Toffee

So Monday, I decided to make some toffee for Christmas.  On Tuesday, I got out the butter and sugar, and processed about a cup almonds and left them on the counter, where they sat overnight because I didn't get to it until Wednesday.  Hey, why rush things?  So all Wednesday I stared at those ingredients and finally, when there was a break in my day, I got started.  But, not until I found the pan I wanted to use, which was, of course, dirty.  Wash the pan.  Then I get distracted by one of the kids.  Back to the kitchen, where it takes me a while to remember what I had been doing.  Then I put the pound of butter and the 1 3/4 cups of sugar in the pan and turn on the burner.  Rats!  The recipe said to melt the butter first, then put the sugar in quickly.  Oh well, no turning back now.  I add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and stir for 10 minutes. At least I get that part right.  While stirring, the 4 year-old needs me, so I turn the stirring over to the 12 year-old and attend to the little guy.  Back to stirring, which goes surprisingly fast, maybe because there is a traffic jam in the kitchen of little children, and the 17 year-old is talking to me, and I am trying to listen to the 15 year-old's music.  10 minutes is up, and I add a cup or so of slivered almonds and stir for 15 more minutes.  The baby needs to get up, so I send someone to fetch her.  She comes into the kitchen and I give the stirring over to the 12 year-old again.  This is a highlight of my day- when the baby gets up from her nap.  She's all warm and rosy cheeked and her skin seems especially soft, and she reaches for me with a smile and giggle, and we snuggle for a few minutes.  I easily tune out everything while inhaling her sweet baby scent. Then she's off playing and I am back stirring.  15 minutes are up, and I test the toffee in some ice water to see if it's done.  After a few tries, it's finally at the crackling stage, and the girls have happily eaten my 'test' toffees.  I pour it onto a cookie sheet, and it's a good thing I can just dump it on the sheet and let it spread out by itself, because the baby needs her milk and the 7 and 9 year-olds are fighting and need me.  Read the mail, unload the dishwasher, put the finishing touches on dinner, and it's back to the toffee, which has cooled.  Now, butter and sugar are enough to make a passable toffee, but this recipe calls for one more step.  I melt a cup or so of chocolate chips and spread it onto the toffee.  A pastry brush works great for this, but if it's missing because someone used it for a science experiment, one of the kids' paintbrushes will do.  I brush on the chocolate and then sprinkle the processed almonds like dust over the chocolate.  After one side sets up, I do the other side.  Done!  That's how baking goes around here- it's hit or miss, but no one is complaining.  If you can find the recipe in here somewhere, I hope you try it too, and enjoy.  Oh, and go ahead and dump the butter and sugar in together- it made no difference in the end.

                               Buttery, sugary, diet-breaking, cavity-inducing goodness!