Homemade Chewy Chocolate Caramel Toffee

Before you start off, I suggest lining a 9x13 inch baking dish with parchment paper. Trust me on this - it makes the removal of toffee from the pan so much easier.

Begin by combining sugars, butter, corn syrup and salt in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Stir the mixture occasionally with a whisk to dissolve sugar, and ensure to scrape down the sides of the pan to avoid any sugar crystals.

As the mixture comes to a boil, attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan. I personally swear by the candy thermometer since it gives an accurate temperature. You want to cook the mixture until it reaches 290 degrees F, which is the 'soft-crack stage'. Cue in pro-tip here, this is where patience is key. It might take a while for the temperature to reach, but it's worth it.

When the temperature hits the mark, remove the pan from heat and immediately stir in the vanilla extract and half the chopped almonds. The mixture will sizzle, so be careful!

Now comes the best part. Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking dish, spreading it evenly with a spatula. The icing on the caramel toffee cake is chocolate. While the caramel is hot, sprinkle chocolate chips over it. Wait for about 5 minutes for chocolate to melt, then you can use a spatula to spread it evenly across the surface. Sprinkle remaining almonds on top.

Let your caramel toffee cool completely, about 1 to 2 hours. Once it's cold, you can break or cut it into pieces. For perfect squares, cut the toffee when it's halfway cooled, it makes the job easier.

The final step, the best one indeed - enjoy your homemade caramel toffee! Share the toffee pieces with family and friends or pack them in little cute boxes, a perfect little present for the holiday season.