Buttery Toffee with Almonds and Chocolate

Candy can be hard to make if you don’t follow directions. If you are just a little off with your temperature or the amount of fat and sugar content, you have a big mess on your hands. I know this from experience. There is currently a big saucepan with burnt toffee stuck to it soaking in my sink. I turned away for just a minute to pick up one of the babies...and BAM. Burnt toffee.

Luckily, if you pay attention and follow directions, unlike me, Almond Roca Bark is really pretty easy to make! You toss some Land O Lakes^® Butter, sugar, water and molasses into a saucepan and just watch and stir...watch and stir...and watch and stir.

This is a good recipe to make with someone else so you can chat while you stir. Then at the last second, you pour it out and top it with some milk chocolate and toasted almonds. This recipe holds up great for about a week and makes amazing holiday gifts when wrapped up in tins!

Buttery Toffee with Almonds and Chocolate

Yield: 16 pieces
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients
· 1 cup Land O Lakes^® Unsalted Butter (2 sticks)
· 1 cup granulated sugar
· 1/4 cup water
· 1 tablespoon molasses
· 1 1/2 cup chopped toasted almonds, divided
· 6 1.55 oz. milk chocolate bars, unwrapped

Directions

Line a 9x13 inch cookie sheet (You can use a 9x13 cake pan too.) with waxed paper. Set aside.

In a nonstick medium saucepan, mix together Land O Lakes^® Butter, sugar, water and molasses. Bring mixture to a slow boil, stirring with a wooden or silicone spoon. Do not use a whisk, as overstirring will ruin the toffee and make it separate.

Attach candy thermometer and continue cooking until the thermometer reaches 295° F, stirring often to prevent burning or sticking. Slow and steady will win this race. I kept my burner at medium-low heat, with a steady, slow boil, and it took me 20 minutes. If you try turning up the heat to speed it up, it will burn before it reaches the correct temperature.

As soon as you reach 295° F, remove the pan from the heat and set it on a hot pad. Stir in 1 cup of the almonds. Pour toffee mixture onto prepared pan.

Lay unwrapped chocolate bars evenly on top of the toffee. Wait a few minutes to let the heat melt the chocolate and then, using a spatula, swirl melted chocolate to the edges of the candy. Sprinkle the remaining almonds along the top and gently press into the melted chocolate.

Let candy cool and harden overnight, or speed up the cooling time by popping the pan in the fridge for 20 minutes. Break the candy into pieces and serve immediately or store in an airtight container for up to a week.