<spicy english toffee>

ingredients

butter - 1 cup
sugar - 1 cup
water - 2 tbsp
salt - 1/8 tsp
semisweet chocolate - 6 oz
slivered almonds - 1/2 cup
vanilla extract - 1 tsp
red pepper - 1 tsp

directions

place a silicone mat inside a half sheet pan and put aside. you may also use buttered parchment paper or foil.

put almonds and red pepper into a dry pan on med-low heat until aroma tells you they are toasty. while waiting for almonds to toast, combine butter, sugar, water, and salt in a heavy bottom saucepan large enough to hold at least 2-3 times the volume of those ingredients. turn on to low heat until butter is all melted. stir occasionally

once butter has melted, bring heat up to medium and place a candy thermometer in the mixture. stir constantly until temperature reaches 300°. this should take about 20 minutes.

remove from heat and add vanilla. it will bubble slightly, once it is incorporated, pour mixture over the silicone mat. use a spatula to straighten out the edges. sprinkle the surface with the chocolate chips and let stand for about two minutes. try spreading the chocolate chips, if they are not melted, wait another minute before trying again. once the chocolate has been spread out, sprinkle the almonds on top and pat down if they do not look in place.

let cool for 20 minutes and then place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. peel the toffee away from the silicone mat and break into pieces. store in a cooled airtight container, the chocolate will get very melty at room temperature

notes

original recipe from [cookingforengineers.com]