¾cupsroasted almonds, coarsely chopped (you can use raw or roasted almonds and they're both delicious - my mom usually makes it with raw almonds, but this year tried roasted and loves it even more)
3-4ouncessemisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips, see note
½cupwalnuts, chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
Read all the directions before getting started. Stuff happens so fast and you want to make sure you're prepared for what's coming next. Make sure that you have an accurate candy thermometer - 5 degrees off will drastically change the texture of your toffee from crunchy to taffy-like. Here's a handy article on how to calibrate your candy thermometer.
Prepare a quarter-sheet baking sheet (9 x 13) by lining it with parchment paper. (Since you don't spread the toffee to the edge of the pan, if all you have is a larger baking sheet, it will work too!)
Put the water in a medium pot and arrange the butter chunks in a single layer on the bottom. Heat on extremely low heat until the butter melts (should take 10-15 minutes). Do not stir.**
Increase the heat to medium-low and bring the butter to a rolling boil.
Add the sugar, salt, and almonds and briefly stir to combine. Stop stirring and insert a candy thermometer. Cook, undisturbed, until the caramel reaches 260°F, or begins turning amber colored, whichever comes first (this will differ depending on your pot, but should take around 10 minutes to start turning colors). At this point, don't take your eyes off of the pot, even to just wash a quick dish, as you'll risk burning the caramel. Depending on your pot, this could take 5-15 minutes more, but when it starts turning dark amber, it turns quickly.
Cook, undisturbed, until the mixture reaches 300°F (or as my mom says, "is EXACTLY the color of peanut butter"). Check the color of the caramel at the bottom of the pot with a single gentle stir once it reaches around 285°F, or appears amber colored throughout, to make sure it isn't getting too dark. If your mixture turns amber brown before it reaches 300°F, stir gently occasionally to keep it from burning.
Once it reaches 300°F, immediately pour the caramel onto the prepared pan and use the wooden spoon to spread it into a thin ¼-inch thick layer. Let it sit for 1 minutes, then sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the top. Let the chocolate chips melt for 1-2 minutes, then use a rubber spatula to spread them evenly into a thin chocolate coating.
Sprinkle the chopped walnuts evenly over the top and use the back of a sturdy metal or plastic spatula to gently press the walnuts into the chocolate.
Let it sit for 4-6 hours, or until the toffee has cooled and the chocolate has solidified. If you're impatient like me, you can also put the pan in the fridge for 15-20 minutes just to solidify the chocolate.
Break into chunks using your hands or an old knife and store in an airtight container at room temperature for a couple of weeks. (As if you won't eat it before then...)
Notes
*Do not use mini chocolate chips as the chocolate will melt too fast and won't harden back up at room temperature. I prefer using Ghirardelli chocolate chips as think they look the smoothest when melted on top of this toffee, but any kind will work!**From my experience, it works best if you use a heavy-bottomed stainless steal pot and not an enameled cast-iron pot.
This nutritional information has been automatically calculated, and as such, may be incomplete or inaccurate. Please reference the specific ingredients you use for the most accurate nutritional information.