Chocolate-covered almonds with salted caramel

Chocolate almonds with salted caramel by Marlona from the Penedès

Marlona's chocolate almonds with salted caramel are caramelized Mediterranean almonds coated in dark and white chocolate, salted, finished with a hint of toffee, and dusted with cocoa. On the orange box, they are called Caramelo con un punto de sal.

Chocolate almonds with salted caramel are the sweet-and-salty variety in the Marlona Classic line by Marlona from Olèrdola in the Catalan Penedès region. Here, white chocolate is added to the dark coating, along with a fine pinch of salt and a warm toffee note. Eighty grams is enough for a long evening for two, if you pace yourselves.

Sweet, salty, and a hint of toffee

The salt is not on top as coarse grains, but rather infused into the coating itself, only making its presence known once the chocolate has already melted on your tongue. At exactly that moment, it pulls back the sweetness and makes room for the toffee note, which tastes warm and slightly of burnt sugar. The white chocolate in the coating ensures a smooth transition.

Beneath it lies the caramelized almond with its crunchy crust, which provides something to bite into against the soft melt. Sweet and salty alternate in every bite, and once you have started, you rarely put the box away. The fine cocoa powder on the outside also helps keep the sweetness in check. For anyone who loves salted caramel, this is the most obvious of the three varieties.

Sugar, honey, and a hot cauldron

Everything begins with the whole almond in a hot cauldron, where it is tossed in sugar and honey until the sugar melts and wraps around the kernel as a crunchy crust. The honey makes this crust darker and softer than sugar alone could, and adds a subtle floral sweetness. The cauldron turns so slowly that no almond breaks.

Only after the almonds have cooled and hardened again is the chocolate added, because it would never adhere evenly to a warm crust. This order of operations determines whether the end result is a crunchy core in a soft coating or a chewy mess. For this reason, a single batch takes several hours.

Why salt tames the sweetness

Salt emphasizes sweetness while simultaneously limiting it, and the entire success of salted caramel rests on this small contradiction. In this box, it is shrunk down to the size of an almond without losing any of its effect. Too much salt would overpower the almond; too little would remain ineffective.

Because the sweetness remains restrained, this variety pairs well with milk coffee and cappuccino, where other chocolates quickly become too much, and it makes for a quick dessert when served over a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Its tart sibling is the dark variety, the mild one is the white chocolate version, and both can be found among the chocolate-coated nuts and fruits.

The orange box with its golden ornaments immediately catches the eye on any coffee table and is usually opened that very same afternoon. This makes it a safe choice as a gift in autumn. In winter, it is just as perfect alongside hot chocolate as it is with coffee.