Love this candy recipe. Easy for new cooks too, and great Christmas treats. I learned from my mother, who learned from her mother how to make candy. They were experts. Here's what I know: Always use a wooden spoon, why? Metal spoons get hot and add extra heat that can distort the why the candy cooks. Only stir once and awhile and DO NOT scrape the upper sides of the pan. Sugar sticks to the upper sides of the pan and actually crystalizes and burns (you don't see this process taking place and that's okay as long as you don't scrape it down into your candy). So if you accidentally scrape the upper sides, you get that crystalized taste and burned too. Yes, I agree with RainyDayGirl reviewer; follow her advice about stirring. Mom used to say, once it's burned toss it, there's no way to fix it. Have fun.

This has to be, by far one of the best (and easiest) toffee recipies. Every Christmas season my Mom used to buy me this super expensive toffee from a local boutique, complete with a french linen bow and it melted in your mouth (the toffee not the bow!). I've found that making this recipe and following the cooking directions produced similar, if not better tasting toffee and less expensive! After letting my Mother in law try some, she told me I should open up a sweet shop! The only part I did differently for this recipie was to crush the almonds to very small bits, which ended up needing more almonds to coincide with the measurements you've provided. Thank you for this recipe and my family thanks you too!

My first attempt at this recipe flopped -I had grainy toffee which had the consistency of fudge - tasted good but it just wasn't toffee. I tried again and Voila! I was able to make wonderful toffee. Here are my tips: most importantly TEST your candy thermometer! If you get 212 degrees in boiling water then you know it's accurate (mine was 10 degrees off!) Also, the tip shouldn't be touching the bottom of the pan but somewhere in the middle of the syrup. I used a Silpat silicone baking mat instead of greasing the pan and it worked wonderfully. No sticking at all. I didn't stir as much the 2nd time since someone said that allows the candy to heat up very quickly at the end and scorch. I also used a wire whisk instead of a wooden spoon that I used the first time. Lastly, I made one batch without the bottom chocolate layer and almonds only on top of the top chocolate layer and broke the toffee up like brittle – a little less expensive and still tastes good! Another batch I scored with a knife and broke up into squares when it cooled - also worked great. I used Ghiradelli chips and they melted beautifully, but when I used Hershey chips they did not so I'd recommend using a good quality chocolate if you can. I'm proudly going to take my re-worked batches to a cookie exchange today and can't wait to hear what everyone thinks! Oh, and another reviewer explained how to make a half batch and it worked perfectly too! (use 1 1/3 c packed brown sugar and halve the other ingr

This candy is so wonderful. Everyone begs for it and wants the recipe. Nobody can believe how simple it is with just 4 ingredients. I make 2 batches at Christmas and can't keep it around. For those of you who have had trouble, you must use a candy thermometer and make sure it is a good one. Take it off the range immediately at 310 or it will taste burnt. I put all the almonds in the toffee mixture (none on top - just my personal preferance) right when I take it off the heat, stir quickly and pour over the milk chocolate. Never failed! Thanks for sharing this recipe.

This is wonderful, I make a big pan for my family every year. Note about the temperature ~ I always stop at 300 degrees. It might just be my candy thermometer though. This is also a great Valentine's Day treat!

Update to my previous review: Use the nonstick foil in the bottom of the pan you are using for the chocolate. I find after spreading the warm chocolate put in the fridge to cool and harden while cooking the toffee. I have much better results with the non stick foil vs the wax paper which tends to leave residue. And an A++ to the pizza cutter idea! Awesome recipe. My 2nd year for xmas gifting and my friends can't get enough of it. I find that using a candy thermometer that attaches to the side of the pan is helpful in candy making. Also, I've cut recipe in 1/2 by using 1 1/3 packed cups of Brown sugar and halving everything else. I've also found putting it into the fridge for 3 hours is really helpful. Plus use very good chocolate to make it special!

The toffee was great. The only problem I had was with the chocolate. It stuck to the pan better than the toffee and was a bit soft. Tasted great though.*** I made this a second time, with the following changes: did not add almonds to toffee, poured it onto foil (should have used wax paper), scored toffee w/pizza slicer when still hot, broke up the toffee and then dipped in in chocolate and then rolled it in food processed nuts. It's a lot less messy. Tastes great. Be careful to not over process the nuts, I thought sliced unblanched almonds looked the best.

I've made this recipe over a dozen times and I'd like to share a few things I've learned. Temperature is critical anytime you work with sugar. The final consistency is almost 100% dependant on the temperature. At 245 you get caramel, at 310 you get toffee. I would not recommend making this without a candy thermometer. Use the thickest pot you can, to prevent scorching. Stir ocassionally until 300 and then not at all until 310. This reduces the time it takes to climb the last 10 degrees and reduces the chance of burning. Remove from heat at precisely 310-do it fast and pour it fast, trust me on that. I don't add the almonds, I like the skor bar quality of the candy without them, and I don't use the bottom layer of chocolate on the pan, I never get good adhesion, it falls off when you try to eat it. I only put chocolate on the top. When the candy hardens enough that your finger only makes a small dent in the top add the chips, give them a minute or 2 to melt and then spread with a knife or the back of a spoon. My chocolate has always stuck when doing it this way. If you need it ready fast put in the fridge or freezer, otherwise it can take a while for the chocolate to harden. For breaking it into pieces I just slam mine against the counter and let it break into odd sized pieces. This candy is always met with excitement when I bring it to a gathering. I hope this helps anyone who wants to make this wonderfully addictive candy

This candy is wonderful, and not at all hard to make if you have any experience with candy making. Everyone I shared it with raved over it - it tastes like Skor candy bar except that it doesn't break your teeth to bite into it! I found that cutting the candy into squares while it was warm worked well. Then I could easily break it along the perforations when it was completely cool and still have nice, intact little squares.

I was so disappointed that the toffee burned as soon as it reached 300degrees. The consistency was perfect but it had a burnt aftertaste. I would attempt this recipe again but I would pull it off the heat before it reaches 300. I am open to any suggestions.

I used half pecans, half almonds and it turned out perfectly!

Very nice! Easy, quick and delicious. Made a batch for my husband to take to work for the guys. It was perfect. Kids are excited that this is a new Christmas Candy that they can look forward to. I'm not a seasoned candy maker so I followed the suggestions of a previous reviewer and buttered the sides of my sauce pan so that I could leave it untouched until it reached 300 degrees. I had success the first go. Thanks Janis.

These didn't turn out at all for me. I'm guessing my candy thermometer is off. I'm sticking with an easier recipe that I use that doesn't require a candy thermometer ... sorry!

Very good! I toast the nuts and also have used toasted coconut. Many ways to give this buttercrunch a twist.Use White choc. or other nuts toasted sesame seeds.Try grinding nuts to just about a powder and dust the top layer of choc. with it. Let your mind and taste buds wander. Have fun!

Simple and easy to make. Candy tasted good but was not crunchy enough for me. It was too soft and not like the real almond roca. I followed the instructions exactly and even used some of the tips from other reviewers. Ane suggestions on how to make it "buttercrunch"?

This was my family's favorite new Christmas candy this year. I would recommend using a candy thermometer, as the right heat is critical for cohesiveness to the other ingredient layers. Very simple prep. Family gobbled it up and wanted more!

The first time I made this, I cooked the candy to 310 degrees. In a second it went from smelling great to smelling burnt and separating. The second time and third time I made it, I buttered the sides of the pan and did not stir it at all until it reached 300 degrees, rather than 310 degrees. It was perfect and delicious both times.