Toffee (Secret Recipe Club)

My secret blog assignment for this month's Secret Recipe Club was The Yummy Life, and that it definitely is!  There were a lot of great recipes to choose from on Monica's blog.  I browsed through the recipe archives on and off for about a week.  Then, right before Administrative Professionals Day, I had a great idea that made it much easier to make a decision.

Most of you know that I recently went back to work for the first time since I was pregnant - I had been out of the game for close to 4 years.  I'm working for a firm that I was with from 1997-2003.  Most people from that time are long gone, but there are some who still remain, including the administrative assistant/office manager in the branch office I work out of.  Carolyn is a great person and a terrific admin, and for those reasons I thought she deserved a nice batch of this:

Toffee is one of my favorite candies ever, but I'd never made it myself.  Now that I know how easy it is, I might be in great danger...

There are no words.

Carolyn loved it, and I definitely did, too.

Thanks for a great recipe, Monica!

Toffee
adapted from The Yummy Life

1 cup (skin on) whole almonds
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 (12 ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips (2 cups)
1/3 cup finely chopped pecans and Heath toffee bits

Spread almonds on a microwave-safe plate in a single layer.  Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes, stirring after each minute.  Arrange almonds in a single layer on a foil lined baking sheet.

Combine butter, sugar, vanilla and salt in a saucepan.  Cook over medium high heat, stirring frequently until butter is melted.  Continue cooking for another 7-10 minutes, until candy turns light brown (it may start smoking slightly).  Immediately pour candy over almonds evenly.  Sprinkle chocolate chips all over the candy.  Wait one minute then spread chocolate until smooth.  Sprinkle with pecans and Heath bits.

Let cool then break into pieces.  Store in refrigerator in a tightly covered container.