Since I have a few free days before heading up North for the 4th of July, I decided to do some baking. I've had a few recipes sitting out that I have been wanting to make for quite some time. I had Hollywood Squares, Honeycomb Candy, and Dark Chocolate and Macadamia Nut Toffee Bark on my list. After a quick trip to the market for some butter, I got started on the Dark Chocolate and Macadamia Nut Toffee Bark. Since I didn't want to spend an arm and a leg on macadamia nuts, I decided to replace them with sliced almonds and rename the recipe. I didn't make any other changes to the recipe since I had never made it before, but I was a little nervous that it would be just a bit too humid for the toffee to harden properly. Everything seemed to work out okay, and since the toffee is actually baked in the oven, I think that helped dry it out.

Dark Chocolate and Almond Toffee Bark

1/4 C. brown sugar
1/4 C. sugar
1/2 lb butter (2 sticks)
1 12 oz. package dark chocolate chips
2 cups sliced almonds (or other nut if you prefer)
1/2 box honey graham crackers

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a lipped baking sheet with tin foil, covering all edges. Arrange a layer of graham crackers in the pan; do not overlap crackers. In a saucepan, melt the butter and sugars. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 5 minutes. Then, carefully pour the butter and sugar mixture over the graham crackers. Using an off-set spatula, spread the toffee evenly. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, spread the chocolate evenly over the graham crackers, and let it sit for 5 minutes. Once the chocolate has softened, smooth it evenly over the top of the toffee. Then sprinkle the nuts over the chocolate, and press them in. Let the candy cool on the counter, then refrigerate until set. Carefully peel from foil and break into pieces.

Yield: 1 lb

The graham crackers are all lined up on the pan ready to go.

Melting the butter and sugars.

Ready to pour over the graham crackers. It was the consistency of a soft praline, and not at all sticky.

Baking away in the oven.

Ready to come out now that the toffee is all bubbly and starting to brown. Chocolate chips melting, waiting to be spread out. The finished product!