The great thing about toffee is that it seems incredibly difficult to make, but once you figure out the temperature settings and follow the recipe it’s actually very simple. The first time I tried homemade toffee, I thought to myself “This is so cool” and really wanted to learn how to do it. I started playing with some online recipes and fine-tuning them until I found the right guidelines. We make this at the US Grant as an in-room amenity and a take-away at various events. People love it and it has that great buttery flavor that is perfect for the holidays.

1. Melt the butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat.
2. Stir in the sugar, corn syrup and water and bring up to 300 to 310° degrees.
3. Add the almonds and cook, stirring constantly, until the nuts are toasted and the sugar is golden.
4. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
5. Pour the mixture into a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly on top.
6. Let cool to room temperature, then chop or use your hands to break the toffee into small pieces. Wrap with cellophane and tie with decorative ribbon.