Mom's English Toffee

My mom would make this almost every Christmas. It is so. good. Seriously. I'm drooling right now just thinking about it. I have a hard time adding this to Christmas plates for the neighbors. I want it all. Mine. My English Toffee. If you like Almond Roca, you'll love this because it's that much better. Sprinkle the crumbs in the bottom of the pan over your ice cream...or in your mouth. Either way. Makes one jelly roll pan full.

Mom's English Toffee

2 1/2 c sugar
1 lb butter
1/2 c light corn syrup
1/2 c water
2 c blanched almonds*
2 XL Hershey or other plain  milk chocolate bars
1 c finely chopped walnuts

1. Place a jelly roll pan on a wooden bread board or other thick and sturdy hot pan holder. Set aside. 

2. Place sugar, butter, corn syrup, water, and almonds in a heavy 3 quart pan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until 280 to 290 degrees (if candy begins to smoke remove from heat fast). It takes awhile so pull up a barstool. I wear a long-sleeve shirt so as not to burn my forearms. 

3. Immediately pour toffee into jelly roll pan and spread evenly with the wooden spoon. This stuff is HOT and the pan is heavy. BE CAREFUL. If someone can help hold the pot while you scrape out the last of the bits onto the pan it's helpful.
4. Place Hershey bars on top of toffee right away and spread evenly after it melts. Sprinkle with finely chopped walnuts.
5. Let it cool completely in cool. I put it in my cold garage covered in a clean cloth (don't use plastic wrap, it's too hot). Once cool (it'll be cool underneath the pan in the middle), break candy apart by stabbing with a knife (let out all your aggression as you'd like, but be aware of denting your poor pan).

* To blanch almonds: bring them to a boil then rinse them immediately with cold water and skin them. I like popping the meat out of the skin (it pops out of the skinny end easiest). My kids love helping with this. You're left with the white meat of the almond. Set aside.