Toffee

This is my husband's favorite among my Christmas candy. He can pass up all the others, but does like to take a piece of toffee here and there. This recipe isn't hard, but can be a little tricky if you've never used a candy thermometer or done a water test on candy. (Google the water test if needed.) I usually just use the water test, but if you've never made candy before, I recommend also using a thermometer. Just be aware the temperatures can vary at different altitudes, so Google that as well. :)

Also, every once in awhile, toffee will separate for some reason when it's almost done cooking. The butter separates from the rest of the ingredients, and if you pour it into the pan, it will be like an oil slick on top. Some people say it's due to weather, some due to not stirring enough, or heating it too quickly. I learned a few years ago and if this happens, you can add about a 1/2 cup of water to the toffee (which will steam A LOT), stir like crazy to combine it back together, and cook back up to hard crack stage. It takes some extra time, but will save the batch of toffee.

Hopefully that last bit didn't scare you away...it really works great most of the time, and is delicious! I owe my friend Barb for this one.

Toffee

1 lb. butter (Yeah, no shortage of butter in this one.)
2 c. sugar
1 c. water
2 Tbsp. light corn syrup
Chopped pecans (optional - I don't use them)
7 oz. Symphony milk chocolate bar
Crushed almonds (optional - I do use these)

Melt butter in a large, heavy pan over medium heat. Mix in sugar, water, and corn syrup, and increase heat to medium/high. Cook, stirring constantly, until candy reached 303 degrees F (hard crack stage). Pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan* with pecans on the bottom of the pan. Let stand. After 5-10 minutes (toffee should still be warm but should be slightly firm on top), break up chocolate bar and place on top of toffee. Cover with a cookie sheet and let stand until chocolate is soft. Spread chocolate evenly over toffee. Sprinkle with almonds if desired. Once set, break into pieces.

*When you make the toffee in a 9 x 13 pan, it's thick enough that you can't break it easily with your hands. I usually use a butter knife and hit the top to break it, but it's a bit of a pain, and isn't very safe. (My friend Barb once had to have surgery after cutting her finger on a butter knife doing something very similar, and I've worried about it ever since.) Last year, I decided to try pouring it into a jellyroll pan instead. It didn't quite spread all the way to the edges, but since you break it into pieces, that didn't matter. It took more chocolate and almonds to cover the top, but it was soooo much easier to break apart. From now on, I think I'll do it that way every time.