This was so fun! If you like “Heath” bars, this is a great candy for you… and it’s not hard to make, either, even for a candymaking novice like myself. These are being given as gifts to Mom’s neighbor and mail carrier, who have come to expect treats from me at this time of the year.

• 1 lb. butter
• 3 Tbsp. water
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 12 oz. chopped semi-sweet chocolate
  
• 12 oz. chopped almonds

Special equipment:

• 12″ x 17″ jelly roll pan
• parchment paper
• non-stick spray or spray-able vegetable oil
• candy thermometer
• silicone spatula

Prepare pan first: Spray bottom and sides of jelly roll pan with cooking spray or spray-able oil. If you don’t have either of these, you can rub it down well with vegetable oil. Cut a sheet of parchment paper to fit, allowing the paper to come up the sides of the pan. Spray or rub with a little more oil on top of the parchment. (This is sticky stuff!) Get out some pot holders and have them at the ready, as the pan is going to get really hot, really fast once the toffee mixture is poured in.

Combine butter, water, sugar, and salt in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat until the butter is melted. Turn heat up to medium-high and bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula and being sure to scrape the entire bottom of the pot. (You can use a wooden spoon for this, but the silicone spatula works far better, in my opinion.) Continue to stir constantly, watching the boil until mixture takes on a deep golden color — took mine about 25 minutes. A nice glass of wine at hand makes this otherwise boring practice much more enjoyable.

Once the desired color is reached, remove pot from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Pour mixture into the prepared jelly roll pan. Use the silicone spatula to smooth it all out evenly.

Sprinkle the chopped chocolate evenly over the top of the toffee mixture. Wait a few minutes for it to melt, then spread evenly across the toffee. (Note: next time I do this, I’m going to temper the chocolate rather than just melting it, but this works fine if you’re not picky.) Sprinkle the still-warm chocolate with the chopped almonds.

Set the pan aside to cool for about half an hour, then score with a knife into the shapes & sizes you like. (You can skip this step if you don’t mind irregular pieces.) Set aside until completely cooled and hardened before breaking the pieces apart. I put mine in the fridge because I wanted the chocolate set — which is why I’m going to temper it next time! The toffee was edible after about 3 hours, but it was much better the next morning after being in the fridge overnight. Store in waxed paper in an airtight container.