Almond Roca Question

[nancy_east]

I have a couple of questions for all you Almond Roca experts out there.

1. Has anyone ever figured out the definitive answer for why the butter sometimes seperates and pools? I have made tons of this stuff with great success but lately my butter is becoming quite a nuisance and I've had to even throw out a couple of batches because the pooling is so bad. My thermometer is accurate and the texture of the roca turns out decent (albeit a little grainier than normal).

2. If you double the recipe (recipe size is one recipe calling for a pound of butter), do you add 2 cups of water instead of just one? I just don't really understand why the water is used in the first place so I don't want to add too much or little.

THANKS SO MUCH :)

[Barrie]

First, I've had the butter pooling issue happen about 50% of the time, and I have never been able to figure out the reason behind it. But, it is totally salvageable. Once I pour the hot candy in the pan (but before sprinkling the chocolate), I take paper towels and blot up all the pooled butter. It works like a charm and does not affect the finished candy one bit.

As to your second question, I've never doubled the recipe. I just make multiple batches back-to-back. I can whip out one batch in about 20 minutes so it is easy to just start another pan going as soon as I've dumped out the first pan.

[Cookin4Love]

I don't know if there is a definitive answer, but I've started using European butter and lining my pan with Reynold's Release foil instead of butter, and it's never happened since then.