Baking Almonds with Rich Dark Chocolate

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 300°F (149°C).
2. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Spread the whole almonds onto the sheet and bake for 15 minutes, stirring twice during baking to ensure even toasting. Once toasted, remove from oven and let cool. Set aside 1 cup of whole almonds and chop the remaining cup finely. Alternatively, pulse them in a food processor.
3. Line a 12×17-inch jelly roll pan with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
4. In a heavy-duty saucepan (at least 3-quart size), melt the cubed butter over medium heat while stirring occasionally. Once melted, add warm water, granulated sugar, salt, and corn syrup. Stir until sugar dissolves. Brush down sides of pan with a pastry brush moistened with water to prevent crystallization.
5. Attach candy thermometer without letting it touch the bottom of the pan.
6. Bring mixture to boil without stirring until it reaches 235°F (113°C); then stop stirring when bubbles become rapid and thickened consistency forms.
7. At 265°F (129°C) – hard ball stage, stir in toasted whole almonds—if mixture separates temporarily, stir vigorously until combined again.
8. Cook while occasionally stirring until reaching 290°F (143°C) – soft crack stage.
9. Remove from heat and pour into prepared jelly roll pan—spread evenly but not all the way to edges as it should be thick.
10. After cooling for about 5 minutes, sprinkle half of chopped chocolate on top allowing it to soften before spreading into an even layer.
11. Press half of crushed almonds gently into melted chocolate layer using spatula.
12. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes until set.
13. Flip cooled toffee over so that its right side up after peeling off from mat/sheet.
14. Melt remaining chopped chocolate in microwave at intervals until smooth and spread over flipped toffee layer followed by pressing remaining chopped almonds down gently into this new layer.