This is my family's favorite candy!
The chocolate, nuts and sprinkles are optional as you can just have the toffee plain (very good plain too)!
We make it for every holiday and birthday.
We made this batch for my huband's birthday and my kids decided that Daddy would like chocolate with sprinkles and cashews (his favorite nut).
Any version is very yummy and if you add toasted almonds and milk chcolate it taste just like an Almond Roca but layered instead of rounded.

Step 1: Ingredients

1 stick of butter (1/2 cup)
2/3 cups white sugar (use pure candy sugar for best results)
1 Tablespoons water plus 1 1/4 Teaspoon water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Optional:
1/2 to 3/4 Cup chocolate chips (milk chocolate is best but semi-sweet is good also or use any chocolate and chop into small pieces)
1/2 cup of favorite nuts (toasted almond is my favorite but we used cashews this time)

Step 2: Butter Your Foiled Lined Pan

Line an 8 x 8 inch pan with a single sheet of aluminum foil.
Butter the foil in the pan..

To butter the foil I like to use an empty wrapper from a stick of butter.
After we finish a stick of butter I fold the wrapper and place in the refridgerator.
When I need to butter a pan I just pull a wrapper out and use that.

Step 3: Melt Butter

Add your butter to a saucepan.
Melt the butter over medium-high heat.

Step 4: Add Sugar and Water

Once the butter is melted add the sugar and water.
Stir well and continue cooking over medium-high heat.
Insert thermometer into saucepan.

Note do not let the bottom of the thermometer rest on the bottom of the pan as you will not get as accurate temperature.
For best results have the thermometer end a little above the bottom of the pan.

Step 5: Cook to Hard Crack (300 F)

Continue cooking over medium-high heat until the mixture reaches 300 F (149 C).
The mixture will begin to bubble a lot.
At around 275 F the mixture will bubble up and become slightly darker in color.
Watch carefully once the temperature reaches 285 F as it will heat quickly at that point and you do not want to burn or scorch you yummy candy.
As soon as the candy reaches 300 F (149 C) remove from heat.

Step 6: Add Vanilla Extract

As soon as ypu remove from heat at 300 F (149 C) add the vanilla and stir.

Step 7: Pour Into Prepared Pan

Quickly and very carefully pour the mixture into the prepared pan.

Step 8: Optional: Chocolate Layer and Topping

After pouring the toffee into the pan wait 1 minute.

If you would like a layer of chocolate on top sprinkle the chocolate over the toffee now.
Wait 3 minutes and them spread the chocolate evenly over the toffee.

If you would like a layer of nuts or sprinkles add them now on top of the melted chocolate.
You can also add anything else you like: cocunut, dried fruit, other flavored chips, just about anything that sound good to you!

Step 9: Cool in Refridgerator

Place the toffee in the refridgerator until hard (usually at least 1 hour.)

Step 10: Break Into Pieces

This step in my kids favorite part (besides the eating)!

Remove the toffee from the container by lifting it with edges of the foil.
Hold the foil and toffee a few inches over a table or counter and drop.
You may have to do it a few times and the toffee will break into pieces.
Note if you added chocolate the toffee will crack but the chocolate sometimes still holds the pieces together, just gently pull apart.

Step 11: Enjoy! & Storage

My helpers could not wait to have some before I even finished taking pictures.

Any leftover candy be stored in an airtight container.
The toffee will keep up to two weeks.
Note: as more time passes the toffee becomes less crunchy and a little chewy. The flavor is still wonderful. just the crunch becomes less and less after a week.