1. *Toast almonds by spreading them out on a jelly roll pan and baking them in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes….TAKE PAN OUT EVERY 5 MINUTES TO STIR AND TOSS NUTS….this toasts them evenly.
2. *Butter another jelly roll pan. Once almonds are toasted, sprinkle HALF of nuts onto the buttered pan…make sure to keep nuts at least 1 inch away from sides.
3. *Butter sides of a HEAVY saucepan. Melt butter in saucepan, then add sugar, corn syrup, and water. Cook over MED-LOW heat, stirring consistently, until sugar is dissolved. Then turn heat up to MED-HIGH heat and bring to boil. Continue cooking while SLOWLY and CONSISTENTLY STIRRING the mixture.
4. *Cook and stir over medium heat until the soft-crack stage (about 15 minutes). I don’t use a candy thermometer any more….they proved inconsistent.

Now I use the ice method

1. Place a small bowl of ice next to the pot you are stirring. After you have been stirring the candy for about 12 minutes, drizzle a small amount of hot mixture onto the ice. Continue stirring your pot as the candy cools. Pick it up and bite the toffee. When done it should easily crack and crunch in your mouth….not sticking to your teeth. If it bends like stiff caramel….keep cooking.
2. Towards the end of the cooking….be VERY, VERY consistent with your stirring. The toffee will suddenly turn the color of a brown grocery bag. This is when you will want to remove it from the heat and do another ice test with the hot mixture. When it is ready it will crack and break easily as you chew it.  Don’t stress….just stir consistently….keep dripping the hot toffee on the ice cubes and you’ll know when it’s done.
3. *When candy is done cooking…pour it carefully over the toasted almonds waiting
4. in the jelly roll pan. Take care to cover all the nuts.
5. *Let stand about 5 minutes and sprinkle chocolate chips over top of warm toffee. When the chocolate is softened, spread it evenly over toffee. Sprinkle with remaining almonds. Chill until firm. Using a knife and mallet….carefully break toffee into delicious bite size pieces. Store in an air-tight container.