line the bottom with parchment and coat the parchment.

• In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Set aside.

• Beat the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs and yolk 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in the molasses and vanilla, then gradually add the flour mixture and beat until just combined. Stir in the white chocolate.

• Spread the batter into the prepared baking sheet. Bake until the edges are golden, about 25 minutes.

• Let cool completely on the sheet on a wire rack. Cut into 2-inch squares or use a cookie cutter to cut into shapes.

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Guide to the Holidays 2019

HURMASICE

These golden, buttery numbers are a Bosnian favorite. A cross between a biscuit and a little cake, they can come in various shapes, sizes and flavor styles. This version is fairly simple and incorporates orange zest for a citrus kick and semolina for extra texture.

ABOUT 30 BISCUITS 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil 4 cups granulated sugar 4 cups water 8 whole cloves 1 tsp. vanilla bean paste Juice of 1 lemon ¾ cup caster sugar ½ cup plus 2¾ tsp. roomtemperature butter Zest of 1 orange, finely grated 2 eggs 1½ cup all-purpose flour ½ tsp. baking powder ¼ cup fine semolina • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Brush 2 baking sheets lightly with the vegetable oil.

• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the granulated sugar, water, cloves, vanilla bean paste and lemon juice until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to high, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat as low as possible while maintaining a simmer, and simmer gently until the syrup thickens and reduces to about 3 cups, about 35 minutes. Keep warm.

• Meanwhile, beat the caster sugar, butter and orange zest with a mixer on medium-high until pale and creamy. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition until well combined and smooth.

• In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder, then stir in the semolina.

• Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and use a wooden spoon and then your hands to mix into a soft, but not sticky, dough.

• Roll about 1 tablespoon dough into a log about 1 inch wide and 2½ inches long. Press the log lightly onto the small hole side of a box

Guide to the Holidays 2019

grater to flatten slightly, forming a shape about 1½ inches wide by 3 inches long and about ¾-inch thick, or use a fork to create a pattern on the surface and press into the same shape.

• Gently peel the dough away from the grater, and use your hands to round the ends to form an oval, if needed. Place on the greased baking tray. Repeat with the remaining dough, placing about 1 inch apart. Bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 20 minutes.

• Pour the hot syrup over the hot biscuits and let rest until the biscuits soak up most of the syrup, about 30 minutes.

ITALIAN WEDDING COOKIES

Consisting mostly of ground almonds, these delicate, crumbly cookies were a staple in my Aunt Sarah’s cookie tin. A healthy dusting of powdered sugar adds just enough sweetness without overwhelming the neutral nutty flavor.

ABOUT 30 COOKIES 1½ cups room-temperature butter ¾ cup powdered sugar, sifted, plus more for dusting ¾ tsp. kosher salt 1½ cups finely ground almonds 4 tsp. vanilla extract 3 cups all-purpose flour Powdered sugar, for dusting • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.

• In a mixing bowl, beat the butter on medium-high until light and fluffy. Decrease the speed to medium or medium-low and slowly add the powdered sugar and salt and mix until combined.

Add the almonds and vanilla extract, mixing until combined.

Then slowly add the flour and mix until combined. (Use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom, if needed.)

• Using a cookie scoop, shape the

batter into balls and place on the baking sheet. Space them close together, but don’t let them touch.

• Bake until just lightly browned (not golden brown), 22 to 25 minutes.

Let cool and evenly dust with the powdered sugar.

CHOCOLATEBOURBON TOFFEE

Marcona almonds are the game changer in this toffee. They are tender and toasty, never hard and dry like most almonds.

ABOUT 1 POUND 1¼ cup (2½ sticks) butter 1¼ cup sugar 2 Tbsp. bourbon ½ tsp. vanilla extract Kosher salt, to taste 2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips ½ cup toasted, chopped marcona almonds ½ cup toasted, chopped pecans Maldon or another flaky sea salt, for garnish • Line a baking sheet with parchment and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray.

• In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, sugar, bourbon, vanilla and kosher salt. Let the butter melt and sugar dissolve, then increase the heat to mediumhigh and bring to a boil, stirring constantly with a whisk until the mixture turns a dark amber and is thick, 12 to 15 minutes. (To use a candy thermometer for this step, attach it to the saucepan and cook until the temperature reaches 285 degrees.)

• Pour the toffee mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and immediately sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the top. Let sit 2 minutes so the chocolate begins to melt, then spread the chocolate with an offset spatula to create a layer on top of the toffee. Sprinkle the almonds, pecans and flaky sea salt evenly over the top. Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour, then cut or break into pieces.

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